In His Own Words: How Lloyd Banks Found His Voice Late in His Career

In his own words, Lloyd Banks talks about his new album, The Course of the Inevitable 3, his path as a rapper, working with Method Man, and more.

Random fact about Lloyd Banks: he’s a hip-hop archivist. In his home, he has a collection of dozens of notebooks spanning more than 25 years. Most contain verses he’s written, including the iconic ones like the “Victory Freestyle” or “The Banks Workout.” But there are even older composition notebooks, featuring graffiti and drawings of his favorite rappers — including Method Man — and rankings of his favorite MCs at the time. One page from the ‘90s features the “Skill Club,” a definitive ranking on a 1 to 10 scale of notable rappers of the era, including everyone from Goodie Mob and Spice 1 (not the most charitable rankings) to Keith Murray and Snoop Dogg (ranked very high).

“I was just ranking everybody. A lot of people got no love,” Lloyd Banks tells Okayplayer. “But you see, [The Notorious B.I.G.] had six out of 10, and Method Man had eight out of 10. Biggie's first album, Ready to Die, didn't impact me the way Tical did.”

In a professional career that has spanned more than 20 years, Lloyd Banks has gone from being one of the most promising new young rappers (under the tutelage of 50 Cent and G-Unit) to a respected veteran. But the Banks of now isn’t the one from even 15 years ago. Musically, his palette is still infused with '90s-inspired Mobb Deep, Murda Muzik beats — which has come in vogue now partially because of the success of Griselda, Roc Marciano, and The Alchemist. But as a writer and performer, he’s changed — he has mostly done away with the punchlines that made him a star, adopting a more malleable, descriptive, and at times vulnerable storytelling style. His latest album is The Course of the Inevitable 3, a Rudy Giuliani-era throwback that sees him collaborating with New York City contemporaries like Method Man, Cormega, Tony Yayo, Vado, and Dave East. The album, which is out today, puts a capstone on the trilogy that has sparked a mini reemergence for Banks.

In his own words, Lloyd Banks talks about his new album, his path as a rapper, working with Method Man, and more.