Album Review: G-Unit - Terminate On Sight

G-Unit’s follow-through in delivering an album that caters to their core fan-base proves to be a move that both helps and hinders their latest project, Terminate On Sight. Aside from the club-friendly synths on the lead single “I Like the Way She Do It,” T.O.S. is virtually void of pop influence; instead, the album is driven by aggressive content and gritty production. But while the familiarity of T.O.S. means 50 Cent, Lloyd Banks, and Tony Yayo are never out of place, it also ends up restricting the group’s ability to tread new ground or expand their sound. The cast of mostly unknown producers featured throughout the LP constantly hover just above mediocrity, with most of the numbers relying upon simplistic drum patterns or repetitive synth arrangements.

Review by Samir Siddiqui

It is when the songs deviate from formulaic approaches that T.O.S. starts to work on a musical level- the sinister “Straight Outta Southside” is the perfect backing to the Unit’s bravado, and a touch of flute on “Piano Man” is a perfect contrast to the otherwise grimy beat. “No Days Off” is an all-around standout, as sombre piano loops compliment the combative verses of the Unit, and despite the lack of lyrical exercises on T.O.S., the title track sees Lloyd Banks displaying his potency for constructing engaging rhyme patterns, with bars like, “Everything was slow motion, but I think I got the potion, ’cause now that they’re over-dosin’, all my doors are back open// and my Cadillac toatin’, ni**a play with me, I smoke ‘em.”

However, several cuts lack the spark that songs like “Let It Go” provide, and the album suffers from stretches of monotony, worsened by the inability of the tracks (aside from the closer) to stand apart from each other. And while songs like “Ready or Not” and “Party Ain’t Over” are serviceable, the overly-casual song-writing prevents them from really making a forceful impact. Where T.O.S. succeeds is in bridging the gap between G-Unit’s mixtape and album material, and in that, the project almost guarantees approval from the group’s large fan base. Still, the LP is a safe, calculated offering that finds G-Unit trying to gather their feet, instead of attempting to out-race the competition.

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the first part in bold is exactly what i said yesterday about the production...