T.O.S: Terminate on Sight

T.O.S: Terminate on Sight
Studio album by G-Unit
Released July 1, 2008
Recorded 2008-2009
Genre Hip Hop, Mafioso Rap, Gangsta Rap
Length 58:51
Label G-Unit, Interscope
Producer 50 Cent (exec.), Swizz Beatz, Ron Browz, Tha Bizness, Rick Rock, Ty Fyffe, Polow da Don, Don Cannon, Jake One, Dangerous LLC, Dual Output, Ky Miller, Street Radio, Damien Taylor
G-Unit chronology
Beg for Mercy
(2003)		 T.O.S: Terminate on Sight
(2008)
Singles from Terminate on Sight
  1. "I Like the Way She Do It"
    Released: April 1, 2008
  2. "Rider Pt. 2"
    Released: April 22, 2008

T.O.S: Terminate on Sight is the second studio album by rap group G-Unit. It was the group's first album in five years since their previous album, Beg for Mercy. [1][2] The title of the album was originally announced to be Shoot to Kill and then Lock & Load, with the eventual name being Terminate on Sight.[1][3] The album was originally scheduled to be released on June 24, 2008, but was re-scheduled to July 1.[4][5]

Contents

Concept

The album's title has been acknowledged by HipHopDX who said "As the title suggests, they aren't exactly aiming for joy." In an interview with MTV, Tony Yayo revealed the reason behind the title saying that it "describes the aggressiveness."[6]

50 Cent commented on the method of songwriting and recording that the group are using. He said:

We ran through 18 records. But what I was doing at that point was I was allowing them to make the same effort that they would make for mixtape material, for the album. So we’ll put portions of that material that were made during that time span on the actual street. It’s not going to do anything but build momentum.[7]

In another interview with MTV, 50 Cent spoke about the album. He said:

It's like a spinoff — the sequel to Beg for Mercy. It was a statement towards the competition, towards other artists. Terminate on Sight is the version where you get more aggressive. This record embodies that. I kinda know where I need to go, because I tested the waters with the material I put out. I get to tell with the response to certain records where I need to be and chill out from other stuff.[8]

In an interview, Lloyd Banks talked about the album, calling it "aggressive" and a "good album for hip-hop".[9]

Music

Recording

During an interview, Spider Loc mentioned that G-Unit had recorded seventy to eighty tracks which could have appeared on the album.[10] However in an later interview with AllHipHop.com, G-Unit stated that there were eighteen possible tracks which could have made the final album.[7]

In an interview with MTV, 50 Cent spoke about the steps before release. He said:

We gotta work with Em, that's it. Then we can be done with it. Production-wise, I captured what I needed. But I didn't want to not have Em's stamp on it. Before my work goes to the public, it has to pass the Eminem test, the Dr. Dre test — it's a few tests before we push them to the street. That's why they can expect a higher quality of music than from the usual artist.[11]

In an interview with ReverbNation, Lloyd Banks commented on the work ethic whilst recording the album. He said:

We were in the studio pushing each other. Literally by the time I got a verse done, Yayo would have his verse done. We’re damn near fighting to get in the booth. That’s what was missing. And it comes from feeling resistance for the first time. I look at it as a blessing, because it’s brought us back to where we started. Back to why we made music in the first place, and why people took a liking to it. People look at the success part and think it’s an accident. I want the fans and the critics to know first off, as much success that we’ve had, it never overshadowed the love and respect that we’ve had for the game. The love drives us.[12]

In an interview, Tony Yayo spoke about a track featuring Eminem, which is produced by Dr. Dre. He said:

"The track with Em is raw. Him And Fif are gonna kill someone's career with that, but I'll keep that to myself right now. I don't think ya'll gonna be ready for this track. I think it might push this nigga to kill himself when he hears this."[13]

However this did not materialize.

