Writer’s Note : This review is based on an advanced copy of the album. Some tracks reviewed may not be in the same form as they are at the release date. Any inconsistencies between the album and this review can be accredited to the date of this review.

Over the past two years one group has generated more hype, more love and more hate than any other group, perhaps in the history of hip-hop. The hip-hop community, especially the internet community, is split down the middle. One half consists of the G-Unit lovers while the other is made up of the haters. Although I try to stay neutral and judge each release as it comes, I must confess that I am probably considered a G-Unit hater by the masses. However, as a critic I must keep an open mind and judge without bias. G-Unit has been fairly hit and miss (with both the haters and lovers being too interested in their personal agenda’s to take note of this variety of quality).

Both 50’s 2003 and Young Buck’s 2004 debuts where definite hits whereas 50 has fell into the sophomore trap and the group as a whole released a total dud of an album with ‘Beg For Mercy’. Due to legal issues rather than personal preference Yayo has stayed fairly quiet, making only a few mixtape appearances. However, it is judgement day for G-Unit’s quietest soldier with the release of his debut album ‘Thoughts of a Predicate Felon’. However, as with other G-Unit members Debut albums, 50 Cent keeps a pretty solid appearance on this album.

The leading single, 'So Seductive', doesn't fill the average G-Unit haters heart with optimism. The beat is the average Shady/Aftermath cookie-cutter, get-up-and-dance floor filler trash we have came to expect and the lyrics aren’t any more revolutionary. However, the track does deliver the floor-filling beats, almost guaranteeing the lighting of dance floors all over the world this summer.

‘Pimpin’ is more of the same G-Unit style female degradation with no-brainer lines like ‘Pimpin’, I’ll show you how to school a ho, and while you’re chasin’ those bitches I’m chasin’ the dough’. The track really falls short of the mark with Yayo riding a sickly pop loop and singing the hook like G-Unit only seem to know how. ‘Drama Setter’ is the inevitable Shady family free-for-all featuring both Eminem and Obie Trice. Eminem holds his old with a throwback to his days-of-old, leaving behind the fart jokes and donning the hockey mask and chainsaw persona. Although Trice sounds out of his depth he manages not to embarrass himself spitting ‘Since Yayo is home, them AR’s is drawn, Obie’s Gorilla Unit, fuck affiliation’ .

On the sure-to-be second single ‘Curious’ G-Unit once again enlist the help of A-list crooner Joe. Not for the first time a G-Unit album is a confusing affair with Yayo rapping about both ‘schooling hoes’ and treating women to the luxuries of life. The track, although mind boggling is certain to be a radio hit later this summer. However Yayo does adopt the cringe worthy 50 Cent style singing which has became a G-Unit trademark in between beef songs and murder raps. ‘G Shit’ is more like the Tony Yayo fans have come across on the mixtape circuit with Yayo finally given a beat worthy of his gangsta raps. Finally Tony Two Times is given a chance to shine without worrying about radio singles and album figures and he passes his test with flying colours. ‘Live By The Gun’ is fuelled by a haunting piano loop with Yayo rhyming ‘Live by the gun, or die by the bullet, niggaz pushin me, fo show, I’m goin pull it’.

Yayo releases an album true to the G-Unit mould, packed with both heaters and floor fillers to keep every genre they now fall into happy. Overall it’s a pretty solid affair with few defining moments but even less skippable tracks. However, Yayo’s flow becomes tiring over the course of the album and the production is shallow at times. In all honesty this is an average album which will keep die hard fans happy and dance floors filled for months to come.

Download * : ‘So Seductive’, ‘Drama Setter’ ‘G Shit’ ‘Live By The Gun’

Don’t Bother * : ‘Pimpin’, ‘Curious’

Overall : 3.5 Out of 6 Shots

*Tracks which are highly recommended or highly un-recommended are underlined.