Beast Is G Unit

Recording information: Gang Green Studios, NY; The Big House, Farmington, CT; The Frat House, Queens, NY.
Photographer: Shareif Ziyadat.
With the release of this six-track EP, G-Unit's return continued to roll out slowly but surely. Surely because the street-worthy music here is raw and scrappy enough to bring to mind the group's early years, especially the key track "Bring My Bottles," where founding member Tony Yayo takes the spotlight. The stark "Boy Boy" is classic G-Unit in its unapologetic lyrics ("I'm L.A. Reid with the dope, son/I'm Jimmy Iovine with the coke, son") while "Doper Than My Last One" is a solo Lloyd Banks cut now credited to the group, which was the way they used to do it back when G-Unit Radio mixtapes spilled out every bodega and gas station. ~ David Jeffries