Production

Tony Yayo stated that the Timbaland and Swizz Beatz tracks are his "favourites", quoting them as "the standout tracks".[6] Tony Yayo has also confirmed that Ron Browz has produced for the album.[7] In an interview with HipHopGame, G-Unit also stated that production was provided by some relatively new producers.[14]

Reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source Rating
Allmusic [15]
Artistdirect [16]
Blender [17]
IGN (7.6/10)[18]
Okayplayer (72/100)[19]
PopMatters [20]
Rolling Stone [21]
Smooth [22]
UGO (B)[23]
USA Today [24]

T.O.S: Terminate on Sight received mixed reviews from music critics.

The track "Straight Outta Southside" is a tribute to Sean Bell who was killed by police in New York. The song features elements from N.W.A's track entitled "Straight Outta Compton".[25] AllHipHop noted the aggressiveness on "Straight Outta Southside" quoting Lloyd Banks' lines:

Fuck tha Police with a HIV Carrier
No Vaseline and an M-16[26]

They also called "Kitty Kat" and "I Like the Way She Do It" "Down right awful".[26]

All Music praised the lyrics on the album citing lyrics from the track "Piano Man":

I'm a work of art

A ghetto version of Mozart
I move the keys

They call me the Piano Man
[27]

They also positively commented on Tony Yayo's style saying "Yayo has never sounded so good, stepping his game up with a faster and more urgent style dropping wittier lines", citing his lyrics on the title track, "I kick Game like Pele and Beckham".[27]

ReverbNation have noted that "No Days Off" features a funky 1964 style baseline whilst maintaining the use of synthesized effects and have described it as "Instant riding music".[12] Similarly, they have said that "Kitty Kat" features an "irresistible island-flavored flow" whilst "The Piano Man" is dark and sardonic.[12] MTV stated that "The Party Ain't Over" is reminiscent of "I Get Money", and denounces talk of the group's demise.[28]

HipHopDX gave the album 2/5 calling "I Like the Way She Do It" "nothing short of embarrassing"[29] Nevertheless, they praised several tracks, calling "You So Tough" "easily the best track on the album" and praising "I Don't Wanna Talk About It" for its "Dope production". They also commented on the track "Ready Or Not" calling it "nice and menacing" and "the way the album should sound".[29]

IGN praised the production saying that the group did a "stellar job of picking beats"[30] DefSounds praised all aspects of the album, agreeing with IGN and calling the production "up tempo, gritty, rough but enjoyable" and commenting on the lyrics saying "the constant subliminals, catchy punchlines and the funny insults add to the enjoyment of the album". They note that the same subject matter is used throughout the album, however, saying the combination of "hot production, witty lyrics and constant disses" makes the tough talk "a success".[31] They concluded by saying

From start to finish this album offers energy, aggression, tough talk, and a bravado that only a member of G-Unit could embody. You'll be hard pressed to find someone who can hear this album and not find at least 5 songs that they like. This album is definitely a keeper[31]

Sales and certifications

The album debuted at number 4 on the Billboard 200 with sales of 102,000 for the first week.[32] In its second week in the US, the album sold 36,000 copies, landing it at number 9.[33] In the third week in the US the album slipped to number 24, selling 21,000 copies.[34] In its fourth week in the US the album sold 14,000 copies, bringing the four-week total to around 173,000 in the US.[35] The album has since sold 241,000 copies in the United States.[36]

Credits from the liner notes

Information taken from liner notes.[37]

