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Lloyd Banks
Artist: Lloyd Banks
Birth Date: April 30th, 1982
Birth Name: Christopher Lloyd
How'd You Get in The Game?:
My Story starts in Queens. I grew up around the corner from 50. Me and Tony Yayo lived on the same block. I've been rapping for a long time, its just something I did. Even when I was in school, 11 or 12, instead of doing my work I would write down everything around me. Even when I wasn't rapping I would write. It was something I did in my spare time. I was young, 50 is 7 years older then me. The things I was rapping about wasn't what he was going through. The things I'm going through now, he was going through then.
Yayo is older he went on the road with 50 on the Nas promo tour, the Cash Money/ Ruff Ryders Tour, and I was still at home. So I got on local some mixtapes and created a little buzz around the neighborhood.
How'd You Hook Up With G-Unit?:
When I was doing the local mixtapes, that was around the same time 50 got shot. When you get shot sh*t changes. You start saying "who's really your friends?" Or who's around because you're a good person to be around? A lot of people stayed away including the label. When I made that decision to get with 50 in the game it was more like you know what "sh*t happens in this game". I'm going to be in the game with somebody I'm going to take a bullet for and vice versa. I was in the hood, if you told me I can make a million dollars, I'm like yeah I'd rather die for a million dollars then 10 dollars.
Everyone in the Hood had their opinion, why you waiting on 50. But every week Yayo was coming home from somewhere new, with something new to tell me. So I was like, I'm gone ride behind him. Soon as 50 came from the hospital he came to get me, we got together and he showed me a list of a bunch of DJs. Before you knew it we went into the studio and did 18 songs. The Next Day we were On every single mixtape hittin' the streets.
What's Your Favorite Song off 'Beg for Mercy'?/Why?:
Smile. It's my personal favorite. I have records that I listen to More then others, but that's the record that I had a lot of fun recording. The hood they care more about the Gangsta side and the punch lines. I fed them that on the Mixtape.. I rarely get a chance to touch on something positive, or reach out for the Females and touch them. It's not so much of an R&B Record. It's not like Ja and them did it, all mushy and sh*t. "I want to be the reason you smile.. after you dry away your tears and dry your eye". Everything in my hood, its different, it doesn't always go down like that. Sometimes a girl is just your hommie, you might have a baby or two, so I'm giving them that aspect of a relationship. I wanted to give the females a different side of Lloyd Banks.
What's Your Favorite Song of all time?/Why?:
In Da Club.. that's the one that popped it up. Outside of G-Unit, I listen to Snoop A lot. 'Gin & Juice' is one of my favorite Records.
Who were your influences growing up?:
My Rap influences are Snoop, Rakim, Big Daddy Kane and Kool G Rap. I grew up with Mobb Deep too, they were young so I understood what they were talking about a little bit more.
What Artist and/or Producer Would You Like to Work with?:
Trick Daddy. I want to work with Snoop on my Solo Project. I would work with Jay. I've worked with a lot of people already, Mostly Females, Eve, Mya, Brandy, Missy, Alicia. As far as a producer, I'd like to work with Timbaland. I haven't worked with him yet.
What other Album, aside from 'Beg For Mercy', are you anticipating this year?:
My Album. Just hearing it. I'm still buggin' at the G-unit CD, I can't really explain it. When we were making the record we didn't really get to stop and listen to the songs. If you listen for too long you'd get stuck on the record and you don't want to stick to just that.
I just got my hands on the album 2 days ago so I'm stuck on that still. To see my own album printed up and the art work, I'll probably be stuck on that for a little while.
What's your Most Memorable Moment Since Everything Jumped Off In The Past Year?:
It's been so many. Probably the Anger Management Tour overseas. It started off in Japan went all through Europe. I've never been out the state of NY, let alone being out the country. It was crazy to see Japan. They know the words to the record. When I felt like I didn't belong, someone would come out the crowd and run up on me. That was the highlight.
What do you do in your free time when you have it?:
I write. I write a lot. All day, whenever I've got time. I smoke a lot. I don't smoke cause it make me write better. I smoke cause I've been doing it since I was 11 years old, so it's just something I do.
Banks on the West Coast Influences on 'Beg For Mercy':
We've been out in the West Coast a lot in the past year and a half. Almost every two weeks. You Start seeing different things. We picked up on what Em and Dre do cause the music is hot. You flash back sometimes, like damn "I'm in the Studio with Dr. Dre". I'vw always rapped over west coast beats. I guess it came from listing to Snoop Dogg & the Dogg Pound growing up. Working with the best producer in the world, it makes your music change. But I don't feel no pressure. My only pressure is to impress 50.
Even with other places, like down in the south, Buck taught me some stuff down there. Like that market is going to react to this. On tour, you get to see what influences the different places in the world. If you didn't go on tour you wouldn't know how to impact the people in those places.
Last Remarks:
go get the album "beg for mercy" cause it's retarded. It's the stepping stone for our Future Solo Projects. You only get one first impression, so we had to work real hard on this. This album is going to make you accept me as a solo artists. On 'Beg for Mercy', I've been doing what I've been doing. Let 50 and Em do the Hooks. I want the questions of pressure to keep up until my album comes out. I'm gonna shock the world. I'm gonna record 40 songs and at the end of the day your gonna hear what 50, Em and Dre thought were the best records.
Also, I'm Single like a Motha Fuc*a..
What's your Kind of Chick?:
I like chicks that like me.. no I'm just playing.. I'm attracted to the ones that are attractive to all men. I AM SINGLE….. 40 and Under.. I'm lookin'!
It seems like a lot of the songs on 'Beg for Mercy' are for the ladies. More so then on 'Get Rich Or Die Tryin'. Why was that?:
Thing is, you don't want to just cater to your hood. You have to make your music world wide. Everything can't always be Shoot Em Up, Bang Bang all the time…. On The Mixtape, we always come hard. In the artwork, everything has Guns, it's Dark and Grimy. We just like to show a different side of G-unit.
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