Lloyd Banks - The Hunger For More
Reviewed By: ULTIMATECDLINK
Album Rate: 3.75 out of 5 Stars
Lloyd Banks of G-Unit has a tall task in order by following in the solo footsteps of 50 Cent. Now Banks looks to make the transition from mixtape rapper to the mainstream with his debut effort which features fellow G-Unit members 50 Cent, Young Buck, Tony Yayo, & The Game, as well as Eminem, Nate Dogg, & Snoop Dogg.
1. Ain't No Click (f/ Tony Yayo)-- the track has a laid back darker beat with a nice bassline. It starts off by saying "Tony's home" meaning the often locked up G-Unit member Tony Yayo. Lloyd Banks does a nice job on the mic with some nice punchlines but he needs to leave the singing on the hooks alone because it almost ruins the song. Tony Yayo has never really been that special on the mic because of his annoying voice like a NY DJ that screams on the tracks but an otherwise decent effort to start the album off with.
2. Playboy-- this one starts off like a live concert introduction for Lloyd Banks. The beat on this one is really weak with the live band horns and Banks doesn't really do much to help make it much more listenable than that. You'll be better off skipping this one.
3. Warrior-- this one is the trailer track at the end of the Lloyd Banks video for "On Fire" and has been on the mixtape circuit for most of the summer. Banks lets us know that he's a warrior that won't take no shit from anyone and now he's made it out of the hood and out to Hollywood. Decent track worth checkin out.
4. On Fire-- this is the Eminem produced hit club single for Lloyd Banks. The hook goes "tear the roof off this muthafucka - we on fireee". You typical club song but Banks goes through more punchlines than he does encouraging the ass shakin of more popular club tracks. Nice production by Em on the song.
5. I Get High (f/ 50 Cent & Snoop Dogg)-- this one has a bouncy blues guitar and computerized beeping beat while 50 Cent starts it off with his singing "them bullshit trees you be rollin barely get me high" Banks starts it off with a nice effort on the first couple of verses. Snoop is up next with a flow in a Jamaican style at first and rhymes about what else but weed. Decent track.
6. I'm So Fly-- this one starts off with Banks singing the chorus singing "I'm so fly I got money so that's a good enough reason to buy the things I buy". Banks comes correct on the mic on this one and the laid back beat works well. Good track.
7. Work Magic (f/ Young Buck)-- this one has a bunch of horns over a nice bassline beat. Banks does a nice job on his verses while Young Buck spits the venom and puts that emotion in his verses that makes you feel the struggle of a street hustler. Tight track.
8. If You So Gangsta-- Banks calls himself rap's LaBron, the Teflon don on this track right off the bat. Again, Lloyd Banks needs to leave the singing behind on the hooks or he'll fall right off like Ja Rule did. Still a nice track you can bump in the ride.
9. Warrior Part 2 (f/ Eminem, 50 Cent, & Nate Dogg)-- tight lil beat that'll have ya head bobbin on this one. You can tell right off the bat that this remix will be 100% better than the original "Warrior" track. Eminem starts it off with a decent verse. The king of hooks, Nate Dogg, lends his vocals to the song as well. Banks is up next and does a nice job riding the beat. 50 Cent finishes the track out with an all right effort on the mic, probably the weakest of all the performers on the track. But overall, a nice song worth checkin out.
10. Karma-- as soon as the piano laced beat and the R&B hook kicks in, you say this has commercial single written all over it. I guarantee you that you will see a video for this on MTV pretty soon. It's on the relationship fell apart so I'm trying to hook up with someone else tip as far as the content. Like I said, it's a commercial single waiting to happen.
11. When The Chips Are Down (f/ The Game)-- the newest member of G-Unit, West Coast native The Game makes a guest appearance on this track and he straight outshines Banks on the song. It makes you wish this was a Game solo instead of a Banks track. Nice song but mainly because of The Game.
12. Til The End-- this one starts off with an alarm clock going off and has that movie soundtrack feel on the darker piano laced beat. Kinda reminds me of the 50 Cent "Many Men" video. Banks raps about being homies for life...til the day I die. Smokin and drankin and takin trips together with his dead homie. Tight ass song with a killer beat.
13. Die One Day-- this one has a guitar riff and bassline beat. Banks says it right when he says he wouldn't be here without 50 Cent. He does come decent on the mic when he brags about being the streets #1 draft pick (wonder how Joe Budden likes that since he used that promotional line). Nice track.
14. South Side Story-- this one has a nice mellowed out beat. Banks tells the story of seein a man killed before his eyes when he was a kid and how that thought never lost his head. Basically describing with New Yorkers go thru on a daily basis with the violence of the city literally around the corner. Tight song to end the album off with.
Overall, the production on the album is pretty good. Most G-Unit fans will either be happy with the album or be disappointed because 50 Cent is not on more tracks. It's fairly obvious that they didn't want 50 Cent to overshadow Banks debut album with numerous guest appearances. But at the same time, it's tough because Banks doesn't have the personality of a Fabolous or Jadakiss to carry an album by himself coming off the mixtape circuit. There are several nice tracks on the album and a little too much singing from Banks. Again, he gives us nothing more than punchline after punchline but doesn't have the personality or talent of a Ludacris to keep the average rap fan interested. The good thing is that Banks actually switched the flow up from track to track so he doesn't come off on wax as boring as he does on the TV screen. Lloyd Banks fans will enjoy the album and will probably wanna pick it up but with this one, it's hard pressed to convert the average rap fan over and have them bump the album over and over.
Lloyd Banks - The Hunger For More