Track listing

  1. "Straight Outta Southside" – 2:36
    • Written by C. Jackson, M. Bernard, C. Lloyd & R. Turner
    • Produced by Ron Browz
    • Recorded by Pat Viala @ The Big House, Farmington, CT
    • Mixed by Pat Viala @ Legacy Studios, NYC, NY
  2. "Piano Man" (featuring Young Buck) – 3:21
    • Written by C. Jackson, M. Bernard, C. Lloyd, J. Henderson & C. Whitacre
    • Produced by Tha Bizness for The Bizness Productions/The Money Management Group
    • Recorded by Pat Viala @ The Big House, Farmington, CT
    • Mixed by Pat Viala @ Legacy Studios, NYC, NY
  3. "Close to Me" – 4:18
    • Written by C. Jackson, M. Bernard, C. Lloyd & T. Crawford
    • Produced by Teraike "Chris Styles" Crawford for Dangerous LLC
    • Recorded by Pat Viala @ The Big House, Farmington, CT
    • Mixed by Steve Baughman @ Pacifique Studios, LA, CA
  4. "Rider Pt. 2" (featuring Young Buck) – 2:48
    • Written by C. Jackson, M. Bernard, C. Lloyd, D. Brown & R. Thomas
    • Produced by Rick Rock
    • Recorded by Pat Viala @ The Big House, Farmington, CT
    • Mixed by Pat Viala @ The Big House, Farmington, CT
  5. "Casualties of War" – 3:19
    • Written by C. Jackson, M. Bernard, C. Lloyd & K. Miller
    • Produced by Ky Miller
    • Recorded by Pat Viala @ The Big House, Farmington, CT
    • Mixed by Steve Baughman @ Pacifique Studios, LA, CA
  6. "You So Tough" – 3:46
    • Written by C. Jackson, M. Bernard, C. Lloyd & K. Miller
    • Produced by Ky Miller
    • Recorded by Pat Viala @ The Big House, Farmington, CT
    • Mixed by Pat Viala @ Legacy Studios, NYC, NY
  7. "No Days Off" – 3:54
    • Written by C. Jackson, M. Bernard, C. Lloyd & R. Frazier
    • Produced by Dual Output for The Money Management Group
    • Recorded by Pat Viala @ The Big House, Farmington, CT
    • Mixed by Pat Viala @ Legacy Studios, NYC, NY
  8. "T.O.S. (Terminate on Sight)" – 4:11
    • Written by C. Jackson, M. Bernard, C. Lloyd & Ty Fyffe
    • Produced by Ty Fyffe for TYBU Entertainment
    • Recorded by Pat Viala @ The Big House, Farmington, CT
    • Mixed by Steve Baughman @ Pacifique Studios, LA, CA
  9. "I Like the Way She Do It" (featuring Young Buck) – 3:52
    • Written by C. Jackson, M. Bernard, C. Lloyd, D. Brown, J. Matthews & K. Smith
    • Produced by Street Radio Inc.
    • Recorded by Pat Viala @ The Big House, Farmington, CT
    • Mixed by Steve Baughman @ Pacifique Studios, LA, CA
  10. "Kitty Kat" – 3:48
    • Written by C. Jackson, M. Bernard, C. Lloyd & C. Hollis
    • Produced by Hit-Boy for Zone 4 Inc.
    • Recorded by Corey Stocker @ Zac Recordings, Atlanta, GA
    • Recorded by Pat Viala @ The Big House, Farmington, CT
    • Mixed by Pat Viala @ Legacy Studios, NYC, NY
    • Guitar by Daniel Groover
  11. "Party Ain't Over" (featuring Young Buck) – 3:30
    • Written by C. Jackson, M. Bernard, C. Lloyd & D. Taylor
    • Produced by Damien Taylor
    • Recorded by Pat Viala @ The Big House, Farmington, CT
    • Mixed by Pat Viala @ Legacy Studios, NYC, NY
  12. "Let It Go" (featuring Mavado) – 3:06
    • Written by C. Jackson, M. Bernard, C. Lloyd & D. Cannon
    • Produced by Don Cannon for B.S.T., LLC
    • Recorded by Pat Viala @ The Big House, Farmington, CT
    • Mixed by Steve Baughman @ Pacifique Studios, LA, CA
  13. "Get Down" – 3:47
    • Written by C. Jackson, M. Bernard, C. Lloyd & K. Dean
    • Produced by Swizz Beatz & The Individuals for Swizz Beatz Productions, Inc.
    • Recorded by Pat Viala @ The Big House, Farmington, CT
    • Mixed by Steve Baughman @ Pacifique Studios, LA, CA
  14. "I Don't Wanna Talk About It" – 4:34
    • Written by C. Jackson, J. Wilson & R. Smith
    • Produced by Jesse "Corparal" Wilson & Reginald "Regg" Smith
    • Recorded by KY Miller @ The Blue Heffner Mansion, NYC, NY
    • Mixed by Steve Baughman @ Pacifique Studios, LA, CA
  15. "Ready or Not" – 3:38
    • Written by C. Lloyd, M. Bernard & J Dutton
    • Produced by Jake One for White Van Music/The Money Management Group
    • Recorded by KY Miller @ The Blue Heffner Mansion, NYC, NY
    • Mixed by Steve Baughman @ Pacifique Studios, LA, CA
  16. "Money Makes the World Go Round" (performed by Lloyd Banks & Tony Yayo) – 4:14
    • Written by M. Bernard, C. Lloyd & R. Turner
    • Produced by Ron Browz
    • Recorded by KY Miller @ Yayo Studios, NYC, NY
    • Mixed by Steve Baughman @ Pacifique Studios, LA, CA
  17. "Chase Da Cat" (Bonus track) - 3:43
    • Written by C. Jackson, C. Lloyd, M. Bernard, D. Brown, S. Marshall & G. Spriggs
    • Produced by Kadis & Sean "The Chase" for RozMusic Ent.

