G-Unit, an abbreviation for Guerrilla Unit, is a rap group founded by 50 Cent. The group first garnered a following in the underground New York scene by independently releasing several mixtapes. The group's founder, Queens-based rapper 50 Cent, officially brought the group mainstream success by establishing it as a division at Interscope Records. Since signing to the label, G-Unit's members have released solo albums. G-Unit was founded shortly after 50 Cent left Columbia Records. The original members were: 50 Cent, Bang Em Smurf, Domination, Lloyd Banks, Sha Money XL & Tony Yayo.