Every month or so, yet another new rap emcee comes along with a new single raging on Top 40 radio. The vast majority of these newcomers--whether Ruff Ryders, Shady apprentices, or members of Murder, Inc--end up as disposable one-hit wonders.
Meet Lloyd Banks, a member of G-Unit, and listen to his 50 Cent-produced debut, The Hunger For More. The standout cut is, of course, the current hit single, "On Fire." Fortunately, it's not the only bumpin' track on an album that more often than not satisfies.
Of course, the stale rap trademarks are present as well, including shoutouts (to everyone from Ike and Tina to Whitney and Bobby), an Asian-inspired track ("Die One Day"), a couple gunshots heard here and there and the usual overblown bravado ("I'm on point, and I can tell that you jealous by the look in your eye.").
The songs themselves cover a plethora of salient topics. "I Get High" is Banks' ode to weed, "If You So Gangsta" is a diatribe against rap-poseurs and "Playboy" wholeheartedly endorses what else but one-night stands.
But even the lyrics of these songs highlight a creative--if not sharp-tongued--energy, with Banks proclaiming, "We've got guns like Popeye's arms."
Where the album really shines, however, is on the layered beats that back up Banks' measured flow. On an LP that features production from such hip-hop impresarios like Havoc, Eminem and Timbaland, their top-of-the-line samples save Banks' debut from being forgettable.
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