Lloyd Banks

Christopher Lloyd (born April 30 1982), better known as Lloyd Banks, is an American rapper and is a member of the popular group G-Unit. The East Coast Hip Hop artist has sold over 5.5 million albums worldwide and this proves that he is a rather popular artist among the Hip Hop generation.

Biography

Lloyd Banks was born Christopher Lloyd in Baltimore, Maryland. He was raised in South Jamaica, Queens. His mother is Puerto Rican and his father was black. His parents were young and never married. His father spent most of Banks' childhood in prison because of his shady street business. This left Banks' mother to raise Banks and his siblings alone. Young Christopher Lloyd had the responsibility of taking care of his younger brothers when his mother went out. Like many kids around him, Banks felt trapped in the cycle of poverty and violence, and found his haven in words.

Banks started writing something resembling poetry at a young age and it started taking form, but Banks wouldn't share it with the outside world. Eventually, he got the courage one day and rapped his rhymes on the streets of Jamaica, Queens. People's reaction to it stunned him. Many said he should record them. So he wasted no time in his pursuit to be a rapper. His mother was responsible for nurturing Banks' early desire to be a rapper. She would play hip hop music around the house and took Banks to his first hip hop concert. His rap heroes were Big Daddy Kane, Rakim and Slick Rick, three men who influenced his own style

Lloyd Banks grew up around the corner from 50 Cent and Tony Yayo so they all would usually rap together. Even when he was in school, instead of doing his school work he would write down everything that came to mind. Even when he wasn't rapping he would write. It was something he did in his spare time. He could not flourish lyrically in a structured school environment, so he dropped out before he turned 16.

He took his great grandfather's name -- Banks -- passed on by his uncles who also shared it.

Yayo being an older and more experienced MC, he went on the road with 50 Cent on the Nas promo tour, the Cash Money/Ruff Ryders Tour. Because Banks remained at home waiting for 50 Cent and Yayo to return, he started rapping around the neighborhood to create a buzz for himself. Then he hooked up with neighborhood producers and made tracks for local mixtapes. Lloyd Banks has a well-built reputation on the underground mixtape scene.

While Banks was attending a night club he was shot twice in September 2001, the shooter was unknown.

G-Unit was founded when Lloyd Banks, Tony Yayo, Domination, Bang Em Smurf and 50 Cent decided to make a group with each other. They met Young Buck when UTP, of the Cash Money group came up in New York and 50 Cent heard Young Buck rapping. After 50 Cent got his contract with Shady/Aftermath they took Buck in the group and signed him, Domination and Bang Em Smurf left the group because of a personal feud with 50 Cent and Tony Yayo was sent to prison on weapons charges.

Fronted by 50 Cent, G-Unit quickly redefined the urban music industry to gangsta rap. They produced a series of street albums with original numbers and high quality artwork, making the discs something more than a bootleg, but not quite an independent release.

50 Cent was soon signed to Shady/Aftermath/Interscope Records and released the album Get Rich Or Die Tryin, which Banks was featured on the song "Don't Push Me". Then came G Unit's first album Beg For Mercy, which sold over 320,000 copies in its first week, eventually selling 2.5 million in the U.S and 4 million worldwide. Though these successes allowed Lloyd Banks to tour the world multiple times over, one accomplishment means a bit more than all the rest.

In 2003, Banks was anointed 2003's Mixtape Artist of the Year due to his appearance on G-Unit mixtapes as well as his own Money in the Bank series. After the successful G-Unit album it was time for Lloyd Banks to release his solo album The Hunger For More. Lloyd Banks released the summer smash hit On Fire featuring 50 Cent to help his album sell over 433,000 its first week and eventually selling over 2.6 million records in the US and 4 million worldwide.

In 2004, Banks was the target of a false rumor started by an unknown source which featured a man that resembles Banks having gay sex in a video clip that circulated on the internet. The man in the video clip did not have one of the extensive tattoos that covers Banks on his body. The rumor was falsified after the actual actor of the film Ty Lattimore stepped forward to verify it was him in the video clip.

In August 2005, Lloyd Banks, Young Buck and their entourage were riding in a van, when the vehicle was pulled over after running a red light in midtown Manhattan. Officers said they discovered a loaded handgun and another weapon in the van. Prosecutors asked a judge to dismiss the charges after an investigation determined that neither Lloyd Banks nor Young Buck were in possession of the guns. Felony gun charges against Lloyd Banks and Young Buck were dropped on November 8, 2006.

