Every once in a while, a brave soul decides to challenge State News music reporter Benita Mehta. This time around, graphic artist and G-Unit fan Brian Feeny discusses two of the hip-hop troupe's latest offerings.

Benita's thoughts

I'll admit I knew nothing about G-Unit or Tony Yayo when I discovered 50 Cent's new "The Massacre (Special Edition)" and Tony Yayo's "Thoughts of a Predicate Felon" in my mailbox this week.

So I enlisted the help of Brian Feeny, a co-worker, before I listened to them. I figured Feeny knows what's up - he owns a pair of G-Unit shoes. Maybe I'm out of the loop, but the only 50 Cent song I had been familiar with before was "In Da Club."

I'll leave background to Feeny, he knows more than I do on this one. I'm told Yayo's single is "So Seductive," but I enjoyed "We Don't Give A F***" more, probably because of the lyrics and Olivia and Fiddy's guest vocals.

Feeny tells me Yayo's album is bad, but I kind of enjoy it, in that "I don't really like it but it's fun to listen to" way. Mostly only when I sing the lyrics out loud and receive dirty looks from coworkers.

I'm also told the best song is "I Know You Don't Love Me" where the entire G-Unit collective makes an appearance. I disagree. "Drama Setter" and "Project Princess" are two of my favorites. Feeny could be right since every song that's appealing features a cast of other rappers in addition to Yayo. I don't think I truly liked any of the songs Yayo raps on alone.

50 Cent included a DVD with his special-edition CD. Most of the videos are made by him just for the DVD and aren't worth buying the new edition for. Although highly entertaining, the videos seem to be included just to make some more money off this album.

"The Massacre" is definitely better than Yayo's "Thoughts of a Predicate Felon." The remix of 50 Cent's "Outta Control" featured on the special edition doesn't sound anything like the original. They could just as easily be two different tracks. The video for the song has the original version in it and the CD has the remix.

Some of my favorites from "The Massacre" include "Disco Inferno," "Gatman and Robbin'" and "So Amazing." The one song Yayo is on, "My Toy Soldier," is one of the weaker tracks - maybe because it's featuring Yayo.

Brian's thoughts

Benita has no street cred, so it's time to school her.

Although 50 Cent's "The Massacre" isn't really different from the original release except for a remixed version of "Outta Control" and a bonus DVD, the DVD is entertaining and makes buying the special edition worthwhile.

Lower-budget music videos were made for each song on the album. The videos don't show the high quality that most million-dollar videos do, but they do have higher production value then your average home video.

If critics think 50's spat with former G-Unit member The Game was for publicity, then 50 must still be promoting. The video for "Piggy Bank" features a Game-faced Mr. Potato Head doll dancing around with "Wankster" written across his head. The box for the potato head doll points out features like "name dropping," "dis" and "apologize." 50 must dislike The Game so much that he's taken "Hate It or Love It" off the album. The song, which was originally released on The Game's "The Documentary," featured The Game and the rest of G-Unit.

All of 50's gang make appearances, ranging from Lloyd Banks and Young Buck to Eminem, Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Mobb Deep and Olivia. The album is top notch with club singles such as "Disco Inferno," "Outta Control," "This is 50" and "So Amazing."

50's lyrical skills are showcased in songs such as "Baltimore Love," which is written in first person. Unique to the song, 50 takes on the persona of cocaine. The album introduces new spats with Jadakiss and Fat Joe.

Tony Yayo's "Thoughts of a Predicate Felon" is the prime example of when a rapper gets famous, starts his own label and lets his friends record their own albums.

Yayo was in prison when G-Unit frontman 50 Cent burst onto the scene two years ago. Since then, Yayo can be heard shouting and yelling in the background of 50's and other G-Unit members Lloyd Banks, Young Buck and The Game's albums.

Yayo is nothing more than a hypeman with his shouted vocals and nonsensical raps. The lyrics are unoriginal and are mainly about guns and girls. Yayo was out of his element when he sampled from Britney Spears' "Toxic" for his song "Love My Style."

The best part of his album is when guest rappers sing. "I Know You Don't Love Me" features the rest of G-Unit. Yayo's rap is good for his first verse, but the song is better when 50, Banks and Buck add their 16 bars. I kept listening to the album solely to hear who else would show up. Eminem helps boost the album's cred in "Drama Setter," and "So Seductive" is a good club beat.

I would recommend saving your money on Yayo's album. Maybe use it to get a pair of G-Unit shoes.