.Lloydbanks chats with Billboard about his new album, 50 Cent and more in his first media interview in five years.
with a whopping 433,000 units sold and bolstered G-Unit’s indomitable reign in rap. Furthermore, Banks proved he wasn’t just a trusty sidekick capable of doling out a witty 16, but a promising artist adept at making hits.
“The most honest thing I can think of is just, we came in this s–t together,” reflects Banks about his G-Unit family. “We came up together, and I’ll be forever thankful for that, and the opportunities I had given to me. Sometimes life just happens.”, ending generational curses, his friendship with Joe Budden, the 20th anniversary of theBefore this last album, you obviously took a hiatus. I think a lot of people don’t know how to hit pause.
I think it took a toll on me, but where we from, you try to keep pushing. I probably know one of my homies, his pops remind me of Jim Brown coming down the block as a massive figure. We would cross the street sometimes. We were envious and scared because the only thing that could help keep certain s–t from you in the neighborhood is a father figure.
It’s always a conscious decision when I’m putting these titles together. I definitely want to have something with meaning behind that s–t. So when you say “Value of the Check,” it’s me understanding now — but I know most people gotta go through the process. The only way through is experience. So when I’m saying, “Would you rather be alive or distressed, what’s worse?” It kinda just simplifies things. It was basically saying I spend my darkest times giving orders.
I wanted to do my best to change the narrative and that s–t fueled me. I don’t even know if it’s bad for someone like me, because I’m so in tune with the culture. It don’t matter which was this s–t go, as long as I stay with the basics and the script I’ma be good. The same way with sports. The fancy s–t is cool, as long as you know how to set a pick right or make a bounce pass. Once the fundamentals are there, I’ma be good. At the end of the day, that’s what I got into it for.
The punchlines I kinda strayed away [from], because I’m thinking about 2Pac. I’m not comparing myself to anybody, but people revered 2Pac more for the message of what he said. In my mind, I’m conscious of that. What’s more important to me at this stage of my life? Is it an “ooh” or an “ahh” or is it inspirationally helping somebody? I’m more concerned with that now. It’s a difference between getting a dap from some fly s–t that you said as opposed to some s–t that got them through a dark time.
Slick Rick too is like that for me. I used to come home and watch that “Children’s Story.” That was the illest s–t to me. Rakim. It was a balance, and that’s what I hope to do for people watching. You ain’t gotta do all the extra s–t. Don’t get me wrong, I love the animated s–t. But they animated in real life. You either f–k with it or you don’t. Was he?It’s funny you say that — because I forgot what else he did, but it was something of an accumulation of things.
“Bad News” was the first record to [hit] radio with all of us. “Lloyd Banks in the house,” I heard that s–t and I was in my room writing and I threw my s–t down and ran around the corner to try to catch someone. Nobody was outside around the block, and I said, “Let me run to the boulevard.” I run to the boulevard and maybe a few people outside. That’s how excited I was to see the response to what was going on. By the time we made it to Flex, we had the streets.
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