The Hunger for More
Studio album by
Lloyd Banks
ReleasedJune 29, 2004[1]
Genre
Label
Producer
Lloyd Banks chronology
The Hunger for More
(2004) 		Rotten Apple
(2006)
Alternative cover
Special Edition cover
Singles from The Hunger For More
  1. "On Fire"
    Released: April 27, 2004[2]
  2. "I'm So Fly"
    Released: July 13, 2004
  3. "Karma"
    Released: October 19, 2004

The Hunger for More is the debut studio album by American rapper Lloyd Banks, released via Interscope Records and 50 Cent's G-Unit Records. Originally scheduled for a May 25, 2004 release,[3] the album was ultimately released on June 29, 2004, as later planned.

Background

The hit singles from this album include "On Fire", "I'm So Fly", and "Karma". The album version of "Karma" uses vocals by Kevin Cossom while the single remix version features Avant. Feature appearances 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.[4]

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.[5]

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.[6]

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.[7] 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.[7]

Reception

Critical response

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic66/100[8]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllHipHop [9]
AllMusic [10]
Blender [13]
E! OnlineB−[14]
HipHopDX [15]
Los Angeles Times [16]
RapReviews(8/10) [17]
Rolling Stone [18]
Vibe [11][12]
The Village Voice(mixed)

Upon its release, The Hunger for More received positive reviews from most music critics.[8] 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".[8]

Commercial performance

The album debuted and peaked at number 1 on the Billboard 200 chart, with week-one sales topping 433,000.[19] The album remained at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 in the 2nd week, selling close to 164,000 copies in the United States.[19] "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.[20][21] The album also achieved Platinum status in Canada.[22] The album has sold over 1,500,000 copies in the United States and over 3,250,000 worldwide.[citation needed]

Track listing

The Hunger for More track listing
No.TitleProducer(s)Length
1."Ain't No Click" (featuring Tony Yayo)Havoc4:25
2."Playboy" (featuring DJ Whoo Kid)Ron Browz4:32
3."Warrior"Thayod Ausar2:47
4."On Fire"
3:07
5."I Get High" (featuring 50 Cent and Snoop Dogg)Hi-Tek4:09
6."I'm So Fly"
4:00
7."Work Magic" (featuring Young Buck)Scram Jones4:27
8."If You So Gangsta"
4:49
9."Warrior Part 2" (featuring Eminem, 50 Cent and Nate Dogg)Eminem3:38
10."Karma" (featuring KC)Greg 'Ginx' Doby4:38
11."When the Chips Are Down" (featuring The Game)
  • Black Jeruz
  • Sha Money XL
3:31
12."Til the End" (featuring Nate Dogg)Eminem5:09
13."Die One Day"Baby Grand3:14
14."South Side Story"Diaz Brothers4:10
Total length:59:28
Deluxe Bonus Track
No.TitleProducer(s)Length
15."Just Another Day"Tone Capone3:29
Total length:62:57
UK & Japan Bonus Tracks
No.TitleProducer(s)Length
16."Take A Good Look"J-Hen2:53
Total length:65:50

Special edition

Charts

Certifications

Region Certification Certified units/sales
Canada (Music Canada)[41] Platinum 100,000^
United Kingdom (BPI)[42] Gold 100,000‡
United States (RIAA)[43] Platinum 1,000,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

