G-Unit was founded shortly after 50 Cent left Columbia Records. The original members were: 50 Cent, Bang Em Smurf, Domination, Lloyd Banks, Sha Money XL & Tony Yayo. These rappers collectively established the group as a whole in 2000; however, after Yayo got a prison sentence 50 Cent signed Young Buck and along with himself and Banks became the three faces of G-Unit. Smurf and Domination left the group due to some problems with the General, 50 Cent.
After being shot, 50 Cent signed to Interscope Records. Due to the success of his commercial debut album, Get Rich or Die Tryin', he was granted his own record label. This was when 50 and Sha Money XL founded G-Unit Records.
The group continued to work hard and released several mixtape series which earned them a lot of attention in the rap industry. The most prominent of these being 50 Cent Is the Future, God's Plan, No Mercy, No Fear and Automatic Gunfire. G-Unit have also started a mixtape series with their DJ, DJ Whoo Kid, called G-Unit Radio.
These mixtapes gave them a gigantic buzz throughout New York City, which eventually led to 50's first solo album Get Rich or Die Tryin' selling over 12 million copies.
Before the group had a chance to record its debut album, Tony Yayo was sentenced to prison for a gun-possession charge as well as bail-jumping. During Tony Yayo's prison sentence, the group signed Nashville rapper, Young Buck. They continued their activity, working on yet more mixtape recordings. In particular, their 'G-Unit Remix' to 50 Cent's "P.I.M.P." was successful.
During Tony Yayo's prison sentence, G-Unit recorded their debut album, Beg for Mercy. The album was quickly released on November 14, 2003 to combat bootlegging and had significant commercial success. Tony Yayo made only two appearances on the album, both on songs that were recorded before his arrest. The album peaked at #2 on the Billboard charts and sold over 4 million units.
50 Cent later went on to sign The Game, Mobb Deep, M.O.P., Olivia, Spider Loc andMase. The Game was asked to be put in the group by Dr. Dre and Jimmy Iovine. 50 Cent agreed, and gave 7 of his records which was supposed to go on his second LP The Massacre. After The Game went on the radio and said that he had no problems with some rappers 50 Cent had issues with, 50 felt that Game was disloyal and kicked him out of the group, which lead to the infamous G-Unit vs. The Game/Black Wallstreet meet and beat off.
Choose One
G-Unit Lyrics
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Come through the hood, niggas starving
If you ain't tryna pay what I'm charging
All I see is dead people
I'm not doing no arguing
No deals, I ain't giving no bargains
My Glock 9 give you 16 ways to die, choose one
Give it to ya how you want it
It's shoot 'em up bang, bang, shit, we still on it, nigga
Every day a star's rising
It ain't no love here, but your heart's tied in
Soul's slipping, sparks flying
Masterpieces is an art dying
Crime release, we break apart lying
Man down, the parts crying
Tears of joys heal a real McCoy
Bury your worries, don't wonder who rides for ya
Know yourself, relax and study
Bloody your uniform, no rest, keep moving on
Anybody who do you wrong, wrong turn, it's on
Somebody chain got took, somebody life got lost
Somebody water not working, somebody lights cut off
I watched my partner OD in '03 in front of me
Took the plea, went on a spree, damn near downed the whole key
Paranoid, nose dirty, 'bout to go for them thirty
You keep saying he's hurting, now all his homies is worried
Second-guessing this gangster, they don't know what he said
They don't know what he told, but now you know that he dead
All I see is dead people
Come through the hood, niggas starving
If you ain't tryna pay what I'm charging
All I see is dead people
I'm not doing no arguing
No deals, I ain't giving no bargains
My Glock 9 give you 16 ways to die, choose one
Give it to ya how you want it
My .45 give you 32 ways to die, choose one
It's shoot 'em up bang, bang, shit, we still on it, nigga
I'm in them trenches like I'm a marine sniper in his Gillie suit
HK, SK, turn niggas vegetable
Live past 22 like climbing Mount Everest with one shoe or flip-flop
Middle finger to the opp'
Bacon, egg and cheese at my clip from last night
Smoking, think about that drama from last night
Emotion in your mind, love and hate cause casualty
These old dogs wack in that cave mentality
Dope boy salary, block ground athlete
Move so much weight I lost a couple calories
The palms sells the size of deep batteries
Get hit like Jay Rock when that fat nigga squeeze
My homie Kenny Booth doing life over 8 racks
He broke down in court when they played the tape back
I'm from Mazant, 6 shots, I ate that
Now I won't pay back, let my kids slay that
All I see is dead people
Come through the hood, niggas starving
If you ain't tryna pay what I'm charging
All I see is dead people
I'm not doing no arguing
No deals, I ain't giving no bargains
My Glock 9 give you 16 ways to die, choose one
Give it to ya how you want it
My .45 give you 32 ways to die, choose one
It's shoot 'em up bang, bang, shit, we still on it, nigga
The opening lines of "All I see is dead people" in G-Unit's song "Choose One" suggest that the environment is bleak, hopeless, and dangerous. The rest of the song's lyrics discuss the daily struggles of living in the hood and the violent lifestyle of a drug dealer. The song's chorus states that the singer's Glock 9 offers 16 different ways to die, while the .45 gives you 32 to choose from. The lyrics also talk about a partner who overdosed in front of the singer and how the singer is in the trenches, like a marine sniper.
The song depicts the hardships of life, especially for those living in poverty-stricken areas. The lyrics highlight the brutal realities of the streets, where drugs, violence, and poverty are rampant. The song seems to be a commentary on the drug game and its impact on the community. The chorus emphasizes the idea of choosing one's fate, which could mean life or death.
