G-Unit is an American hip hop group originating from South Jamaica, Queens, New York, formed by longtime friends and East Coast rappers 50 Cent, Tony Yayo and Lloyd Banks. The group released their debut album Beg for Mercy, in 2003, which went on to sell over 2,000,000 copies in the US and was certified double platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America . The album, which followed the success of 50 Cent's major-label debut Get Rich or Die Tryin', served as a platform for Banks, Buck and Yayo to release their respective debut solo albums, The Hunger for More , Straight Outta Cashville and Thoughts of a Predicate Felon . In 2008, the group released their second album T·O·S .