Lloyd Banks chats to I Like Music

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With his sophomore album release, The Rotten Apple, (out October 9th) Lloyd Banks has well and truly proved himself as an artist in his own right. "My last album was great but I think that I need to let people know more about me, to make that connection," he says. "That's why with this album I just focused on my punchlines and my overall content." Indeed, it was Banks' punchlines which first earned him acclaim on the New York mixtape scene.

Verses on street classics like "Banks Workout" and "Bad News" heralded him as the rapper to beat. 50 wrote the hooks that the whole world sung, but it was Banks who blew away the competition." His contributions to unforgettable mixtapes like 50 Cent Is the Future and No Mercy No Fear earned him an undeniable street buzz as G-Unit's most lyrical soldier.

Banks further solidified his standing with stellar performances on both 50 Cent's 10 times platinum, universally hailed classic debut Get Rich Or Die Trying, and on the 3 times platinum G-Unit debut Beg For Mercy. In fact, he secured the third single, "Smile" from the aforementioned G-Unit release. "With those albums we were just in the zone," he says.

I Like Music caught up with Lloyd Banks before his Rotten Apple album and Hands Up single release, to talk about his new material, what he's learned from working with Eminem and Dr Dre, writing in 6th grade and networking!

"I like music because… music has got me into a very good position in life and inspired me since a kid, and hopefully my music will inspire other kids to get out there and do the same thing. It makes me zone. Music is my everything!"
LLOYD BANKS

ILM: So, your new single, Hands Up is out on October 16th. We think it's awesome. Can you give us your own personal description of the track and its whole vibe?

BANKS: Oh man, that record is kinda like part two of my first single off my first album On Fire; it's in a similar vein, it's a club record. Eminem worked with me on that one. It was officially produced by Dangerous LLC. And I sent it to Em after the vocals had been laid and he put his magic to it and sent it back. This is actually my second time working Em, and 50 Cent and Jesse Terrero, who directed the video, so it was like Deja Vus. It's a good feeling to have the support of someone like Em behind you, he jumps to my projects every time to get it rolling, and it just worked out that way. At the end of the day, if it ain't broke don't fix it y'know, if the formula works.

Also See: ilikemusic.com

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