Lloyd Banks - Rotten Apple

[Meho]

Quick lil review:

01. Rotten Apple feat. 50 Cent and Prodigy (Produced by Havoc & Sha Money XL)
The album starts off with a classic Havoc production with some help from once unkown GUnits inhouse producer to one of the best producers in the game; Sha Money XL. Chours is done by who else then 50 Cent and Banks adds his touch too. Banks and Prodigy both drop dope verses but its Mr. Curtis Jackson that steals the show on this one:This is heroin medicine that morphine flow/ My gun go off nigga and everybody know/ I hold it down with the pound 3n57 ways/ Hollow tip graze ell put a part through ya waves/ Half Christian half killa half man half gorilla/ I pop somethin do a nigga dirty for that scrilla... This track pretty much shows the direction Banks choose for this album. That dark, grimey, eastcoast vibe. 4.5/5

02. Survival (Produced by Young RJ Rice)
Not much to say about this one. Nice production but Banks delivery is awful on this one. SOme nice punchlines but thats it. Boring track 3/5

03. Playboy Pt 2 (Produced by Ron Browz)
We all know part 1 from Banks first LP. He ripped that one and this one is no exception. The only let down is the production, which aint bad but it sounds a lil bit amateurish. 4/5

04. The Cake feat. 50 Cent (Produced by 10)
Dunno who the fuck the producer is but he did a great job on this one. Cool sample on a track where Banks and 50 are basically freestyling. 50 Cent once again drops a great verse and outshines Lloyd once again. 4/5

05. Make A Move (Produced by Midi Mafia)
Midi Mafia always hook GUnit camp with some heat and this aint no exception. The production really fits Banks's style, who rips track apart. Great track. 4.25/5

06. Hands Up feat. 50 Cent (Produced by Eminem, Dangerous LLC & Bang Out)
The 1st single that everyone has heard by now. The talented production duo comes up with a banger again. Never really liked the track but when I listened to the whole album this is basically the only uptempo track and fits nice with the whole album. Hook is catchy as always although 50 might went a lil bit too far this time. 3.5/5

07. Help feat. Keri Hilson (Produced by Ron Browz & Sha Money XL)
A chick track. However this is by far the best GUnit chick track. The production is amazing,really soulful. Some nice story telling from Banks and Keri Hilson really shows her full potential on the chours. 4/5

08. Addicted feat. Musiq Soulchild (Produced by Daniel Jones & Jermaine Mobley)
Again some great story telling from Banks but the delivery is lakcing on this one. Catchy chours from the talented Musiq Soulchild. The beat and the chours save this one. 3.5/5

09.You Know The Deal (Dollar Bill) feat. Rakim (Produced by Major Music Productions (Product & Whitton)
Wow this is a great track. Really grime, with Banks showing all his skills as an MC. Produciton is banging, very Dre-ish and Rakim adds his magic touch on the chours. I wish he'd spit 16 on this one. 5/5

10. Get Clapped feat. Mobb Deep  (Produced by Needlz)
The album continues with another grimey track. This is one of those NY street anthems. Great prodcutin from Needlz. Banks rips the track and the chours is on some gangsta shit too. Even Prodigy shines on this one. 5/5

11. Stranger (Produced by Nick Speed)
Not a bad track, lyrically its great but its the delivery that is weak once again. 3/5

12. Change (Produced by Prince & Machavelli)
Same story as "Stranger". 3/5

13. NY, NY feat. Tony Yayo (Produced by Eminem)
Another great dark, eastcoast joint. Production from Em is really dark. Simple, yet effective. Dunno what Yayo is doing on this song  4/5

14. One Night Stand feat. Keon Bryce (Produced by 9th Wonder)
Banks in his playboy mode, again nice story telling. Smooth production from 9Th Wonder goes great along with the smooth chours. 4/5

15. Iceman feat. Young Buck, Scarface & Eightball (Produced by Dave Morris)
Nice track, quite catchy. Expected better from this lineup though. Production is really weak. 3.5/5

16. Gilmores (Produced by Young Lord)
Great track to finish off the album. Banks rips this tracks to shreds on a great production from Young Lord. 4.75/5

I was a lil bit worried about the production when I first saw the tracklisting, since there were a lot of up and coming rpdoucers who are usually a hit or miss. I recomnded the album to everybody, especially to those who like that classic eastcoast rap. The album is a lot better than HFM, which was more universal and Banks tried to appeal to mainstream audience a lil bit too much. On this one Banks sounds a lot more comfortable.



Next to be reviewd is Doctors Advocate.

















 

[Lil White Azz]

nice review man, looking forward to that da review 
+1

[On The Edge of Insanity]

Good review.

The only redeeming thing about G-unit is that they do use a lot of unknown/up and coming producers on their albums instead of relying on the same Just Blaze, Kanye West, Timbaland, Lil Jon, Neptunes cycle that a lot of other rappers on the major labels seem to use.

[BIGG-A]

This album sucks mad dick.........please
First album tight, this is garbage.
Thats my review

[40 Cal]

this is a g unit classic
good songs: surival,hands up,help,& iceman,

[BOX5 the best poster on this site yell]

i respect you with taking the time with the review but again,get serious,i liked some of the album,but pound for pound it was not fucc'n with the first one, the first one 3.5/5 this one 3/5, it wasn't wacc,and it actually is more banks style then the first one,but as a complete album is not as entertaining as the first yell

[Jaydc555]

Its a solid album but banks is one of those rappers who could drop a classic if he really poured his all into an album.some of the songs on the album sound phoned in.

[LIONZ DEN]

WACK