When Lloyd Banks cancelled The Cold Corner 2 to focus solely on his next LP earlier this year, there wasn’t much of a reaction. To be sure, a loyal group of fans were sorely disappointed, but the idea of a relevant G-Unit member in 2011 is about as widely sought as a Pauly Shore come back. So, you might ask, what was the point in returning to it now? It’s hardly popular, but the fact remains: Banks was, and remains, a unique, strong MC. Think back to 2003, to the fiery reign of Curtis and crew. Before 50’s inability to coexist toppled their empire, it was Banks who carried the posse’s lyrical baton. Curtis certainly had the pop and business sensibilities cornered, but Banks’ torrential output of quality mixtapes did as much to retain respect as 50s moves did mainstream dominance. He’s called the Punchline King for a reason, after all.
If any member of the Unit had a shot at longevity, last year it seemed to be Banks, appearing on a G.O.O.D. Friday track and corralling the likes of Kanye (Ye also declared Banks to be in his top 5, and the most underrated MC in the game), Eminem, and Pusha T for his album. Yet, Hunger for More 2, while a return to form compared to 2006’s tepid Rotten Apple, was relatively underwhelming. He still had a chance, but what would he do next?
He decided returning to his roots was the best tact, and so here sits Cold Corner 2, resurrected. It isn’t simply a mixtape. Banks is no simpleton, he understands his posse’s downfall, and this tape symbolizes an acceptance to the end of an era. In offering the free material to his fans, Banks explained: this was it, the last mixtape he intended to release. To any mixtape DJ, the age of mixtape dominance truly began with 50 Cent is the Future and the related releases, with Banks’ own output totaling 10 mixtapes. Sure, every cat releases a tape today, and interest in the Weezy tapes may well have exceeded the Unit’s, but there’s no ignoring the complete change it had on hip hop and the way in which newcomers arose. Right down to the likes of K.R.I.T. and Lamar, young MCs have Lloyd Banks and the Unit to thank for their shots at fame. Now, he’s bowing out of the game he helped create.
So, this isn’t just any mixtape. Will Banks regain a fraction of the fame that once propelled his debut to platinum? Almost certainly not. That doesn’t make this new material any less grounded in the moment or less worthy of attention. It’s no different than Prodigy’s unfairly overlooked bid at a return with Return of the Mac and H.N.I.C. 2: once a movement is out, it’s out, best of luck overcoming a hip hop fan’s impatience. Regardless, Banks has given his all for his last free effort, easily outdoing his latest album.
By recognizing the Unit as truly past, Banks can finally truly move forward. Neither 50 or Yayo are anywhere to be seen, sensation of the moment A$AP Rocky appearing instead. “No Love” is in part a dedication to his father, but can also be taken as a personification of the Unit, “R.I.P. my nigga … I’m holdin’ it down here, niggas still tryna be ya, but, there’ll never be another crew like us.” Leaving behind his past with this track, the mixtape largely looks forward. The title track has the audacity to sample Radiohead’s “Climbing Up the Walls,” and what’s more – Banks manages to kill it. This reflects a general truth of the tape: Banks has always had an ear for beats, but more than ever, he’s displayed an understanding of the increasing attention paid to musical feats on hip hop efforts. The production is by and large fantastic, comfortably balanced between nostalgia and risk. Opener “1, 2, 3 Grind” boasts a Prodigy guest spot and a frenzied piano loop, the borderline crunk of “Shock the World” has the potential to start an instant moshpit, while tracks such as “Make It Stack” and the stuttering, swaggering “Ice Box, Pt. 2” rely on a more recent, electro sound. “The Pulse” plays like a reimagined “Stroke of Death,” only more fleshed out. It’s all there.
With a mixtape he nearly didn’t bother releasing, the man has outdone his last two studio albums with ease. In fact, he hardly seems to break a sweat here; if anything, he sounds constantly assured and at ease here: the sign of a great MC. It may not be cool to say you’re with Lloyd Banks, but if this record receives anything nearing due recognition, the guy has a chance at keeping a spot as a king of the underground. He certainly deserves it.
