Lloyd Banks

A Queens emcee who grew up in the same neighborhood as 50 Cent, Lloyd Banks came up alongside 50, working the mix tape circuit with a vengeance and then finding international celebrity as a founding member of G Unit. Like 50, Banks has a mellow, laid-back flow, no shortage of strong punch lines, and an undeniable smooth-thug crossover appeal. After working extensively with his G Unit brethren (as well as artists like Eminem and Mobb Deep) and scoring a hit with "Smile," Lloyd Banks released his first solo album, Hunger For More, in the summer of 2004.