Lloyd Banks
Encyclopedia
Christopher Charles Lloyd (born April 30, 1982), better known by his stage name Lloyd Banks, is an American rapper and member of the rap group G-Unit
G-Unit
G-Unit is an American hip hop group originating from New York City formed by 50 Cents. G-Unit emerged on the New York scene by independently releasing several mix tapes...

. Raised in South Jamaica, Queens
South Jamaica, Queens
South Jamaica, known colloquially as Southside & Southside Jamaica Queens, is a neighborhood in the New York City borough of Queens, located south of downtown Jamaica, the Long Island Rail Road tracks Jamaica Avenue and Liberty Avenue. The western border is the Van Wyck Expressway, and it...

, he dropped out of high school in 1998. G-Unit released two albums, Beg for Mercy
Beg for Mercy
Beg for Mercy is the debut album by hip hop group G-Unit, composed of rappers 50 Cent, Lloyd Banks, and Young Buck, with support from Tony Yayo. The album was released in November 2003, 10 months after 50 Cent's debut album Get Rich or Die Tryin....

in 2003 and T.O.S. (Terminate on Sight) in 2008. Banks released his first solo album The Hunger for More
The Hunger for More
The Hunger for More is the debut album by G-Unit rapper Lloyd Banks, released June 29, 2004 on G-Unit Records and Interscope Records. Banks had been featured on 50 Cent's multi-platinum 2003 album Get Rich or Die Tryin, and on G-Unit's Beg for Mercy in November of the same year...

in 2004 with the top ten hit single "On Fire". He followed with Rotten Apple
Rotten Apple (Lloyd Banks album)
The album received positive reviews. Rolling Stones Evan Serpick gave it 3 out of 5 stars and said that "Eminem, Mobb Deep’s Havoc and a host of G-Unit regulars produce an album’s worth of chunky, ominous beats to fit Banks’ foul mood, but it runs a little thin over sixteen tracks".But XXL gave it...

in 2006 and left Interscope Records
Interscope Records
Interscope Records is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group that currently operates as one third of UMG's Interscope-Geffen-A&M label group.-History:...

 2009. In 2010 G-Unit
G-Unit
G-Unit is an American hip hop group originating from New York City formed by 50 Cents. G-Unit emerged on the New York scene by independently releasing several mix tapes...

 signed with EMI
EMI
The EMI Group, also known as EMI Music or simply EMI, is a multinational music company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the fourth-largest business group and family of record labels in the recording industry and one of the "big four" record companies. EMI Group also has a major...

  to distribute Banks third studio album H.F.M. 2 (Hunger for More 2)
H.F.M. 2 (Hunger for More 2)
H.F.M. 2 is the third studio album by American hip-hop artist Lloyd Banks, released on November 22, 2010 through G-Unit Records and EMI.-Background:...

, which was released on November 22, 2010.

Early life

Banks was born in New Carrollton, Maryland
New Carrollton, Maryland
New Carrollton is a city located in central Prince George's County, Maryland, in the United States. As of the 2000 census, population was 12,589.New Carrollton is 12.11 miles from central Washington, DC....

 and raised in Queens
Queens
Queens is the easternmost of the five boroughs of New York City. The largest borough in area and the second-largest in population, it is coextensive with Queens County, an administrative division of New York state, in the United States....

, New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...

; he is of mixed Puerto Rican and African American
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...

 descent. His father spent most of Lloyd's childhood in prison, leaving his mother to raise him and his two siblings. Lloyd attended August Martin High School
August Martin High School
August Martin High School is a New York City public high school located in South Jamaica, Queens. Located at 156-10 Baisley Boulevard, in 2008, there were 1,217 students in grades 9-12 under principal Anthony Cromer. The school offers classes in aviation, as the school is named after August...

 but dropped out at age 16. For his stage name, he took his great, great-grandfather's name Banks, which was passed on by his uncles who also shared it.

Career with G-Unit (1999-present)

G-Unit
G-Unit
G-Unit is an American hip hop group originating from New York City formed by 50 Cents. G-Unit emerged on the New York scene by independently releasing several mix tapes...

 was founded when childhood friends Lloyd Banks, 50 Cent
50 Cent
Curtis James Jackson III , better known by his stage name 50 Cent, is an American rapper, entrepreneur, investor, record producer, and actor. He rose to fame with the release of his albums Get Rich or Die Tryin and The Massacre . Get Rich or Die Tryin has been certified eight times platinum by...

