Exclusive Interview with Lloyd Banks

The G-Unit lieutenant speaks on his new album Rotten Apple, hand-picking his own beats, balancing the streets and the clubs, New York's place in hip-hop, and getting his respect as a lyricist.

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Interview Podcast

Free Play Lloyd Banks
Rotten Apple

MP3: What’s going on man, how you doing? Lloyd: I’m chillin. Thanks for taking the time to do this, I appreciate it. Likewise. So you got the new album coming out, Rotten Apple. 10/10, October 10. And who do you got on there in terms of production and collabos? Oh, man, on the production side of things I got two beats from Eminem. I got, including the first single, "Hands Up," I got the two from Ron Browz including the second single, "Help." I got one from Fatin, who made the "Cake" record. Young JR did "Survival," Major Music did the Rakim record. I got a lot of new producers man, Nick Speed out of Detroit, reason being I don’t have an A&R. I pick all of my beats. You hand pick them all yourself. I hand pick ‘em, I go through hundreds of CDs every other day and may throw away 99 out of a hundred you know, but it pays off. At the same time, you know, it’s much cheaper. So you savin’ money and you makin’ money at the same time. And you know, it’s a beautiful thing, I’d rather people read my credits and figure out who the artist is before they know who the producer is. Because they’ll use that as another way to criticize you, they’ll say, "well you only sold records because you had producers with notoriety." As far as the features go, of course I got 50 on there. Yayo is on the project, Young Buck’s on the project. Mobb Deep is on the project twice. I got a record with Musiq Soulchild called "Addicted." I got a record with Scarface and a record with 8Ball. Rakim’s on the album. So it’s wrapped up real tight man. I got a lotta veterans on there, and I also got two never heard artists before, brand new artists. One is a female, she’s on the "Help" record, her name is Keri [Washington]. Yeah, I like that. Another one is, her name’s Keon Bryce, she’s on a record called "One Night Stand," so I got like a mixture of the veterans and newcomers. So it’s wrapped up real good man, it’s two years in the making. How is it working with Rakim and Face and 8Ball, dudes that you grew up with listening to? Well, you know, what’s crazy was, I wasn’t in the studio with neither of them, to be honest with you. But that just shows you, you know, I take my hat off to them, because for me to not be able to hook up, because I’d be on the road touring a lot, so a lotta those records, they’re all favors, you know. They came in at crunch time and I appreciate them for taking their time out and participating on the album. Just for me to have the co-sign of guys like that. That’s huge, definitely. Yeah, that’s huge for me. I been listening to them dudes for a long time, since I was a kid. That’s definitely, it’s an honor to be able to have the opportunity to be part of the elite. And that’s what I’m aiming towards, just relevancy man, that’s what hip-hop’s all about. You don’t have to have ten albums. You know, just make a album that can last as long as ten albums. No doubt. Now you’re known for doing both hardcore street songs as well as mellower joints for the ladies and the clubs. Is it difficult to maintain that balance or does that come easy to you at this point? Nah, it comes very easy. Just as easy as I make the street records I can make the records catering to the club or to the female audience. And me as a artist and as a leader, I determine when it’s time to either go left or right. I will never compromise myself. At the end of the day it’s about what the people want and I make the music for the fans that actually own, that purchase the music, and understand the story. Everybody else, my job is to turn them into a Lloyd Banks fan. You know, you got to be versatile man, you can’t just throw out the same record every time. Me being around the world on a couple of tours, I’ve learned that in order to be the biggest artist possible you have to target every market. Now I want you to talk about the last couple of records on G-Unit. The Mobb Deep and the Tony Yayo projects didn’t really do as well as expected. And not even just that, but the rap industry overall just seems to be kind of sluggish this year, like the OutKast record didn’t do that great, this and that. With your new album coming out soon is that something that worries you at all, or are you just not trippin’ about it, or what? I’m not, because everybody’s story is different, and it’s never the same. You know, time doesn’t repeat itself, bottom line. Music doesn’t stay in one space for anybody, and at the same time the expectations came from us. We boosted up the expectations and understand, there’s no other record label out there where you expect every artist to have a platinum debut. You know, that’s just something—that’s the mentality that we brought out of the hood and made people understand how hungry we were. That what we were shooting for.

