Though backing posses had become de rigueur for commercially successful rappers by the early 2000s,50 Cent's posse, G-Unit, is somewhat exceptional, as showcased on its album debut, Beg forMercy. Following50's unsuccessful stint with Columbia Records during the late '90s, he returned tothe streets and willfully assembled a backing posse, with himself as the superstar and his cohorts ashis street-level representatives, thereby ensuring himself future street credibility and enoughfirepower for entire mixtapes. The plan paid off in spades as G-Unit worked the mixtapecircuit,releasing one after another, while50in turn blew up in 2003 with his solo debut,GetRich or Die Tryin', yet maintained his street cred with his well-bred posse, touring extensively and releasingstill more mixtapes. All of this made the eventual release of Beg for Mercy a real event -- andall the more so because Murder Inc had announced that they would simultaneously release anewJa Rulealbum and go head to head, sales-wise (though they wisely reconsidered), and becauseInterscope bumped up the release date of Beg for Mercy to November 14 (citingbootleggingconcerns) so that G-Unit could contentiously go head to head withJay-Zandhismuch-anticipatedBlack Album. It's thus difficult to distance yourself from the aura of hype surrounding Beg for Mercy and evaluate it as music rather than as an event. Of course, when you deflate the album of its hype, it's not quite as exciting as it probably sounded fresh out of the cellophane first thing in the morning on November 14, but it's still a considerably exciting listen nonetheless. For one.