, and Tony Yayo
Tony Yayo
Marvin Bernard , better known by his stage name Tony Yayo, is a Haitian American rapper and member of the hip hop group G-Unit...

 decided to make a group with each other. They met Young Buck
Young Buck
David Darnell Brown , also known as Young Buck, is an American Southern rapper. Buck is a former member of the New York City Hip-Hop group G-Unit, also a former artist of G-Unit Records as of Nov 26, 2011...

 when UTP group came to New York and 50 Cent heard Young Buck rapping. After 50 Cent signed his contract with Aftermath Entertainment they took Young Buck in the group and signed him.
Tony Yayo, being an older and more experienced rapper, joined 50 Cent on the Nas Promo Tour, the Cash Money Tour and the Ruff Ryders Tour. As Banks remained at home waiting for 50 and Yayo to return, he started rappin around the neighborhood to further increase his buzz on the streets. He then hooked up with neighborhood producers and made tracks for local mixtapes. Lloyd Banks has a renowned reputation on the mixtape scene. While Banks was making Mixtapes,

50 Cent was soon granted his own record label by Dr. Dre
Dr. Dre
Andre Romelle Young , primarily known by his stage name Dr. Dre, is an American record producer, rapper, record executive, entrepreneur, and occasional actor. He is the founder and current CEO of Aftermath Entertainment and a former co-owner and artist of Death Row Records...

 and released the album Get Rich or Die Tryin'
Get Rich or Die Tryin' (album)
Get Rich or Die Tryin is the debut studio album of American rapper 50 Cent, released February 4, 2003, on Aftermath Entertainment under a joint venture with Shady Records and distribution by Interscope Records. Its initially planned release was pushed seven days ahead due to heavy bootlegging and...

; Lloyd Banks was featured on the song "Don't Push Me", and the remixed version of "P.I.M.P". Soon after the group had established their own record label, G-Unit Records
G-Unit Records
G-Unit Records is an American record label, specializing in hip hop music, founded in 2003 by rapper 50 Cent and his manager Sha Money XL. Upon its inception, it operated as a subsidiary of, and was distributed through, Universal Music Group's Interscope Records...

, G-Unit released their first official group album Beg for Mercy
Beg for Mercy
Beg for Mercy is the debut album by hip hop group G-Unit, composed of rappers 50 Cent, Lloyd Banks, and Young Buck, with support from Tony Yayo. The album was released in November 2003, 10 months after 50 Cent's debut album Get Rich or Die Tryin....

in November 2003, which went on to be certified double platinum.

During August 2005, Lloyd Banks, Young Buck, and their entourage were traveling in a van, when the vehicle was pulled over after passing through a red light in midtown Manhattan. Officers said they discovered a loaded handgun and another weapon in the van. Prosecutors asked a judge to dismiss the charges after an investigation determined that neither Lloyd Banks nor Young Buck was in possession of the weapons. Felony gun charges against Lloyd Banks and Young Buck were dropped on November 8, 2006.

In the early morning hours of January 9, 2010, in a Kitchener, Ontario hotel, an alleged altercation took place between Banks and a concert promoter over performance fees. Banks, and three of his associates, were later charged with forcible confinement, aggravated assault and robbery, and released on $50,000 bail.

Feud with The Game

The most well known feud involving Lloyd Banks is the feud between him and The Game, which started publicly after The Game left G-Unit. Lloyd Banks speculates that The Game had jealous insecurities involving the attention he received after the success of his debut album The Hunger for More
The Hunger for More
The Hunger for More is the debut album by G-Unit rapper Lloyd Banks, released June 29, 2004 on G-Unit Records and Interscope Records. Banks had been featured on 50 Cent's multi-platinum 2003 album Get Rich or Die Tryin, and on G-Unit's Beg for Mercy in November of the same year...

and Banks winning a lyricist title.

The Hunger for More (2004-2005)

Lloyd Banks released his solo debut album The Hunger for More
The Hunger for More
The Hunger for More is the debut album by G-Unit rapper Lloyd Banks, released June 29, 2004 on G-Unit Records and Interscope Records. Banks had been featured on 50 Cent's multi-platinum 2003 album Get Rich or Die Tryin, and on G-Unit's Beg for Mercy in November of the same year...

in June 2004. The first single was the summer smash hit "On Fire" which featured 50 Cent, however he was uncredited.
Banks explained the reasoning behind the album's title:

The album was a commercial success, receiving positive reviews. It debuted at number 1 on the Billboard charts with 500,500 copies sold in the first week. The album has since sold over 4 million copies and has been certified double platinum by the RIAA.
During an interview, Lloyd Banks commented on his first week sales:

Two other singles were also released from The Hunger For More, "I'm So Fly
I'm So Fly
"I'm So Fly" is the second single released by American rapper Lloyd Banks, from his debut album The Hunger for More .-Background:I'm So Fly was released in July 13 2004. It was produced by Timbaland & Danja.-Music video:...