Also in October of 2005 Banks rumored sophomore album The Big Withdraw was leaked on to the streets which featured tracks produced by Scott Storch and featured 50 Cent. It is rumored that Lloyd Banks left it at a women's house after they had a threesome with another woman and she then sold it to a DJ who represents G Unit rival Faction D-Block for $60,000. The Big Withdraw was bootlegged immediately. Banks then decided to scratch the entire album and make new tracks for a new sophomore album entitled Rotten Apple.

The single My House which was released in May of 2006 was thought to be the first single off his sophmore album Rotten Apple. But in a later interview he said it was never supposed to be a single off his album and he sold the track to the movie "Little Man" soundtrack. Before releasing is album Banks went back to the mixtape scene and released a series of mixtapes such as Mo Money In The Banks Pt. 4 and New York Times to help promte his album. Lloyd Banks released Rotten Apple on October 10, 2006.It sold 303,000 copies in its first week, and debuted at #1 on the Billboard 200. He has released 3 singles, "Hands Up", "The Cake" and "Help". The album has sold over 1.5 Million copies to date.

While Lloyd Banks was on tour promoting his album, his father passed away causing some of his westcoast tour sites to be canceled.

Banks released his highly anticipated mixtape Mo Money in the Bank Pt.5: The Final Chapter on December the 19th. It has been leaked on the internet.

Banks is currently featured in the Eminem Re Up single You Don't Know along with 50 Cent and Up and Coming Shady Artist Cashis.

Hip Hop Beefs

Ja Rule & Murder Inc

Banks has been engaged with hip hop beefs involving 50 Cent like all other G Unit artist. Most notable beef is with Ja Rule and Murder Inc. In the "Money In The Bank" mixtape with DJ Whoo Kid, the song "What Goes Around" he takes shot at Ashanti saying "Either I'm blind, or Ashanti's sideburns is thicker than mine". In the same song he takes a shots at Black Child saying "G-unit is Guerilla and Blackchild is the Mascot" and also even taking a shot at Bobby Brown saying "Come on Ja you put a fucking crack head on yo single!". He also takes a shot at Charli Baltimore saying "And as far as Charlie, a studio hour is a waste. She look like she took a bag of flour in the face" In another song called "Tryin' To Be A Gangsta", he mocks Ja Rule stating that everybody knows he's Wanksta and he's broke. Ja Rule hit back saying Lloyd Banks was in a gay Porno in the song "21 Gunz". Lloyd Banks and 50 Cent responded with "The Return of Ja Fool".

D-Block & Fat Joe

Lloyd Banks took shots at D Block and Fat Joe in the song "Aint Built Like This [It aint a secret]". Lloyd Banks did this because of 50 Cent's feud with Jadakiss and Fat Joe for appearing in the Ja Rule single "New York". Attacking D-Block saying "I'm still gonna be around when D-Block flop/ I got more money than them in my reebok box" also Fat Joe saying "I thought about clappin' Joe, but why hit him with the iron, he's one big Mac away from dying".

The Game

This beef (feud) started when 50 Cent dissed The Game publicly on the radio station Hot 97 and exiling him from the G-Unit camp stating that The Game wasn't loyal to G-Unit for stating he would work with Nas anytime. It was also rumored on the station interview that Banks and The Game did not get along during The Game's tenure with G Unit. The Game took the first shot on the song 300 Bars & Runnin' saying "We was in the studio, when I first got signed/He got stuck, he called 50 tryna borrow some lines/That's the wrong nigga, when you need help with your rhymes/All he gon' tell you is say G-Unit one more time." On the Stop Snitchin, Stop Lyin' DVD, The Game says that Lloyd Banks' lyrical subject matter is small and repetitive. Banks replied on a song "Simple Ain't It", saying "You see him around imitating legends/tough as hell in his records but terrified of my presence". The Game then released 'The Funeral 100 Bars' a diss aimed mainly at 50 Cent. Lloyd Banks replied on a B.E.T. (Black Entertainment Television) Rap City freestyle rap dissing The Game's butterfly tattoo but then The Game responded to Lloyd Banks on a diss track called "Soundscan" poking fun at his "low" album sales for Rotten Apple, which was released on October 10th. Lloyd Banks replied to The Game's diss track 'Soundscan' with his new diss towards to The Game called 'Thats It" (Career Annihilation). In the track, Banks says 50 Cent wrote half of The Game's Multi-Platinum debut album The Documentary. He also tells The Game that he should pull the trigger next time he is in the closet contemplating suicide.

Cassidy

The argument stems from Cassidy and 50 Cent trading words in 2005. Cassidy "dissed" 50 Cent in his Video for "B-Boy Stance" & 50 responded to Cassidy in the "Piggy Bank" video. After being releasing from jail, Cassidy stated in an interview that he has no problems with 50 & G-Unit but Lloyd Banks said later that he “got beef” with Cassidy, and says that Cassidy has “problems saying what he means”.

