BET Experience

Lloyd Banks

Raised in South Jamaica Queens, Lloyd Banks was a childhood friend of Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson and Tony Yayo, who together formed G-Unit. The half-Black half-Puerto Rican rapper became a star by association when 50 signed with Shady/Aftermath, enabling G-Unit to release two major label albums: Beg For Mercy and Terminate On Sight. Branching out from the hit-making crew, Banks shined as a solo artist. His 2004 debut The Hunger For More, featuring the Grammy-nominated gold single “On Fire,” went on to sell over one million copies. After dropping a follow-up album, Rotten Apple, Banks cut ties with his old label, releasing his third LP H.F.M 2 independently.