" and "Karma
Karma (Lloyd Banks song)
"Karma" is the third single from Lloyd Banks's debut album, The Hunger for More, it features Avant on the video and radio version while singer Kevin Cossom appears on the album version of the song.-Background:...

", the latter was a hit reaching number 17 on the Hot 100, number 9 on the R&B
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, is a chart released weekly by Billboard in the United States.The chart, initiated in 1942, is used to track the success of popular music songs in urban, or primarily African American, venues. Dominated over the years at various times by jazz, rhythm and blues, doo-wop, soul,...

 charts and number 6 on the rap
Hot Rap Tracks
Rap Songs is a chart released weekly by Billboard in the United States. It lists the 25 most popular hip-hop/rap songs, calculated weekly by airplay on rhythmic and urban radio stations and sales in hip hop-focused or exclusive markets. From 1989 through 2001, it was based on how much the single...

 charts.

Rotten Apple (2006-2007)

The Big Withdraw was intended to be Lloyd Banks's second album. The album was leaked to the internet after Banks had a ménage à trois
Threesome
A threesome is a group of three engaged in the same activity. In relation to a sexual activity a threesome refer to the activity involving three people of any gender or sexual orientation...

 encounter with two women and left the CD album behind. The leaked version of the album contained 23 tracks.
During an interview, Lloyd Banks commented on the issue, he said:

Due to the leak, Lloyd Banks began work on Rotten Apple
Rotten Apple (Lloyd Banks album)
The album received positive reviews. Rolling Stones Evan Serpick gave it 3 out of 5 stars and said that "Eminem, Mobb Deep’s Havoc and a host of G-Unit regulars produce an album’s worth of chunky, ominous beats to fit Banks’ foul mood, but it runs a little thin over sixteen tracks".But XXL gave it...

. "Rotten Apple" is a play on New York City's nickname "The Big Apple". It was released on October 10, 2006. The album debuted at #3, selling 143,000 copies in its first week. Rotten Apple was not considered as a commercial success because his debut album sold a significantly higher number of copies in its first week. He has released three singles from Rotten Apple: "Hands Up", "The Cake", and "Help".

Departure from Interscope

Banks was dropped from Interscope Records in 2009.
He is still signed to G-Unit Records, which will release his new album. Banks released a mixtape on his 27th birthday, which fell on April 30, 2009; it included the track "Officer Down" that dissed Rick Ross
Rick Ross (rapper)
William Leonard Roberts II , better known by his stage name Rick Ross, is an American rapper. He derived his stage name from the drug trafficker "Freeway" Ricky Ross, to whom he has no connection...

. Banks also released a mixtape in 2009 called V5.

The Hunger for More 2 and signing with EMI (2010-present)

In late January 2010, it was announced that Banks would release a new song, "Beamer, Benz, or Bentley
Beamer, Benz, or Bentley
"Beamer, Benz, or Bentley" is the first official single from Lloyd Banks' third album H.F.M. 2 , which was released on November 23, 2010. The song was released as a digital download on February 9, 2010...

" featuring Juelz Santana, from his upcoming third studio album. "Beamer, Benz, or Bentley" charted at #49 on the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...

. In early June, Banks released the second single off the album The Hunger for More 2, called Any Girl
Any Girl
"Any Girl" is the second single from Lloyd Banks' third album H.F.M. 2 . The song features R&B singer Lloyd and was produced by Dready...

 and it featured R&B singer Lloyd
Lloyd (singer)
Lloyd Polite, Jr. , who performs under the mononym Lloyd, is an American R&B recording artist, who experienced as a member of the group N-Toon before embarking on a solo career in 2004....

. Later on November 2, 2010 he released the third single Start It Up
Start It Up (song)
"Start It Up" is the third single from Lloyd Banks' third album H.F.M. 2 . The song features Swizz Beatz, Kanye West, Ryan Leslie & Fabolous, it was produced by Cardiak...

 featuring Swizz Beatz
Swizz Beatz
Kasseem Dean , better known by his stage name, Swizz Beatz, is an American record producer, DJ, rapper and painter. At the age of 17, he gained attention in the hip-hop world through his friendship with rapper DMX. Grady Spivey and rapper Cassidy helped launch his label Full Surface Records...