You know, a lotta people didn’t think I was going to have the success I had on the first album. But honestly, I was shootin’ past that. That’s why I haven’t developed an ego, or had time to even get big headed because I never felt like I got my just due on my first album. And not from the people, just through the media and the critics. One person can rate your album, and put it in a magazine what they feel your album was about. And at the end of the day, it’s like now, it took for my second album to come out for me to hear compliments on the first album. They say things like, "oh, how you gonna live up to the first one, the first one was this, the first one was that." So I never really got a chance to get outta the zone from the first album. This is kinda like part two to the first album. I think a work ethic eliminates all oppression. I’d rather have too many records than not enough records. Now I wanted to ask you, as an artist, what’s more important to you, sales and Soundscan or critical acclaim, or just love in the streets, or all of the above? Well, to be honest with you man, it has to be record sales, record sales bring the money, you know what I’m saying. And outside of that though, outside of that it’s the street man. It’s like my most important trophy to me is my Mixtape Award, and I have a lotta trophies but the Mixtape Award is the most important to me, rest in peace to Justo [Faison, who founded the Mixtape Awards], who organized that whole situation, he passed away recently. And that’s what it’s about man, to be able to just walk the streets and people want to be like you. You know what I’m saying? Like every rapper isn’t the people’s rapper. I’m the rapper for the people man, I walk through the crowd, I walk through the street, and people identify with me man, and that’s a good feelin’ you know, when kids want to be like you. Look up to you, yeah. Exactly. Not just the kids either, you know, but inspiring rappers, period. I know you got the new solo joint, I know Buck’s got his, he’s working on his new solo joint. Yes. Is there going to be another G-Unit group album coming out next year? Oh, yeah, most definitely. The schedule is me October 10th. You can look forward to Buck, I believe the date is November 28th, Buck The World. You can look for 50 first quarter next year. And following that, man, s*** man, I would love to put out another G-Unit project. I know you guys are recording constantly and you got tons of stuff in the vault as well. Oh, yeah. We could definitely put a album together, like in a matter of weeks, you know, but I guess it all depends on scheduling and how we want to work it out. You know, I would much rather, I would much rather sit down in a studio, with the whole gang there. And really focus on it. Yeah, and work it out. I feel you. Now you got, I mean, you’ve already got the fame, you’ve got the money, you’ve got the fans, and you know, the sales numbers and platinum plaques. Do you feel that you get the respect that you deserve as an actual lyricist? Do you feel like you get your just due? Yeah, you know what? This is what puzzles me. It’s like I get all the credit for being a lyricist you know, but at the same time—this is how I know some people just agree to disagree. You understand what I’m saying? Sometimes your confidence could be mistaken for arrogance, like, you know, "oh, he’s too confident." I’m supposed to be confident. I come from nothin’. So I had to find things that was negative to inspire me to keep me motivated. And people think it’s the rap and the jewelry and all that, and to a certain extent it is, but it’s really all the things that I’ve seen that I don’t want to end up doing. Or don’t want to end up going through, or going back to. So that’s what I’m thinking about when I’m in a studio. I’m really thinking about how I’m going to maintain my lifestyle, as opposed to thinking about the next rapper’s career or something like that. Like I said, I never felt like I really got much. I was just doing my first album, I put my all into that record and it was well received all around the world. And it’s cool though, at the end of the day. You know, if it was all easy during the trip, it wouldn’t feel good when you made it. That’s true. You know what I’m saying? But I’m here. Like I say, my story started since 9,10 years old. This ain’t no fluke man. I been seeing too many references to what hip-hop is for me not to know what a good record is. So this is not just me. I owe it to everybody who paved the way before me. And they’ll see that. You know, I just turned 24 years old man, this is my second album. I got legs you know, I could make a album in a month. That’s what’s up. Now a lotta people, especially recently, people been complaining about the South, sort of dominating the charts, and you know, people talking trash about New York falling off and whatnot. Being that you’re a life long New Yorker and you got platinum hits to your credit, what’s your take on that?. Does that piss you off? Or do you just let it go? Nah, I think a lotta the artists who get mixed up in that are artists who are bitter, and don’t see where, or when music is going to head in their direction. You know, to really be honest with you, I mean, it doesn’t really matter where the music is dominated at a certain time, that just shows you that music is growing. Now, you know, there was a point in time when music was dominated by the East, now how do you think artists in the West felt? Then there was a time when hip-hop was dominated in the West, and I could imagine how the artists in the South felt. Matter of fact I know how