Lloyd Banks dropped in on Hot 97.7 this week to talk to radio personality FunkMaster Flex about his new ventures into independent labeldom. The G-Unit member was dropped from Interscope last year, but said that since the release of his recently successful single “Beamer, Benz, or Bentley,” the label has been asking him to come back. Although he’s not shutting the doors completely on his previous home, he does expect an apology before seriously considering a return.
“[Interscope] still got time,” he told FunkMaster Flex. “They gotta drop the bag. I’m not staying nowhere longer than I got to…When I signed my first deal, I had a sweet deal. A million dollar advances and things like that.” Though his release from Interscope was unexpected, he said the best part of being independent is owning all aspects of his music. “You’re not taking none of my [publishing], none of my merchandise, none of my touring. You can’t get that. And I’m not making no commitment for a bunch of albums.”
He told the station that his upcoming album, tentatively titled The Hunger For More Pt. 2, is looking at a September release.
G-Unit member 50 Cent is also considering leaving Interscope after his contract ends. He recently told Florida radio station 93.3 FLZ that he may go to Def Jam. “They’ve reached out,” he revealed. “They’re trying to meet the other deal structures that I’ve created.”
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When asked whether he feels hostility towards Def Jam because of its history as a competitor, he answered, “They’re not my arch enemy. They’re the system. To me, it’s like Chase Bank and Citi Bank. They’re the ones who provide the right support. I don’t personalize things. A lot of the actual artists are just attempting to raise their profiles by competing. I think for [Def Jam] it should be an issue because whoever’s generating the most revenue for the actual system starts to become a priority. It’s obvious, if you look at the performance of Lloyd Banks’ material right now, they understand that we haven’t lost the ability to make quality material.”
50 did not go into depth about the potential deal, but made clear that a move to Def Jam is a possibility.