, Kanye West
Kanye West
Kanye Omari West is an American rapper, singer, and record producer. West first rose to fame as a producer for Roc-A-Fella Records, where he eventually achieved recognition for his work on Jay-Z's album The Blueprint, as well as hit singles for musical artists including Alicia Keys, Ludacris, and...

, Ryan Leslie
Ryan Leslie
Anthony Ryan Leslie, known professionally as Ryan Leslie, is a Grammy nominated American record producer, multi-instrumentalist, rapper, entrepreneur, and singer. Founder of the media company NextSelection Lifestyle Group, Leslie has produced singles for a number of artists in a variety of genres...

 & Fabolous
Fabolous
John David Jackson , better known by his stage name Fabolous, is an American rapper of African American and Dominican descent. He grew up in the Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York. Part of his early popularity arose from his hit single "Can't Deny It" in 2001, from his debut...

. Lloyd released the fourth single off the album called, I Don't Deserve You
I Don't Deserve You
"I Don't Deserve You" is the fourth single from Lloyd Banks' third album H.F.M. 2 . The song features R&B singer Jeremih and was produced by J.U.S.T.I.C.E. League...

 and the song featured R&B singer Jeremih
Jeremih
Jeremiah Felton who performs under the mononym Jeremih , is an American recording artist and producer signed to Def Jam Recordings. Jeremih's debut single, "Birthday Sex" , peaked at number four on the Billboard Hot 100...

.

Lloyd Banks release info via his Twitter announcing that the title for his third album has tentatively been called 'The Hunger for More 2' and will attempt to take him back to his best work. However, the G-Unit
G-Unit
G-Unit is an American hip hop group originating from New York City formed by 50 Cents. G-Unit emerged on the New York scene by independently releasing several mix tapes...

 label later stated that the title is not set in concrete and still may be altered. The title of the album was confirmed by 50 Cent
50 Cent
Curtis James Jackson III , better known by his stage name 50 Cent, is an American rapper, entrepreneur, investor, record producer, and actor. He rose to fame with the release of his albums Get Rich or Die Tryin and The Massacre . Get Rich or Die Tryin has been certified eight times platinum by...

 as The Hunger for More 2 in an interview with MTV News. According to Banks, Interscope is trying to get him back due to the success of the single "Beamer, Benz, or Bentley", but failed when Lloyd Banks revealed that he had signed a deal with EMI
EMI
The EMI Group, also known as EMI Music or simply EMI, is a multinational music company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the fourth-largest business group and family of record labels in the recording industry and one of the "big four" record companies. EMI Group also has a major...

.

After being dropped by Interscope Records
Interscope Records
Interscope Records is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group that currently operates as one third of UMG's Interscope-Geffen-A&M label group.-History:...

 in 2009, Lloyd Banks announced on Friday, August 13, 2010 on MTV News
MTV News
MTV News is the news division of MTV, one of the first and most popular music television network in the U.S., as well as some of MTV's related channels around the world. MTV News began in the late 1980s with the program The Week In Rock, hosted by Kurt Loder, the first official MTV News correspondent...

 that EMI
EMI
The EMI Group, also known as EMI Music or simply EMI, is a multinational music company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the fourth-largest business group and family of record labels in the recording industry and one of the "big four" record companies. EMI Group also has a major...

 Label Services has signed a deal with 50 Cent
50 Cent
Curtis James Jackson III , better known by his stage name 50 Cent, is an American rapper, entrepreneur, investor, record producer, and actor. He rose to fame with the release of his albums Get Rich or Die Tryin and The Massacre . Get Rich or Die Tryin has been certified eight times platinum by...

’s label, G-Unit Records
G-Unit Records
G-Unit Records is an American record label, specializing in hip hop music, founded in 2003 by rapper 50 Cent and his manager Sha Money XL. Upon its inception, it operated as a subsidiary of, and was distributed through, Universal Music Group's Interscope Records...

, in which EMI
EMI
The EMI Group, also known as EMI Music or simply EMI, is a multinational music company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the fourth-largest business group and family of record labels in the recording industry and one of the "big four" record companies. EMI Group also has a major...

 will distribute and promote releases on the G-Unit
G-Unit
G-Unit is an American hip hop group originating from New York City formed by 50 Cents. G-Unit emerged on the New York scene by independently releasing several mix tapes...

 roster in North America including Lloyd Banks third album The Hunger for More 2.

