A True to Form Return Story
Lloyd Banks is officially back at midnight! Having been somewhat absent from the rap scene for a full decade, Banks is releasing ‘Course of the Inevitable‘ on June 4th, 2021.
Given how long he’s been gone, he’s giving us a full course meal of 18 tracks. As good of a rapper Banks is, he definitely needs some features to bring in new fans and the list does not disappoint. There are some lesser known artists featured such as Sy Ari Da Kid, Vado, and Ransom but Banks pulls no punches with the big names. Perfectly fitting his vibe, Roc Marciano, Styles P from The Lox, and Benny the Butcher are all on the first half of the record. Most excitingly, Banks made the last minute call to add Freddie Gibbs to the third track, ‘Empathy.’ With exciting new names as well as established giants, we’re in for some truly dirty bars.
Well Deserved Fanfare
Though he has credit with many great producers, Banks prides himself on his inclusion of new young producers on the boards for ‘COTI.’ Some of these names include, Phil Jvckson, The Olympicks, and Alpha Betic, among others. In fact, there’s a complete lack on name brand producers on this project entirely. While this might make some apprehensive, we say its indicative of a fresh sound that will distinguish this among other gritty New York projects.
The promotion for the album also makes it clear that this is something special. In the promo video, Rashan Brown delivers a beautiful spoken word over a black and white montage of NYC. There are beautiful shots of neighborhoods, projects, the subway, and the mural of Big L, ending with Banks pulling his hood up. The whole thing is gorgeous yet mysterious, emphasizing this LP as immersive and likely cinematic.
Though this is his first studio album since 2010’s ‘H.F.M. 2,’ Lloyd hasn’t been a complete ghost for the past 11 years. He still grinded out plenty of mixtapes, most recently ‘Halloween Havoc 3: Four Days of Fury’ in 2016. Banks also consistently brings it on features, plenty of which are from the recent decade. His recent verse on Conway the Machine’s ‘Juvenile Hell,’ is notable for matching the likes of one of rap’s current heavyweights.
With little to no decrease of talent over the decade, a life of fatherhood, and a solid team assisting him, the hopes for Lloyd Banks’ return are high. Watch the promo for the anticipated LP right here!
Written by Jason Heilbronner