S. Samuel
As talk of Lloyd Banks leaving Interscope records increases, the G-Unit rapper has revealed his recent collaborations outside of his rap group, including new records with Jadakiss, Fabolous, Juelz Santana.
Despite the tight-knit association with his G-Unit camp, Banks has expressed his recent motivation to work with other artists.
“I got a track called ‘My Way or Nothing’ with Uncle Murda,” Banks said in an interview regarding his new mixtape. “I’m a fan of a lot of these emcees. A lot of people got egos…If you like somebody’s record you won’t say it because of your ego? I reached out to Nipsey Hussle too…I’m just trying to get in there and mix magic and work with a lot of these artists I’ve appreciated over the years. I got a record in the works now with me, Juelz, Fabolous and Jadakiss called ‘Welcome to New York.’ I’m waiting to get the final touches on that. I’m a grown man now. Everybody gotta get their grown man on and get in to the studio and make magic.”
Banks also cleared up the Interscope rumor — he hasn’t been signed to the label since 2007, when he fulfilled his contractual requirements. He hasn’t decided what label his next album will be on, but 50 Cent will definitely have it under his umbrella. He’ll continue to drop mixtapes in the meantime — it’s like practice. (MTV)
G-Unit nemesis Rick Ross recently called out Banks and Tony Yayo and said both were let go from Interscope.
“You asking me do I feel responsible that Lloyd Banks and Tony Yayo is dropped from Interscope,” Ross said in an interview. “I’m not gonna take full responsibility but I just believe Jimmy Iovine and all the geniuses at Interscope, I think they understand that their career with music is over. As well as 50 Cent’s…Everybody telling me I did it, thanks. But honestly, they did it, they did it to themselves…It’s sad when you get dropped and you working with [Dr.] Dre…I’ma pull up their BDS, I know their last album, T.O.S. flopped, I think it sold 15,000 copies its first week or something close to that, I’ma pull up their BDS and make an offer…I might get ’em a situation on Haitian Mafia…Interscope won’t sign you, Def Jam won’t sign you. Pretty much, go to E1 [formely Koch Records] if we offer you something.” (Spiff TV)
While he has begun uniting with more artists, Banks has also sent warning shots to Ross on the song “Officer Down.”
“Too easy man, can’t a motherf*cker ’round you see me/You need an AK and a Genie, a whole pound of Wheaties,” Banks raps. “He been talking ’bout the weight he push/Used to punch the clock in jail/Drove his mama car around/Now he got what you want for sale/See it, I bought it/It’s official if I flaunt it…We’ll be here long after you disappear/This is proof/One fifty one in the booth…You Super Thug/I’m kryptonite/Sleep with me, your b*tch just might/Same promotion, different fight…This is like practice/Pay your taxes before you spit my name all backwards…50 bodies you, I just lay the chalk around.” (“Officer Down”)
Banks spoke with SOHH in the past about his issues with rappers who taunt his camp.
“I have a feud with anybody who has ever said anything negative about me or anybody standing next to me,” Banks explained. “These are the principles. It shouldn’t be a f*cking puzzle. When they get out there, you from the streets, so you know. If you smack my n*gga in the face, next time we see you we gon hurt you. I’m definitely not f*cking with you. I’m not here to make friends.” (SOHH)
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