Review of Lloyd Banks - Rotten Apple
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After G-Unit king 50 Cent released his mega debut Get Rick, Or Die Tryin Lloyd Banks The Hunger for More followed suit becoming a platinum success. Since then, his partner in crime Young Buck fell just shy of the platinum crown, while Tony Yayo completely missed gold status and Olivia has yet to see the light of day. So after being pushed back several times, can Banks break the curse? Utilizing the now redundant formula of 50 Cent crooning over the title track Rotten Apple proves to be unforgettable setting the tone for the roller coaster of an album. Things improve by the next track, Survival, a braggadocios set of lyrics: I aint even got a license yet/ And got given cars, yep/ TV the same size as Kevin Garnett. Just around the corner is the annoying Playboy 2. This painfully repetitive track is behind a suit of gloating lyrics again results in a dip in quality. Unfortunately, this up-and-down pattern continues throughout the album. Remaining standouts include The Cake featuring 50 Cent, an ode to money: Banks dont rap with a backpack/ Im in it for the money, the cake. Help, on the strength of Keri Hilson, proves to be a solid effort aimed at the ladies. Banks and Mobb Deep create a synergy on Get Clapped. Meanwhile, much of the later half of the album proves to be forgettable. While its clear that Hands Up featuring 50 serves as the dance track, this effort falls short of its goal and fails to bring the energy a club anthem typically provides. The dark, eerie sounds of NY NY is no surprise when the credits reveal Eminem laced the tract. Finally, the bounce track of Iceman is a complete miss for Banks slow, monotone flow. Rotten Apple further confirms that the reign of G-Unit may be over. While Banks debut project sold approximately 433,000 units, this sophomore project sold close to 164,000 units after being pushed back several times. Despite some tracks being better than others, dont look for any one song to burn billboard charts. This album only reveals what most knew the first time - Banks is all punch with no bite.
By Dana Jones
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