G-Unit disbanded: what happened to the iconic hip-hop group? When you think of legendary hip-hop groups in the early 2000s, G-Unit is probably one of the first crews that comes to mind. The group was a powerhouse consisting of 50 Cent, Lloyd Banks, and Tony Yayo, who were all on the verge of superstardom when they got together.
They would release a series of classic mixtapes and even debut their debut album Beg For Mercy, in 2003. The record was a huge success and sold over four million copies worldwide. But as the years went by, internal tensions ripped apart the crew, ultimately leading to their disbandment.
G-Unit Disbanded
In the summer of 2018, it was reported that OG member Tony Yayo had decided to split from the group. He claimed his departure was because he and 50 Cent were no longer on good terms. The two feuded over an Instagram post with a picture of Banks with Dre and Eazy-E’s son.
According to Yayo, 50 Cent did not take the situation seriously. He claims 50 did nothing to smooth things between himself and his former lyrical lieutenant. Despite this, Fiddy responded to Yayo’s claims in an interview with Hot 97 and defended himself against the allegations. He went on to say that certain artists don’t stay in the same group because they want to pursue solo careers.
After Yayo’s removal from G-Unit, the crew recruited Tennessee rapper Young Buck to fill in his spot. He remained in the crew for around a year before leaving for personal reasons. During his tenure, the group would add a new member in the form of The Game. The Aftermath/Interscope signee joined the group after a proposition made by Dre and Jimmy Iovine.
What Happened to the Iconic Hip-Hop Group?
It wasn’t long before The Game started getting into beef with other members of the crew, especially a newcomer to the group named Joe Budden. The two cliques clashed over various issues, including a subliminal diss from Budden to Lloyd Banks on the song ‘The Future’ off Budden’s ‘Padded Room’ album. Their issues would eventually lead to a full-on beef between the two, and Budden even went on tour with an opposing G-Unit crew called MobStyle.
During this time, Young Buck’s role within the group began declining. He appeared less frequently on the crew’s mixtapes and was notably absent from their album, Return of The Body Snatchers. In April of 2008, 50 Cent publicly booted Buck from the group live on air on New York’s Hot 97. He explained that problems involving “excessive spending” and Buck’s claim of not receiving royalty checks were the main reasons behind his departure.
Afterward, Buck reformed the southern branch of G-Unit Records into his independent label Cashville and began distributing acts such as C-Bo, The Outlawz, and D4L. He also continued rapping as The Buckz. In 2020, he released a single entitled ‘Back in Business’ with his old crewmate Tony Yayo.
