LLOYD BANKS 'ROTTEN APPLE' ALBUM REVIEW:

 

ALBUM TITLE: Rotten Apple

LABEL: G-Unit/Interscope

RELEASED: 10 Oct 2006

TOP TRACKS:  Rotten Apple, Survival, Hands Up

RAPCENTRAL RATING:

  'Rotten Apple' is Lloyd Bank's sophomore album and is released under G-Unit/Interscope records. It was supposed to be released in the summer of 2006 but was delayed for a number of reasons, primarily because of lack of airplay and promotion surrounding the album. The title 'Rotten Apple' comes from the G Unit rappers homeplace, New York, the Big Apple as it is known, and this album sets out to show the darker side of New York City. But you get the feeling that Banks abandoned that plan mid-way through the album in favour of rapping about how much ice he has, and of course, he raps about his one night stands as he takes on his 'Blue Hefner' persona in 'One Night Stand' and 'Playboy 2'.

  The Album starts off fairly strong, with 'Rotten Apple' the single, featuring the G Unit general 50 Cent. This song is what the album should stand for, and it is continued into the second song, 'Survival'. Both of these tracks represent the origional concept of the 'Rotten Apple', but sadly, it dosn't continue much further, there are a few tracks with this feel to them, but overall, Banks loses the plot of his own album as we get further into the album.

  It's not the punchline throwing Banks that is respected on the mixtape circut either, all of his rhymes and lyrics seem to be plain boasting of what he has, they have little or no substance at times. Like Banks' platnum selling debut album 'The Hunger For More' Banks underachieves his goal. Frankly, 'The Hunger For More' was a better album than 'Rotten Apple', with the 'Southside Story' track having a heavy beat and lyrics to think about. ("In the seteets of New York you can't trust nobody/ Niggaz will run up on you with a 12 gauge shotty/")...In a perfect world 'Southside Story' would be the first single off 'Rotten Apple' because it is exactly what 'Rotten Apple' was supposed to be. But 'Hands Up' (quoted as being called 'On Fire' part 2) and yet another G Unit club song, but on a good note, between all the boasting, the ladies and ice, this is the only club song on the album. 'Hands Up' is actually a good song though, unlike most of the innumerable G Unit club songs, this one has a good Eminem produced beat and lyrics that are not, for the most part...crap. Aside from that, the album lets Banks down in a number of ways. After the decline in G Unit's popularity in the year previous, 50 Cent was counting on his right hand man, Lloyd Banks' sophomore to prove the critics wrong, but he only proved them right.

Review By: Bronz