Lloyd Banks

Warrior Part 2 [Explicit]
$0.99

Hunger for More
$13.98
It seems like today everybody either loves or hates G-Unit. Even though pretty much every casual and intense rap fan loved 50 Cent's debut Get Rich Or Die Tryin, a backlash would follow over the next few years from rap fans once 50 and his crew took over the hip hop airwaves with their gangsta rap and grimy production. This has really occurred with every multi-platinum selling hip hop crew, so I don't find it surprising. I neither love nor hate G-Unit. A lot of the music they've been putting out recently is extremely disappointing, but the first round of albums was great, and between 2003 and 2004 I happily purchased the group's solos. And even if you absolutely loathe G-Unit, you'd have to admit that their first round of solos was far better than the garbage that plagues hip hop radio today.

While Lloyd Banks certainly isn't the most charismatic or appealing of the G-Unit rappers, I'd say he was actually the most talented. He raps in a raspy monotone that can range from a laidback flow to an fast and angry one, but it makes him instantly recognizable. Banks is first and foremost a punchline rapper, and he makes clever one-liners and threats throughout his debut's 14 tracks. But he also proves to be a good vocabularist and lyricist, telling stories about struggles of urban life and working nicely on collaborations. The production of this album is very nice, with a very appealing sound. A lot of "The Hunger For More" picks up right where Get Rich Or Die Tryin left off, and the nice production is certainly one example. The grimy, dark beats often show a flash of funk or deep bass perfect for a club track. The songs are all an appropriate length and don't run too long. This album was anchored by a quintet of excellent singles, which ensured great album sales. These singles were all extremely well produced, and the rest of the album lives up to these singles. "The Hunger For More" is a very solid debut album that I recommend to fans of these singles.

The album opens with a real banger, the thumping Tony Yayo collaboration "Ain't No Click." In between a great hook, the two rappers trade of vicious verses representing their crew and hometown. "Playboy" is a solid track built around a repeating horn fanfare. The single "Warrior" is an excellent anthem with a catchy, funky beat. This song is very well produced, the hook and bridge work really well and this song is quite memorable. Next comes the biggest hit from this album, the inescapable club track "On Fire." While I admit this song was a little overplayed, this is another nice production that Banks performs well on. 50 Cent and Snoop Dogg collaborate on the low-key "I Get High," not one of the more memorable songs here. Another single, "I'm So Fly," is a great song, with a nice beat and clever verses with a good hook. "Work Magic" with Young Buck has a familiar feel and doesn't stand out. "If You So Gangsta" is okay, followed by "Warrior Pt. 2," which is every bit as good as the original. This one has a much rougher edge to it, and it features Eminem, 50 Cent, and Nate Dogg. I also really like the popular single "Karma," a heartfelt love song with a nice R&B-styled hook and fitting beat. The lyrical highlight is "When the Chips are Down," a rough collaboration. The Game's verse is excellent, and Banks is great too. The street-level production is perfect for this song. Following the good "Til the End" comes the dramatic "Die One Day," another highlight. The album closes with "South Side Story," a solid finish.

This album isn't revolutionary or jaw-dropping by any means, but it's a very complete, effective, and well-produced debut from a definite talent. I think that more so than later G-Unit releases, this and the other earliest albums maintain a nice balance of mainstream sensibility and a rough edge. I definitely recommend Lloyd Banks' debut.

New York Times
$37.99

The Hunger For More [Explicit]
$9.49
Got an insatiable need to dine on hardcore, thugged out, rowdy hip-hop? Do you crave to have big beats and fat flows fed into your ear? Lloyd Banks certainly hopes so. 50 Cent first introduced us to his friends Banks and Tony Yayo as the "G-Unit," though a series of well received mixtapes that spread far and wide beyond their New York origin. Though these tapes were largely designed to showcase 50 and succeeded in getting him his first deal since being dropped by Trackmasters/Columbia in 1999, 50's G-Unit homies were far from left behind. Banks and Yayo were both featured on 50's "Get Rich or Die Tryin'" along with G-Unit's latest recruit, Young Buck. Thanks to 50's overwhelming popularity, it was only a matter of time before G-Unit got their own album, and late in 2003 "Beg for Mercy" was the result. Unfortunately Yayo was largely absent due to a prison bid, but Buck held it down for him in his absence.

To the surprise of almost no one, G-Unit's album was very well received, and the rappers who had at times been thought of as just "friends of 50 Cent" emerged as stars in their own right. 50 Cent had whetted the public's appetite for G-Unit, and in turn G-Unit had whetted the public's appetite for solo albums by Lloyd Banks and Young Buck (and undoubtedly Yayo too, when the time is right). Based on the crossover success of G-Unit's song "Smile," a solo track starring Banks, it only seemed natural that he would be the first out the gate. After months of anticipation, after teasing the public with appetizers like "Warrior" and "On Fire," the time has finally come for the main course. "The Hunger for More" not only describes the hustler attitude Banks embodies in his lyrics, but the attitude of a worldwide audience who can't get enough of his gruff voice.

