The Hunger for More

The Hunger for More
Studio album by Lloyd Banks
Released	June 29, 2004
Recorded	2002-2004
Genre	Hardcore Rap, Gangsta Rap
Length	59:28
Label	G-Unit Interscope
Producer	50 Cent (exec.), Sha Money XL (exec.), Eminem, Havoc, Ron Browz, Thayod Ausar, K1 Mil, Hi-Tek, Timbaland, Danja, Diaz Brothers, Scram Jones, Chad Beatz Tastemaker Music, Greg "Ginx" Doby, Black Jeruz
Lloyd Banks chronology
Beg for Mercy (2003) The Hunger For More (2004) Rotten Apple (2006) Alternative cover Special Edition cover Singles from The Hunger For More "On Fire" Released: April 15, 2004 "I'm So Fly" Released: July 13, 2004 "Karma" Released: October 19, 2004

The Hunger for More is the debut album by G-Unit rapper Lloyd Banks, released June 29, 2004 on G-Unit Records and Interscope Records. Banks had been featured on 50 Cent's multi-platinum 2003 album Get Rich or Die Tryin', and on G-Unit's Beg for Mercy in November of the same year. And he had recently been named Mixtape Artist of the Year at the Mixtape Awards—for his appearances on G-Unit mixtapes as well as his own Money in the Bank series—when The Hunger for More was released by G-Unit Records and Interscope Records.

Background

The hit singles from this album include "On Fire", "I'm So Fly", and "Karma". Features on this album include 50 Cent, Tony Yayo, Young Buck, Eminem, Snoop Dogg, Nate Dogg, and The Game.

During the first week of The Hunger For More's release, a distribution house in Manhattan was robbed of approximately eight boxes of the CDs (200 copies). A New York record store had nearly 100 copies of the CD stolen from its racks by a single perpetrator on the album's first day in stores, though they were later recovered.^[1]

Concept

During an interview Lloyd Banks explained the reason behind naming the album. He said:

When I say The Hunger for More, it could be referring to more success. It could be more money. Or Respect. More power. More understanding. All those things lead up to that hunger for more, because my more isn't everybody else's more. I feel like I made it already, because I got already what everybody on the corners of the neighborhood I grew up in is striving to get.^[2]

Recordings

“

We had a studio on the tour Bus. I wrote on the road, going through different situations, constantly touring. 50 was out there, Snoop Dogg was out there, Busta Rhymes, Jay-Z, a lot of people and I'm tryin' to find my lane at the same time as goin' through all the ins and outs.[3]

”

“

I recorded about 50 tracks and I had 50 choose the tracks for the album. “Chips it down” meaning that when the finances are not there, you realize that you need money for everything, and you know that money can change everything. It is talking about the move from having nothing to having all the money and the cars and jewelry.[4] When I'm doin' records for my album, I'm givin' you the same thing I'm givin' you on the mixtapes, but I'm also givin' material that I don't care about getting an (oooh or wow) at the crowd. I do it to basically to tell you stuff you need to know. You understand. If I said you need to know this is what to expect from my neighborhood its kinda like a message at the same time you see good news travel slower than bad news. Yanno so if you grow up in the suburbs or you out of the country or whatever maybe my personal experiences will make you appreciate your neighborhood better. So it's certain things that when I make a record or my album where I'm tellin' you I don't care about your *oooohs and ahhhhs* I just feel like you need to know this.[4]

”

Reception

Critical response

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
AllHipHop	[5]
AllMusic	[6]
Blender	[7]
E! Online	B−[8]
HipHopDX	[9]
Los Angeles Times	[10]
RapReviews	(8/10) [11]
Rolling Stone	[12]
Vibe	[13][14]
The Village Voice	(mixed) [15]

Upon its release, The Hunger for More received positive reviews from most music critics.^[16] At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an average score of 66, based on 10 reviews, which indicates "generally favorable reviews".^[16]

Commercial performance

It was released in 2004 and debuted at number 1 on the Billboard 200 The Hunger for More, opened at #1 on Billboard's albums sales chart, with week-one sales topping 433,000.^[17] Banks had the feeling of having the album reach number 1 in the United States. "That's the kind of debut that veteran artists have," says Banks. "That showed me that following 50's moves and studying the way that he played the game had put me in an incredible position." The album has since been certified Platinum by the RIAA.^[18][19] The album also achieved Platinum status in Canada^[20]