Overall, "Choose One" is a reflection of the harsh realities of living in an impoverished community. The lyrics suggest that one must live by their wits or die by the gun. The song reveals the struggles of people living in adverse socio-economic conditions and the impact that the drug trade has on the lives of those who participate in it.
Line by Line Meaning
All I see is dead people
The singer sees a lot of death and destruction in his environment.
Come through the hood, niggas starving
The people in the singer's neighborhood are struggling to make ends meet and are in need of basic necessities like food.
If you ain't tryna pay what I'm charging
The singer expects to be paid the full price for his goods/services and is not willing to negotiate on the price.
I'm not doing no arguing
The artist is not going to engage in any arguments.
No deals, I ain't giving no bargains
The artist is not giving any discounts or special offers.
My Glock 9 give you 16 ways to die, choose one
The singer is threatening violence and has a deadly weapon that can kill in multiple ways.
Give it to ya how you want it
The singer is willing to harm someone in any way they choose.
My .45 give you 32 ways to die, choose one
The artist has another deadly weapon that can kill in even more ways.
It's shoot 'em up bang, bang, shit, we still on it, nigga
The artist is ready and willing to use violence to solve any problems that arise.
Every day a star's rising
A new criminal or gang member is gaining power and influence every day.
It ain't no love here, but your heart's tied in
Although there is no love in the environment, people still have emotional attachments to the people, places, and things around them.
Soul's slipping, sparks flying
People are losing their souls and dying violently.
Masterpieces is an art dying
The art of creating something meaningful is dying in the singer's environment.
Crime release, we break apart lying
Crime is a temporary escape but it ultimately leads to breaking apart and lying.
Man down, the parts crying
When someone is killed, the people left behind are distraught and crying.
Tears of joys heal a real McCoy
Celebrating a victory can heal someone's emotional pain or feelings of defeat.
Bury your worries, don't wonder who rides for ya
Don't waste time worrying about who is on your side; just focus on surviving and succeeding.
Know yourself, relax and study
Get to know yourself and your surroundings, become educated, and find inner peace.
Bloody your uniform, no rest, keep moving on
Fight until you are bloodied and exhausted and then keep going because there is no rest for the weary.
Anybody who do you wrong, wrong turn, it's on
If someone wrongs you, they will face consequences and it will be their fault.
Somebody chain got took, somebody life got lost
There are thefts and murders happening in the artist's environment.
Somebody water not working, somebody lights cut off
People are struggling to get basic utilities like water and electricity.
I watched my partner OD in '03 in front of me
The singer watched his friend die from a drug overdose in 2003.
Took the plea, went on a spree, damn near downed the whole key
The artist's friend took a plea deal and then went on a crime spree, almost completely using up their stash of drugs.
Paranoid, nose dirty, 'bout to go for them thirty
The singer is feeling paranoid and his nose is dirty from drug use. He is thinking of going on a crime spree to get more drugs.
You keep saying he's hurting, now all his homies is worried
People keep saying that the singer's friend is in pain or struggling, which is making his friends concerned.
Second-guessing this gangster, they don't know what he said
People are doubting the singer's friend is really a gangster, and they don't know what he revealed or told others.
They don't know what he told, but now you know that he dead
Others don't know what secrets the artist's friend revealed before his death, but now they know he is dead.
I'm in them trenches like I'm a marine sniper in his Gillie suit
The artist is in the midst of a dangerous and difficult situation, like a marine sniper in camouflage.
HK, SK, turn niggas vegetable
The singer has deadly weapons that can turn people into vegetables (i.e., leave them in a vegetative state).
Live past 22 like climbing Mount Everest with one shoe or flip-flop
Living past the age of 22 in the singer's environment is a challenging feat, like attempting to climb Mount Everest with inadequate footwear.
Middle finger to the opp'
The artist is defiant towards his enemies or opponents.
Bacon, egg and cheese at my clip from last night
The artist had a sandwich at the same time that he had a gun in his possession.
Smoking, think about that drama from last night
The artist is thinking about the dangerous events from the previous night while smoking (potentially to calm his nerves).
Emotion in your mind, love and hate cause casualty
Emotions like love and hate can lead to problems and casualties.
These old dogs wack in that cave mentality
Older individuals in the artist's environment have outdated or unhelpful ways of thinking.
Dope boy salary, block ground athlete
Drug dealers make a lot of money and are good at navigating their neighborhood.
Move so much weight I lost a couple calories
The singer has been carrying and selling so much drugs that he has lost weight.
The palms sells the size of deep batteries
The singer's drug deals have become so successful that they are selling large quantities of drugs the size of batteries.
Get hit like Jay Rock when that fat nigga squeeze
Being hit by a bullet is as painful for the artist as it was for rapper Jay Rock when he was shot.
My homie Kenny Booth doing life over 8 racks
The artist's friend Kenny Booth is serving a life sentence in prison for a small amount of money.
He broke down in court when they played the tape back
Kenny Booth became emotional in court when the prosecution played a recording of his voice.
I'm from Mazant, 6 shots, I ate that
The singer is so tough that he has been shot six times and still survived.
Now I won't pay back, let my kids slay that
The artist will not settle any old scores, but will let his children handle it instead.
Lyrics © THE ADMINISTRATION MP INC
Written by: CHRISTOPHER CHARLES LLOYD, CURTIS STEWART, CURTIS JAMES JACKSON, DAVID DARNELL BROWN, MARVIN BERNARD
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Miles Lewis
on Lay You Down
Beg For Mercy was one of the best albums of 2003.