Banks' had this to say about the deal,

Awards

In 2004, Banks was awarded 2004's Mixtape artist of the Year at the Mixtape Awards. Lloyd Banks commented on this award in an interview with AOL Sessions:
In 2005, "On Fire" was nominated for a Grammy award for Best Rap Solo Performance. In 2006, "Touch It [Remix]" was nominated for Hip-Hop Video of the Year, and won for Best Collaboration at the BET Awards
BET Awards
The BET Awards were established in 2001 by the Black Entertainment Television network to celebrate African Americans and other minorities in music, acting, sports, and other fields of entertainment over the past year. The awards are presented annually and broadcast live on BET...

. The award was shared by Banks and his collaborators, Busta Rhymes
Busta Rhymes
Trevor Tahiem Smith, Jr., better known by his stage name Busta Rhymes ,Smith is an American rapper, producer and actor. Chuck D of Public Enemy gave him the alias Busta Rhymes after NFL wide receiver George "Buster" Rhymes...

, Mary J. Blige
Mary J. Blige
Mary Jane Blige is an American singer-songwriter, record producer and occasional actress. She is a recipient of nine Grammy Awards and four American Music Awards, and has recorded eight multi-platinum albums. She is the only artist with Grammy Award wins in Pop, Rap, Gospel, and R&B. Blige has...

, Rah Digga
Rah Digga
Rah Digga is an American rapper. Well known as a long time member of the Flipmode Squad, a hip hop group led by Busta Rhymes, she parted ways amicably with the group in 2007. She has been called "one of rap's most prominent women MCs" by Allmusic and "one of hip-hop's most skilled female MCs" in...

, Missy Elliott
Missy Elliott
Melissa Arnette "Missy" Elliott , is an American rapper, singer-songwriter, record producer, and actressA five-time Grammy Award winner, Elliott, with record sales of over seven million in the United States, is the only female rapper to have five albums certified platinum by the RIAA, including one...

, Papoose
Papoose (rapper)
Shamele Mackie , better known by his stage name Papoose , is an American rapper.-Biography:Born March 5, 1978 in Brooklyn, New York City by Sierra Leone and Native American parents, Papoose made his first attempts at rapping at the age of 7. He was given his name by his grandma Vivian because of...

, and DMX
DMX (rapper)
Earl Simmons , better known by his stage name DMX, is a multiplatinum American rapper and actor who rose to fame in the late 1990s. His stage name pays tribute to the Oberheim DMX drum machine, an instrument he used when he made his own rap beats in the 80's...

. In 2010 with the excitement surrounding the release of H.M.F. 2 (Hunger for More 2) and his return to Hip-Hop's spotlight Hip-Hop news website HipHopDX wrote that Banks had the "Comeback of the Year".

Discography

  • The Hunger for More
    The Hunger for More
    The Hunger for More is the debut album by G-Unit rapper Lloyd Banks, released June 29, 2004 on G-Unit Records and Interscope Records. Banks had been featured on 50 Cent's multi-platinum 2003 album Get Rich or Die Tryin, and on G-Unit's Beg for Mercy in November of the same year...

    (2004)
  • Rotten Apple
    Rotten Apple (Lloyd Banks album)
    The album received positive reviews. Rolling Stones Evan Serpick gave it 3 out of 5 stars and said that "Eminem, Mobb Deep’s Havoc and a host of G-Unit regulars produce an album’s worth of chunky, ominous beats to fit Banks’ foul mood, but it runs a little thin over sixteen tracks".But XXL gave it...

    (2006)
  • H.F.M. 2 (The Hunger for More) (2010)

Filmography

Film Role Year Notes
Before I Self Destruct
Before I Self Destruct (film)
Before I Self Destruct is a 2009 crime drama film starring Curtis "50 Cent" Jackson that is included with the album of the same name. It was released on November 23, 2009.-Plot:...

School Teacher 2009 uncredited
Morning Glory
Morning Glory (2010 film)
Morning Glory is a 2010 American comedy-drama film directed by Roger Michell, produced by J.J. Abrams and written by Aline Brosh McKenna. It stars Rachel McAdams, Harrison Ford, Diane Keaton, Patrick Wilson and Jeff Goldblum. After some delays, the film was released in the United States on November...

Himself 2010

External links

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