Track listing

No.	Title	Producer(s)	Length
1.	"Ain't No Click" (featuring Tony Yayo)	Havoc	4:25
2.	"Playboy" (featuring DJ Whoo Kid)	Ron Browz	4:32
3.	"Warrior"	Thayod Ausar	2:47
4.	"On Fire" (featuring 50 Cent)	K1 Mil, Eminem, Luis Resto	3:07
5.	"I Get High" (featuring 50 Cent & Snoop Dogg)	Hi-Tek	4:09
6.	"I'm So Fly"	Timbaland, Danja	4:00
7.	"Work Magic" (featuring Young Buck)	Scram Jones	4:27
8.	"If You So Gangsta"	Chad Beat, Sha Money XL	4:49
9.	"Warrior Part 2" (featuring Eminem, 50 Cent & Nate Dogg)	Eminem	3:38
10.	"Karma" (featuring Avant)	Greg 'Ginx' Doby	4:38
11.	"When the Chips Are Down" (featuring The Game)	Black Jeruz, Sha Money XL	3:31
12.	"Til the End" (featuring Nate Dogg)	Eminem	5:09
13.	"Die One Day"	Baby Grand	3:14
14.	"South Side Story"	Diaz Brothers	4:10

Deluxe Bonus Track
No.	Title	Producer(s)	Length
15.	"Just Another Day"	Tone Capone	3:29

UK & Japan Bonus Tracks
No.	Title	Producer(s)	Length
16.	"Take A Good Look"	J-Hen	2:53

Special edition

• The album was also released in a special edition, which featured a bonus track and different packaging (including a CD booklet on dollar bill-style paper). It also included a 25-minute DVD with the video for "My Buddy", a clip for "Smile" and "A Day in the Life of Lloyd Banks."^[2]
• The Bonus Track on The Special Edition, "Just Another Day" Contains lyrical interpolations of Queen Latifah's song of the same name.

Charts

Charts (2004)[21][22]	Peak position
Dutch Albums Chart	52
French Albums Chart	37
German Albums Chart	45
Irish Albums Chart	36
Swiss Albums Chart	65
UK Albums Chart	15
Canadian Albums Chart	2
U.S. Billboard 200	1
U.S. Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums	1
U.S. Billboard Top Rap Albums	1

References

1. For The Record: Quick News On Lloyd Banks, Michelle Branch, Hoobastank, Jay-Z, Mariah Carey, Usher & More. MTV. Accessed July 31, 2007.
2. Jonathan Cohen (May 19, 2004). Lloyd Banks Feeds The 'Hunger'. Billboard. Accessed October 22, 2007.
3. "MVRemix Urban Interviews Lloyd Banks | G-Unit | US and Canadian Underground Hip Hop and Soul - exclusive interviews, reviews, articles". Mvremix.com. Retrieved 2012-02-22.
4. Archived December 1, 2008 at the Wayback Machine
5. AllHipHop review
6. AllMusic review
7. Blender review Archived October 19, 2006 at the Wayback Machine
8. E! review
9. HipHopDX review
10. Los Angeles Times review
11. RapReviews review
12. Rolling Stone review
13. Vibe review 1
14. Vibe review 2
15. The Village Voice review
16. "Critic Reviews for The Hunger For More". Metacritic. Retrieved on 2011-05-14.
17. Harris, Chris (2006-10-18). "Lloyd Banks Can't Catch Rod Stewart's Classics In Race For Billboard #1 - Music, Celebrity, Artist News". MTV. Retrieved 2012-02-22.
18. Winning, Brolin (June 8, 2014). Exclusive Interview with Lloyd Banks. MP3.com. Accessed July 31, 2007.
19. Searchable Database. RIAA. Accessed July 31, 2007.
20. "Canadian Recording Industry Association (CRIA): Gold & Platinum - June 2004". Cria.ca. Retrieved 2014-06-08.
21. BillBoard. Lloyd Banks – Artist chart history. BillBoard. Accessed October 22, 2007.
22. aCharts. Lloyd Banks – The Hunger For More. aCharts. Accessed October 23, 2007.

External links

• Review of The Hunger for More from USA Today