Units in the City is the debut solo studio album by American rapper Shawty Lo. It was released on February 26, 2008, via D4L/Asylum Records, marking the rapper's only album released during his lifetime. It features guest appearances from his fellow D4L members Stuntman and Mook B, as well as Lil Mark, 40, Braski, DG Yola, G-Child, Gucci Mane, Kool-Ace, Miss T and Phace Baity.
Supported by three singles: "Dey Know", "Dunn Dunn" and "Foolish", the album received negative reviews from critics, who found its production derivative and lyrical content devoid of mature topics. In the United States, the album debuted at number 13 on the Billboard 200, and numbers four and two on both the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums and Top Rap Albums charts.
The album received overwhelming negative reviews from music critics who despised the southern production and Shawty Lo's lyrical content. AllMusic's David Jeffries was the sole positive review for the album, commenting on Lo's flow feeling limited but said that it complimented the numerous hip-hop story tracks and few deviations into mature subject matter, all while combining both snap and trap music saying that "with some fun wordplay and the talent to hire all the right people for production and guest appearances, he's created the best album".[1] DJBooth's Nathan Slavik criticized Lo for aping other rappers' style and using them to tell the same cliché hip-hop stories, saying "[T]here's just no way around it, Units In The City is a horrible album. Period".[2] Alex Thorton of HipHopDX also criticized Lo for lacking a distinct delivery and trying to sound like T.I. and Jeezy, saying that "we certainly don't need another new rapper trying to remake their paths".[3] Steve 'Flash' Juon of RapReviews criticized the album for showcasing Lo's average delivery for simple subject matters, concluding that, "The production and lyrics here are so awful I'm actually longing for Soulja Boy's album".[4]
^ abJuon, Steve 'Flash' (March 4, 2008). "Shawty Lo Units in the City". RapReviews. Archived from the original on November 1, 2024. Retrieved March 26, 2025.