When it comes to passing a buck down the food chain, there are always going to be skeptics. Critics and buyers alike are suspicious when any rapper gets put on as a guest on someone's album, only to have their own album a few years later. Banks has paid his dues, but if the solo album isn't as good as his prior work fans will be feeling like they got left holding the check. The first taste test is of course the beats. If they've got flavor, they'll be gravy to go along with the rhymes, making each line more savory. For the most part, the music on "The Hunger for More" is pure butter. Hi-Tek checks in on "I Get High," Timbaland gives Banks bounce on "I'm So Fly" and Scram Jones produces a boombastic beat to ensure Banks and Young Buck "Work Magic" together. These songs come not only back to back, but immediately following Banks two hits "Warrior" and "On Fire." Let there be no doubt about it, other than a brief drop-off on the mediocre "Playboy," the first seven songs of the album keep you craving more and more of what Banks has in store.

Fortunately for Banks the music on the second half holds up almost as well as the first, ensuring we get free refills with our meal and a nice big dessert at the end. Chad Beat and Sha Money XL's "If You So Gangsta" has pounding pianos that leave the song sounding lifted straight off 50 Cent's "Get Rich." The Eminem produced "Warrior Part 2" immediately follows, with rap's most controversial white boy kicking a verse and Nate Dogg providing guest vocals. The silky smooth "Karma" will definitely be a future single off this album, no doubt backed by Baby Grand's soulful and Kanye-like "Die One Day" - or vice versa. Eminem and Nate Dogg show up again on the haunting "Til the End." The music winds down with Banks crooning to a multi-layered Diaz Brothers guitar-tinged track on "South Side Story," although Banks does check in with a Tone Capone produced bonus track, "Just Another Day."

As for the lyrics, 50 Cent and G-Unit fans will find them to be no surprise. For those being introduced to Banks for the first time, they will find he's unapologetically gangsta, yet tempers that lyrically with humor, introspection, and at times a surprisingly upbeat outlook on life. "Warrior" exemplifies how supremely confident the husky voiced Banks is in not only achieving success in the rap world, but in clearing out any and all obstacles in his way:

"I'm on the move, smooth, with one eye out for the snakes
Who can't stand hearin your name all throughout the states
Tune into BET and watchin your video
Pretending to be your friends but the smart ones really know, so
If that's your man warn him
Cause there's enough bullets in here to hit every NBA patch on him
N**** ride 'til I die the song I sing
You ain't ready for the war I bring
You ain't gonna do a God d*** thing
And I ain't ever scared I'm a warrior!"

Banks is not afraid to show that there's a price to pay for a gangster's lifestyle though. "Til the End" paints a portrait of a world in which random violence causes senseless tragedy, and certainly goes out of it's way to make sure that the hood is not being glorified. People accuse rappers of selling out when they leave the ghetto and buy a nice home somewhere, but wouldn't you too if this is what life around the way had to offer? Peep it:

"Nobody there knew they would die before they woke
They probably started off a beautiful day with weed smoke
Out of last night's p****, the murder that she wrote
Cold sweatin from a nightmare, mind on a C-note
You leave the door with intentions of fulfillin your visions
Constantly sidetracked, thinkin bout who's your man or who isn't
Maybe it's necessary - maybe you're overreactin
Maybe your actual downfall is that ho that you're clappin
Maybe your pillow conversations been controllin the actions
Maybe your homey overheard and never told you what happened
You look behind you when you turn the corner, cause death is promised
You done seen some n***** go before ya, the threats are honest
And with that lingerin in the back of your head
You know it's possible that you won't make it back in your bed
The confusion and jealousy and dishonor'll spin ya
But then none come worse than when that gunpowder's in ya"

Banks had a lot of opportunity to miss the mark and fail, giving the public a meal of fast fries and cheeseburgers that would have cured hunger only briefly but ultimately not be good for anyone. Instead with "The Hunger for More" Banks has clearly been crafting this solo debut for a while now, not rushing it in any way or serving up sloppy seconds. The taste is like a T-bone steak, grilled to perfection and served with all of the right side dishes. Listening to the whole album leaves you feeling filled, but definitely wanting to repeat the whole experience again and taste more of what Banks has to offer. While it's not better than 50's national debut or G-Unit's album, it's certainly no worse. Banks shows that the popularity of "Smile" and "On Fire" was no fluke - he really does have the tools necessary to serve up a fine plate of rap music.