they felt because I been on tour since 2001, you know, before the whole Down South movement really kicked off. So I was around when there was a sense of urgency in those markets, when I was going to the club and I was meeting artists like Slim Thug years ago and they were telling me about all the independent money and stuff they were making, and how now it was time to bring it to the industry. You know, so you gotta give it to ‘em. Everybody has their time. I consider myself to be a lyricist so you know, so whenever it bounces back to that, to the point where whatever you say makes you the hottest, I’m going to be standing right there with the belt. You know, and anybody else is just making excuses man. Like, my obligation as a artist is to remain relevant regardless of what direction music is going into. The same way football season just started up, they about 3, 4 games into it, but the fact of the matter is, the NBA season starts up next month. So it’s the NBA’s job to come back and sell tickets just like they do, you know what I’m saying. So that’s my job, man, to just shine regardless of where music is at. Cool man, I just got a couple of more questions for you then I’ll let you go. I know you’re in the studio a lot, you’re on the road all the time, you’re doing press and whatnot, when you actually have like, a moment to chill, free time, what do you like to do just to kick it? Oh, to be honest with you man, I’m in the studio. 24/7. I roll up, I smoke, I’m in the studio. You know. I don’t know man, a lot of people always said, ah, like, I’m a grown man, like a old man, like a old soul. You know, I’m not a attention seeker. To be honest with you, I’m around people every day, all day, so whenever I get time off I really have time off, I sleep. You know, I’m lazy. And that’s just how I been since a kid, you know, that’s how I enjoy life, man. I wake up early, I’m outside early, I like to have a complete day. When you’re on the road and touring all the time, I could sleep 24 hours straight if I wanted to, that’s how tired I am most of the time. So when I get home man, I just like to be low key. I got my low key cars you know, that I drive in, nice all black cars that I get around in, and I just chill out man and enjoy my situation. Now, besides your own record, there’s some pretty big new releases that’s dropping this fourth quarter. Is there anything coming out like as a fan that you’re really looking forward to? Well, I mean, I want to hear what Jay’s project sounds like. You know what I’m saying. I kind of knew he was going to have another album. Yeah, people been waiting on that. Hip-hop is growing man, as much as people try to say, you know, whatever, hip-hop is dying and all this and that. Listen man, hip-hop is exciting man. Bottom line, there’s a lotta new talent coming out, and that’s what I’m going to do for the end of this year, I’m going to make people press for rewind when they hear my records. Nice. You know, and I’m gonna keep it exciting. Bottom line, I just turned 24, like I said, man, I plan on being here for a little minute. So I got one more question for you and this is something that I pretty much ask everybody that I interview. You know, nowadays every kid that’s out there wants to be a rapper or they want to be a producer. Or they want to be a CEO, they want to get in the business, they want to get in the industry. As somebody who’s had as much success as you have, what advice would you give to all these young cats that’s trying to get on? First of all, I always tell them, you know, not to rush anything. Bottom line, you know, I been getting attention since 16, and I just knew, I just knew for me that that wasn’t how I wanted to have my approach into the game, not really knowing too much about the industry and just signing a quick contract. I always felt like I didn’t want to sign a contract prematurely and then end up in the situation where I couldn’t get the deal I wanted later on in life. You know, a lotta people make that mistake. And not only that man, but my mother told me a long time ago, you have to market yourself. You know your flaws and your pluses before anybody else even notices, so knowing that, don’t put yourself in a situation to be put out there. Identify what’s your weakness and work on it until it’s not a weakness no more. And shake hands, you know, shake hands even when you don’t know whose hand you shaking, you might walk right past the program director. Or walk past the DJ that could have been a important piece in your puzzle. And stay humble man. You know, there’s too many people out here doing it to feel that cocky, I’m 2 million worldwide sold, still don’t feel like I made it. I feel like I kicked down the door to get to the next one. Excellent man, right on. Well, you got any last words for the fans out there? Oh, definitely, man. At the end of the day, even though that’s who I do it for man, I’m a fan of hip-hop. You know, I just got my CD cover two days ago, and was excited, you know what I’m saying, the same way I was excited when I ripped open Life After Death. So I just want people to understand that, and all the critics also man. I’d just like to say that, at the end of the day you can’t change this, this is a story that started since a kid. I appreciate all my fans that have followed me since 2001 with my mixtape debut, all the way to Hunger for More, which opened the doors for the Rotten Apple, and come October 10th, you know, I’m going to shock the world. Excellent, right on man. Well thanks again for taking the time. Good luck with the album, I look forward to hearing it. Appreciate it.