Whatever Happened to Olivia? The Former First Lady of G-Unit Who Sang Alongside 50 Cent

#NOLAZINE - There was a time during the mid-2000s when G-Unit was one of the biggest forces in hip-hop. 50 Cent was dominating the charts, Lloyd Banks and Young Buck were establishing successful solo careers, and Tony Yayo was one of the crew's most recognizable personalities. But standing alongside all of them was one R&B singer who brought something completely different to the movement.

Her name was Olivia Longott, better known simply as Olivia.

Known as the "First Lady of G-Unit," Olivia became recognizable around the world after appearing alongside 50 Cent on the massive 2005 hit "Candy Shop." But despite having one of the most recognizable voices associated with G-Unit's peak era, Olivia never released an album through the label.

So, whatever happened to Olivia?

Olivia Had a Career Before G-Unit

A lot of people were introduced to Olivia through 50 Cent, but she was already an established recording artist before becoming part of G-Unit.

Olivia signed with legendary music executive Clive Davis' J Records in 2000, becoming the label's first signed artist. Her self-titled debut album, Olivia, arrived in 2001.

The project produced "Bizounce," which became an early hit for Olivia and reached No. 15 on the Billboard Hot 100.

Olivia appeared to have all the ingredients necessary to become one of the next major women in R&B: the voice, image, major-label backing and a successful record.

However, her relationship with J Records eventually ended, leaving Olivia searching for the next chapter of her career.

That next chapter would connect her to one of the hottest rappers in the world.

Becoming G-Unit's First Lady

Olivia joined G-Unit Records around 2004, putting an R&B singer inside a movement that had been built almost entirely around hardcore rap.

It was an interesting combination.

50 Cent had already become a superstar following the enormous success of Get Rich or Die Tryin', and the G-Unit brand was expanding rapidly. Olivia gave the crew something it didn't previously have: a female R&B voice capable of singing hooks and potentially giving G-Unit a presence in the R&B market.

She quickly became known as the First Lady of G-Unit.

But nothing could have prepared Olivia for what happened next.

"Candy Shop" Changes Everything

In 2005, 50 Cent released his second major-label studio album, The Massacre. One of its biggest records was "Candy Shop," featuring Olivia.

The song exploded.

"Candy Shop" reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, making Olivia's voice recognizable to millions of listeners.

Even people who didn't necessarily know Olivia's complete story knew her part on "Candy Shop."

She also appeared with 50 Cent on the remix of "Best Friend" and released G-Unit-era solo records including "Twist It," featuring Lloyd Banks, and "So Sexy."

At that point, it seemed like G-Unit had another star waiting to happen.

There was just one major problem.

The album never came.

The G-Unit Album That Never Arrived

Olivia was preparing a project titled Behind Closed Doors while signed to G-Unit/Interscope.

With 50 Cent's popularity, G-Unit's enormous fan base and Olivia coming off "Candy Shop," expectations were understandably high.

But Behind Closed Doors never received an official commercial release.

That became one of the biggest "what if?" stories surrounding Olivia's career.

While 50 Cent, Lloyd Banks and Young Buck were releasing albums during G-Unit's dominant run, Olivia never received the opportunity to see what a fully promoted G-Unit solo album could have done for her career.

By 2007, Olivia and G-Unit had parted ways, and Behind Closed Doors was shelved. Material from the project would later circulate online.

And just like that, the First Lady of G-Unit was no longer part of the crew.

Life After 50 Cent and G-Unit

Leaving one of the biggest labels and movements in hip-hop didn't mean Olivia stopped making music.

She continued recording and eventually began rebuilding herself as an independent artist.

One of her more notable post-G-Unit records was "December." Released in the early 2010s, the song reached No. 76 on Billboard's Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart.

Olivia also worked with international artists and continued releasing music outside the G-Unit machine.

But television would eventually introduce her to an entirely new generation.

Olivia Joins Love & Hip Hop: New York

Olivia became an original cast member of VH1's Love & Hip Hop: New York.

Instead of simply being remembered as "the girl from Candy Shop," viewers got a closer look at Olivia attempting to navigate the music industry after G-Unit.

Her storyline showed some of the realities artists face once they are no longer attached to a powerful label or superstar.

She appeared during the show's early seasons and later returned for its tenth-anniversary season.

For longtime fans, seeing Olivia on reality television also raised the same question repeatedly:

Why didn't her music career become bigger?

Olivia Never Completely Left Music

The truth is Olivia didn't disappear.

Her career simply stopped receiving the mainstream visibility she enjoyed during the height of G-Unit.

She continued releasing music, including songs such as "Sun Don't Shine" featuring Sean Kingston, while pursuing other entertainment opportunities. In 2014, she also published Release Me: My Life, My Words.

She appeared in films including Supermodel and The Man in 3B, expanding her résumé beyond music and reality television.

Then, more than two decades after her debut album, Olivia finally delivered another full-length project.

Olivia Returns With You Are

In 2024, Olivia released You Are, her first official studio album since her self-titled debut more than 20 years earlier.

That release was significant.

For years, Olivia's story had been defined partly by albums that never came out. Behind Closed Doors became symbolic of what fans believed her career could have become during the G-Unit era.

With You Are, Olivia was able to add another official album to her catalog on her own journey.

Her career has also continued into new areas. Olivia's current Spotify biography describes her as expanding beyond traditional R&B into international pop, Afrobeats and electronic music, while also pursuing beauty and wellness ventures.

Olivia's Career Deserves Another Look

When people discuss the glory days of G-Unit, Olivia can sometimes become a footnote behind the massive careers of 50 Cent, Lloyd Banks, Young Buck and Tony Yayo.

But her story deserves more attention.

Before G-Unit, she already had a Billboard Top 20 hit with "Bizounce."

During G-Unit, she contributed to one of 50 Cent's biggest records with "Candy Shop."

After G-Unit, she continued recording, entered reality television, acted, wrote a book and eventually returned with another full-length album.

The biggest question surrounding Olivia will probably always be what might have happened if G-Unit had successfully released and promoted Behind Closed Doors during the group's peak.

Could Olivia have become one of the defining R&B singers of the mid-2000s?

We'll never know.

What we do know is that Olivia didn't simply disappear after G-Unit. She continued working, reinventing herself and making music long after one of the biggest chapters of her career came to an end.

For many fans, she will forever be remembered as the First Lady of G-Unit and the unforgettable female voice beside 50 Cent on "Candy Shop."

But Olivia's story is much bigger than one song.

More than two decades after "Bizounce" introduced her to mainstream audiences, she's still part of the entertainment world—and her journey remains one of the more interesting "what happened?" stories from the golden era of 2000s hip-hop and R&B.