Credited samples

Personnel

Charts

Charts (2008) Peak
position
Australian Albums Chart[38] 35
Austrian Charts[39] 44
Belgian Albums Chart[40] 46
Canadian Albums Chart 4
Dutch Albums Chart[41] 65
French Albums Chart[42] 61
German Albums Chart[43] 46
Irish Albums Chart[44] 35
New Zealand Albums Chart[45] 37
Swiss Albums Chart[46] 25
UK Albums Chart[47] 39
U.S. Billboard 200[48] 4
U.S. Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums[48] 2
U.S. Billboard Top Rap Albums[48] 2

References

  1. ^ a b Slava Kuperstein (February 5, 2008). 50 Cent Speaks on New Mixtape, Paris Hilton. HipHopDX. Accessed February 5, 2008.
  2. ^ Lyrical Thought (October 18, 2007). G-Unit Album Due out in December, Single Hits Airwaves Tomorrow. Def Sounds. Accessed October 18, 2007.
  3. ^ 50 Cent & G-Unit Set to Release Second Group Album Shoot to Kill in December. XXL (October 17, 2007). Accessed October 18, 2007.
  4. ^ A French News Crew Follows 50 and His Baby's Mother to Court. XXL. Accessed April 5, 2008.
  5. ^ Interscope Pushes The Game's & G-Unit Albums Back. DefSounds. Accessed April 25, 2008.
  6. ^ a b Andres Tardio (November 7, 2007). Tony Yayo Discusses G-Unit Album and Court Case. HipHopDX. Accessed November 7, 2007.
  7. ^ a b c Steve Raze (November 12, 2007). G-Unit:Our Gang. AllHipHop. Accessed November 12, 2007.
  8. ^ Shaheem Reid. April 18, 2008. 50 Cent Makes Shocking Allegations Against Young Buck, Says A Dis Track From Buck Is 'Inevitable'. MTV. Accessed April 19, 2008.
  9. ^ Tom Breihan (May 15, 2008).Status Ain't Hood Interviews Lloyd Banks and Tony Yayo. VillageVoice. Accessed May 17, 2008.
  10. ^ Omar Burgess (October 9, 2007). Spider Loc Speaks on All Things G-Unit. HipHopDX. Accessed October 9, 2007.
  11. ^ Shaheem Reid (October 22, 2007). 50 Cent Talks Akon, G-Unit, Next LP from Set of 'I'll Still Kill' Video. MTV. Accessed October 22, 2007.
  12. ^ a b c ReverbNation. G-Unit at ReverbNation.com. ReverbNation. Accessed May 21, 2008.
  13. ^ Mimi (April 30, 2008). Tony Yayo Says 'The Track With Em Is Raw'. Thisis50. Accessed April 30, 2008.
  14. ^ HHG. Jabari Johnson. G-Unit Interview Part 1 & 2 at HipHopGame. HipHopGame. Accessed April 21, 2008.
  15. ^ Allmusic review
  16. ^ Artistdirect review
  17. ^ Blender review
  18. ^ IGN review
  19. ^ Okayplayer review
  20. ^ PopMatters review
  21. ^ Rolling Stone review
  22. ^ Smooth review
  23. ^ UGO review
  24. ^ USA Today review
  25. ^ Thomas A. Harden (June 8, 2008). SOHH Exclusive: G-Unit Talks Sean Bell "Southside" Tribute, 50 Cent's Painful Tattoo Removal. SOHH. Accessed June 9, 2008.
