G-Unit - T.O.S: Terminate On Sight Review

Posted by Patrick Robinson on 07.11.2008

The latest G-Unit release: Another nail in the coffin, or the rebirth of the G-Unit Empire?

Riding on the wave of success that 50 Cent had captured back in 2003, G-Unit released their first major label debut album, Beg For Mercy. The group consisted at that point of 50 Cent, Lloyd Banks and Young Buck as Tony Yayo was incarcerated at the time. Since then the group has changed members, most notably inducting The Game and subsequently kicking him out, and most recently getting rid of Young Buck.

Since then though, G-Unit releases have suffered both in terms of quality and sales including Tony Yayo’s Thoughts Of A Predicate Felon, Lloyd Banks’ Rotten Apple as well as affiliate releases like Mobb Deep’s Blood Money.

In interviews, Tony Yayo and Lloyd Banks were promising to “end careers” with this album release, so the signature G-Unit formula is already in affect. Will the release revive G-Unit’s popularity?



Tracks

1. Straight Outta Southside
2. Piano Man Ft. Young Buck
3. Close To Me
4. Rider Pt. 2 Ft. Young Buck
5. Casualties Of War
6. You So Tough
7. No Days Off Ft. Young Buck
8. T.O.S.
9. I Like The Way She Do It Ft. Young Buck
10. Kitty Kat
11. Party Ain’t Over
12. Let It Go Ft. Mavado
13. Get Down
14. I Don’t Wanna Talk About It
15. Ready Or Not
16. Money Make The World Go Round

If sales are any indication, then the answer to the above question is a resounding “no”. Managing to only just break 100,000 copies in their first week of sales, T.O.S.: Terminate On Sight (shortened to T.O.S. from here), does not seem to be the album to begin the rebuilding process for the G-Unit empire.

“Straight Outta Southside” was meant to feature commentary on the Sean Bell shooting however, the supposed commentary amounts to half a line shouted out by Yayo at one point as the group then resumes their gun talk. Production on the track is done by Ron Browz (“Ether” and “Blow It Out!”) and pays homage, without actually directly sampling, N.W.A.’s “Straight Outta Compton”, rather it captures the energy of the original track and gives it a 2008 feel.

Following that is “Piano Man” that manages to entertain as the synth heavy beat provided by Tha Bizness (“Follow My Lead”) mixed in with, what else, piano keys is catchy and engaging. Lyrically, Buck and Banks step up with Banks in particular sounding motivated for one of the few times on the record.

The main problem with T.O.S. is the lyrics. I know I’m listening to a G-Unit release and anybody familiar with their work will know what to expect. Songs for the ladies, songs for the streets, all with a decent amount of gun talk sprinkled throughout. That’s not an excuse though for lazy lyrics or poor rapping. It certainly doesn’t help either that, for some unknown reason, 50 seems intent on hiring relatively unknown producers to handle the bulk of the work. Apart from a Swizz Beatz beat, two from Ron Browz and one from Polow Da Don, the rest are provided by producers who you’d only know from actually reading liner notes on other releases.

The production on the early G-Unit releases was one of the reasons to listen to the albums to start with. Given 50 is one of the top 3 hip-hop businessmen according to Forbes magazine, it makes it unfathomable that the group would go in for cheap sounding beats. The lead single, “I Like The Way She Do It” sounds like it was made on a Casio keyboard by a high school student with irritating synths and bored lyricism from the four. It features a truly lyrical gem from Tony Yayo though:

”I need a dollar for every time that my heart beat (bass sounds)
Now how much is that
I can breath on a track and make money, (starts breathing)
Now how much is that”

Yes, he starts breathing.

Following this is “Kitty Kat” which is as horrible as it sounds. The production by Polow Da Don isn’t one of his better tracks, but certainly isn’t bad however what really brings the track down is the astoundingly awful hook:

”ohhhh I need cash for my kitty kat” x3

Trust me, it’s not worth searching out to hear, you’ll probably sue me for ear damages.

The second single “Rider Pt. 2” also suffers from having decent production coupled with an awful hook. For those that hate the auto tune effect, stay far away from this track as 50 uses it on the hook managing to make it sound terrible to probably even the most dedicated T-Pain fan. Lyrically though, as the four rap about their guns and money, they at least sound like they’re enjoying themselves which makes the track easier to listen to.

What of these careers to be ended though? Well unless they flip their comments and meant they were sending subliminal warnings to Buck, most of the shots fail to connect. There’s a throwaway line directed at Lil Wayne on “Party Ain’t Over”, an indirect shot at T.I. on “You So Tough” and the most dangerous one of them all, that 14 yr old kid that one of Yayo’s crew supposedly slapped. Cause we all know you want to threaten someone within your key buying demographic don’t you?

There are some good tracks though, “No Days Off” features significantly better production than the rest of the album and despite the recycled topics (on the grind everyday as a gangsta, stick up man), the four sound again, energized and manage to sound somewhat legitimate in their talk. The other standout track is “Ready Or Not”. The production is dark and haunting, and wouldn’t sound out of place on a mid 90s Mobb Deep album and even Tony Yayo manages to flip some decent lines:

”My little shooter, 16 from the projects
Glock 16, with the Napoleon Complex”

The 411: In the end, you’re getting exactly what you thought you would. Gun talk, money talk, and some joints aimed at the female listeners amongst us. But there are a lot more people out there in today’s hip-hop scene doing everything G-Unit is, and better might I add. In the end, the album is another nail in the proverbial coffin of G-Unit as the tired, recycled lyrics and in Yayo’s case, abysmal rapping is killing their career faster than any beef could. Give this one a miss unless you’re a dedicated G-Unit fan.

Final Score:  5.5   [ Not So Good ]