Discography

Solo albums

Album cover	Album information
File:Hungerb.jpg	The Hunger For More Released: June 29, 2004 Label: G-Unit/Interscope Chart positions: #1 U.S., #5 AUS Last RIAA certification: 4x Platinum U.S. sales: 1.6 Million Worldwide Sales: 2 Million Singles: "On Fire", "I'm So Fly", "Karma"
	Rotten Apple Released: October 10, 2006 Label: G-Unit/Interscope Chart positions: #3 U.S., #6 AUS Last RIAA certification: Gold U.S. sales: Worldwide Sales: Singles: "The Cake", "Hands Up " "Help"

Singles

Year	Title	Chart Positions		Album
		Billboard Hot 100	US R&B/Hip-Hop
2004	"On Fire"	8	3	The Hunger For More
2004	"I'm So Fly"	-	32	The Hunger For More
2004	"Karma" (featuring Avant)	17	9	The Hunger For More
2004	"South Side Story"	24	13	The Hunger For More
2006	"Hands Up" (featuring 50 Cent)	84	30	Rotten Apple
2006	"The Cake" (featuring 50 cent)	-	65	Rotten Apple
2006	"Help" (featuring Keri Hilson)	-	77	Rotten Apple
2006	"You Don't Know" (Eminem, 50 Cent, Lloyd Banks & Ca$his)	12	-	Eminem Presents The Re-Up

Guest appearances

• 2Pac - "Loyal To The Game" (feat. 50 Cent, Young Buck & Lloyd Banks)
• 50 Cent - "Don't Push Me" (feat. Lloyd Banks & Eminem)
• 50 Cent - "Hate It Or Love It Remix" (feat. Lloyd Banks, The Game, Tony Yayo & Young Buck)
• 50 Cent - "Get That Money Mayne" (feat. David Banner, Lil Flip & Lloyd Banks)
• 50 Cent - "I Don't Know Officer" (feat. Lloyd Banks, Prodigy, Spider Loc & Mase)
• 50 Cent - "A Little Bit of Everything" (feat. Tony Yayo, UGK, Lloyd Banks & Too $hort)
• 50 Cent - "Order of Protection" (feat Tony Yayo, Young Buck & Lloyd Banks)
• 50 Cent - "We Got the Hood On Smash" (feat Tony Yayo, Young Buck & Lloyd Banks)
• Avant - "Exclusive" (feat. Lloyd Banks)
• Busta Rhymes - "Touch It Remix" (feat. Lloyd Banks, DMX, Mary J. Blige, Papoose, Rah Digga, & Missy Elliot)
• Daddy Yankee - "Rompe Remix" (feat Young Buck & Lloyd Banks)
• Eminem - "Bump Heads" (feat. Lloyd Banks, 50 Cent & Tony Yayo)
• Eminem - "You Don't Know" (feat. 50 Cent, Cashis & Lloyd Banks)
• Hot Rod - "Work It Out" (feat. Lloyd Banks)
• Joe - "Ride Wit U" (feat. 50 Cent, Young Buck & Lloyd Banks)
• Kid Punisha - "Full Clip" (feat. Lloyd Banks & Young Kodak)
• LL Cool J - "Freeze" (feat. 50 Cent, Lloyd Banks & Young HotRod)
• Ludacris - Gangstas (feat. Lloyd Banks)
• Mobb Deep - "Stole Something" (feat. Lloyd Banks)
• Mya - "Why You Gotta Look So Good" (feat. Lloyd Banks)
• Obie Trice - "We All Die One Day" (feat. Lloyd Banks, Eminem & 50 Cent)
• Obie Trice - "The Set Up Remix"(feat. Nate Dogg, Redman, Lloyd Banks, & Jadakiss)
• Olivia - "Twist It" (feat. Lloyd Banks)
• P. Diddy - "Victory 2004" (feat. B.I.G., Busta Rhymes, 50 Cent & Lloyd Banks)
• Rah Digga - Party Over Here (feat Lloyd Banks)
• Ras Kass - "Playboy" (feat Lloyd Banks)
• Spider Loc - "Things Change" (feat 50 Cent & Lloyd Banks)
• Tony Yayo - "I Know You Don't Love Me" (feat. Lloyd Banks, Young Buck, 50 Cent)
• Young Buck - "Prices on My Head" (feat. Lloyd Banks & D-Tay)
• Young Buck - "DPG-Unit" (feat. Snoop Dogg, Daz Dillinger, Soopafly, 50 Cent & Lloyd Banks)