  26. ^ a b AllHipHop (July 1, 2008). G-Unit - Terminate on Sight review. AllHipHop. Accessed July 12, 2008.
  27. ^ a b David Jeffries. G-Unit - Terminate on Sight Review. AllMusic. Accessed July 12, 2008.
  28. ^ Shaheem Reid (March 28, 2008). 50 Cent Invites MTV News Into His Connecticut Mansion. MTV News. Accessed March 29, 2008.
  29. ^ a b J-23 (June 30, 2008). Album Review: G-Unit - Terminate On Sight. HipHopDX. Accessed July 12, 2008.
  30. ^ Rohit Loomba. G-Unit: T.O.S. Review - Curtis and Company Are Back And Fully Loaded. IGN. Accessed July 12, 2008.
  31. ^ a b DefSounds(July 2, 2008). Terminate on Sight: Review at DefSounds. DefSounds. Accessed July 12, 2008.
  32. ^ Katie Hasty. (July 9, 2008). Lil Wayne Back On Top Of The Billboard 200. BillBoard. Accessed July 10, 2008.
  33. ^ http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003827992#/bbcom/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003827992
  34. ^ http://www.hiphopdx.com/index/news/id.7371/title.hip-hop-album-sales-week-ending-7-20-08
  35. ^ http://www.hiphopdx.com/index/news/id.7417/title.hip-hop-album-sales-the-week-ending-7-27-2008
  36. ^ XXL Mag. XXL: Just Some Numbers. XXL. Accessed January 12.
  37. ^ (2008) Album notes for Terminate on Sight by G-Unit. G-Unit/Interscope (001146102).
  38. ^ AustraianCharts. G-Unit - Terminate on Sight, Australian Charts. AustralianCharts. Accessed July 17, 2008.
  39. ^ AustrianCharts. G-Unit - Terminate on Sight, Austrian Charts. AustrianCharts. Accessed July 10, 2008.
  40. ^ BelgianCharts. G-Unit - Terminate on Sight, Belgian Charts. UltraTop.be. Accessed July 12, 2008.
  41. ^ DutchCharts. G-Unit - Terminate on Sight, Dutch Charts. DutchCharts. Accessed July 10, 2008.
  42. ^ LesCharts. G-Unit - Terminate on Sight, French Charts. LesCharts. Accessed July 12, 2008.
  43. ^ UltraTop. G-Unit - Terminate on Sight, german Charts. UltraTop. Accessed August 8, 2008.
  44. ^ Irma (Irish Charts). Irish Charts, Top 100 Albums. Irma.ie. Accessed Accessed July 10, 2008.
  45. ^ NewZealandCharts. G-Unit - Terminate on Sight, New Zealand Charts. NewZealandCharts. Accessed July 10, 2008.
  46. ^ HitParade. G-Unit - Terminate on Sight, Swiss Charts. HitParade. Accessed July 10, 2008.
  47. ^ UKTop40. The Official UK Top 40. UK Top 40. Accessed July 10, 2008.
  48. ^ a b c BillBoard. G-Unit - Album charts history. BillBoard. Accessed July 12, 2008.

External links

G-Unit
Albums
Beg for Mercy · T.O.S: Terminate on Sight
Singles
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