By Adam Thomas
The infamous G-Unit had a relatively quiet 2007. While 50 Cent dominated headlines with his sales feud with Kanye West, and Young Buck dropped one of the better albums of the year, when compared to the years previous, anyone would be remiss to not call it a slow burn. At the start of 2008, things seemed even more fractured with Buck talking about signing with other labels and the rest of the camp remaining quiet. It seems that the rest of the group would rather let the music do the talking, as they have found new life with their first entry in their new mixtape series, Return Of The Body Snatchers Volume 1.
What any fan will notice is a lack of Young Buck on this mixtape. He is not featured on a single track or even the cover, but 50 Cent definitely tries his best to deliver the goods. The G Unit general shines on several tracks such as “Like A Dog;" the intro to the mixtape, where 50 maneuvers around the piano and a soft bass masterfully. He also lines tracks such as "Good To Me" and "You Need Me" with some of his signature humor and charisma. Fans of 50’s unique crooning are sure to find a couple of cuts that satisfy; the cover of Playaz Circle's “Paper Chaser” has him giving his best Phonte impression. Listeners looking for the magic of the original Southside Queens crew can look no further to "I'm Leaving." This banger is a throwback to the cohesiveness the trio had when they first dominated the streets.
Even so, as with any G Unit release, the same pitfalls exist. Tony Yayo is still the weak link in the group, and while some would point to “I’m Bout That” as proof of improvement, there are still times where he seems to struggle with his creativity, like the shallow and disappointing “Bottom Girl” where Yayo throws the track off. Banks shows up well on this mixtape on the group spots, but his only solo cut, “I’m Back – Another 70 Bars” feels like it's thirty five bars too long.
Return Of The Body Snatchers Vol. 1 is an appropriate name for the mixtape, as this is a good reintroduction for those who have forgotten about G-Unit and what they are about, even without Young Buck. If this is the quality of music that can be expected from the crew, then 2008 can see them rise to be amongst Hip-Hop’s best once again.
G-UNIT
"I'm Leaving"
Lloyd Banks
"I'm Back - Another 70 Bars"