References

  1. ^ "Allmusic - The Hunger For More". AllMusic. Retrieved June 28, 2022.
  2. ^ "On Fire - Lloyd Banks | Releases | AllMusic". AllMusic.
  3. ^ "G-UNIT'S LLOYD BANKS, YOUNG BUCK RECORDING SOLO ALBUMS". MTV. Retrieved July 13, 2022.
  4. ^ "For The Record: Quick News On Lloyd Banks, Michelle Branch, Hoobastank, Jay-Z, Mariah Carey, Usher & More". MTV. July 1, 2004. Retrieved April 27, 2017.
  5. ^ a b Jonathan Cohen (May 19, 2004). Lloyd Banks Feeds The 'Hunger'. Billboard. Accessed October 22, 2007.
  6. ^ "MVRemix Urban Interviews Lloyd Banks | G-Unit | US and Canadian Underground Hip Hop and Soul - exclusive interviews, reviews, articles". Mvremix.com. Retrieved February 22, 2012.
  7. ^ a b [1] Archived December 1, 2008, at the Wayback Machine
  8. ^ a b c "Critic Reviews for The Hunger For More". Metacritic. Retrieved on May 14, 2011.
  9. ^ "The Hunger For More - Exclusive Hip Hop News, Interviews, Rumors, Rap & Music Videos". AllHipHop. July 1, 2004. Retrieved April 27, 2017.
  10. ^ David Jeffries (June 29, 2004). "The Hunger for More - Lloyd Banks". AllMusic. Retrieved April 27, 2017.
  11. ^ "VIBE.com: Llyod Banks - The Hunger For More (G Unit/Interscope)". Archived from the original on March 7, 2007. Retrieved April 27, 2017.
  12. ^ Vibe. May 2004. p. 159. Retrieved April 27, 2017.[permanent dead link]
  13. ^ "Blender :: guide". Archived from the original on October 19, 2006. Retrieved April 27, 2017.((cite web)): CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  14. ^ "E! Online - Music - Lloyd Banks "Hunger for More"". Archived from the original on April 7, 2005.
  15. ^ "Lloyd Banks - The Hunger For More". HipHopDX. June 27, 2004. Retrieved April 27, 2017.
  16. ^ Robert Hilburn; Dean Kuipers; Randy Lewis (July 18, 2004). "Buzzes and bumbles abound". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved April 27, 2017.
  17. ^ "Feature for June 29, 2004 - Lloyd Banks' "The Hunger for More"". Rapreviews.com. June 29, 2004. Retrieved April 27, 2017.
  18. ^ Lloyd Banks (August 5, 2004). "Lloyd Banks: The Hunger For More : Music Reviews : Rolling Stone". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on October 16, 2007. Retrieved April 27, 2017.((cite magazine)): CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  19. ^ a b Harris, Chris (October 18, 2006). "Lloyd Banks Can't Catch Rod Stewart's Classics In Race For Billboard #1". MTV. Retrieved February 22, 2012.
  20. ^ Winning, Brolin (June 8, 2014). Exclusive Interview with Lloyd Banks Archived February 3, 2009, at the Wayback Machine. MP3.com. Accessed July 31, 2007.
  21. ^ Searchable Database Archived June 26, 2007, at the Wayback Machine. RIAA. Accessed July 31, 2007.
  22. ^ "Canadian Recording Industry Association (CRIA): Gold & Platinum - June 2004". Cria.ca. Archived from the original on April 7, 2012. Retrieved June 8, 2014.
  23. ^ Ryan, Gavin (2011). Australia's Music Charts 1988–2010 (pdf ed.). Mt. Martha, VIC, Australia: Moonlight Publishing. p. 24.
  24. ^ "ARIA Urban Chart – Week Commencing 2nd August 2004" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association (753): 16. August 2, 2004. Archived from the original (PDF) on February 22, 2008. Retrieved April 16, 2023 – via Pandora Archive.
  25. ^ "Ultratop.be – Lloyd Banks – The Hunger For More" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved September 17, 2020.
  26. ^ "Lloyd Banks Chart History (Canadian Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved September 17, 2020.
  27. ^ "R&B : Top 50". Jam!. July 29, 2004. Archived from the original on August 3, 2004. Retrieved January 29, 2023.
  28. ^ "Dutchcharts.nl – Lloyd Banks – The Hunger For More" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved September 17, 2020.
  29. ^ "Lescharts.com – Lloyd Banks – The Hunger For More". Hung Medien. Retrieved September 17, 2020.
  30. ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – Lloyd Banks – The Hunger For More" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved September 17, 2020.
  31. ^ "Irish-charts.com – Discography Lloyd Banks". Hung Medien. Retrieved September 17, 2020.
  32. ^ "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved September 17, 2020.
  33. ^ "Swisscharts.com – Lloyd Banks – The Hunger For More". Hung Medien. Retrieved September 17, 2020.
  34. ^ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved September 17, 2020.
  35. ^ "Official R&B Albums Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved April 12, 2023.
  36. ^ "Lloyd Banks Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved September 17, 2020.
  37. ^ "Lloyd Banks Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved September 17, 2020.
  38. ^ "Lloyd Banks Chart History (Top Rap Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved September 17, 2020.
  39. ^ "Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 2004". Billboard. Retrieved September 17, 2020.
  40. ^ "Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums – Year-End 2004". Billboard. Retrieved September 17, 2020.
  41. ^ "Canadian album certifications – Lloyd Banks". Music Canada.
  42. ^ "British album certifications – Lloyd Banks". British Phonographic Industry. Select albums in the Format field. Select Gold in the Certification field. Type Lloyd Banks in the "Search BPI Awards" field and then press Enter.
  43. ^ "American album certifications – Lloyd Banks". Recording Industry Association of America.

External links

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