The Streets Is Talking: News & Notes From The Underground

Last week, Lloyd Banks showed love and broke down his new mixtape. Now, the G-Unit soldier is focusing on making a real LP. He's excited to be free from Interscope for his solo projects.

"I was ready to make a move," Banks said about leaving the 'Scope. "I'm a brand-new engine. If anything, it's their loss. It's been a dark shadow cast upon that. That's why you hear [Funk Master] Flex on the radio [boycotting Interscope], because it's an aura created around that machine, and the artists automatically get smacked in the head."

Banks is referring to a recent on-air tirade from Flex, who promised to not play any Interscope music because of the way he was treated by one of the label's executives.

"[An artist signed to Interscope] doesn't even know what's going on," Banks added. "You just turn on the radio, and they're saying, 'F--- Interscope Records,' and you fall into that batch. So it's almost a foul taste in the mouth when they deliver the record. I felt it's time for me to go somewhere where it's not biased and I get a fair shot. There's a lot of stuff on the table right now. You don't wanna speak about it until it gets ironed out all the way."

By the way, the rumors can stop right now: Banks isn't leaving G-Unit. Even though 50 is the boss, Banks and Yayo are co-founders. Can you imagine the Unit without either one of them? Banks said he's still moving under the team's umbrella, whether he goes with another major or even independent.


"Everything happened for a reason," Banks said. "I feel like I'm so blessed because of my work ethic and how easy the music is coming to me. It feels so good to be an independent artist with a brand. I have direct deals with iTunes and things of that nature, where it's direct money coming to me. It's 50 percent of me that's not pressed to be on a major.

"I have the Lloyd Banks branding and also the G-Unit branding," he added. "It hasn't really been an artist out there independent that is still capable of getting out there and regenerating energy. Most of the [well-established] artists that's independent, it's after they dropped seven or eight albums on a major. I have two albums off a major, and everybody is anticipating what I'm doing now off of the mixtapes."
Banks said Polow Da Don, Swizz Beatz and Just Blaze will be contributing beats to his new LP, and he wants some of the A-list MCs to get down as well. "I'm gonna get with the heavy-hitters and make something happen, make a classic album," he promised.

Bank is also eyeing a reality-TV show, similar to "For the Love of Ray J," on which he'd go out to Cali and women would compete to date him. "It's really not a rush," he said about shooting the possible series. "I'm good financially."

Source: MTV