www.50cent-vip.cjb.net

   — by Shaheem Reid, interviews by Sway Calloway, Joseph Patel and Shaheem Reid

    With all his street credibility, all his millions of records sold, all his hit songs and all his radio airplay, 50 Cent still may not be the best MC in his crew. 

    It goes against the usual rap M.O., which works something like this: An MC comes out, develops a strong fanbase, sells a gazillion records, then has enough clout in the industry to start a vanity label and put his or her friends on. If the coattailers gain their own fans and sell, dope. If they flounder or never even see their record released, it's not that big a deal — the superstar of the crew will make enough money to keep the team living large.

    But then there's the G-Unit, a crew composed of five MCs from different regions who are all nice on the mic. There's 50 Cent, a master with his reality raps. There's Lloyd Banks, a wizard with wordplay, who brutalizes metaphors with humor and brash, young G bravado. Tony Yayo, all about telling tales of hustling drugs, is the hypest member of the crew to hold the steel. Then you have Young Buck, who oozes with arrogance, and Game, who's just raw, the antithesis of a non-threatening black man. But even with each member of the Unit carving his own niche during the 50 Cent mania of 2002-2003, there was no question — 50 was spitting craziest.

    This year, however, it's Lloyd Banks' time. And not just to follow up 50: Some fans are saying that Banks is even better than the G-Unit captain, especially when it comes to lyrics. 

    "They gave me the lyrical [championship]," Banks, a.k.a. Boy Wonder, says of his fans and some media types' response to him. " 'He's the most lyrical,' that's hard. Don't get me wrong, I was aiming for that title, not just in the G-Unit, I want to be the most lyrical in the game, period."

    It's not like Banks was a slouch before. He is, after all, the 2003 Mixtape Artist of the Year. But in 2004, Banks has stepped up his game a few notches in preparation for the release of his solo debut, Hunger for More.

    "You know what irks me, when people say, 'You're guaranteed to go because of 50. You're gonna blow,' " Banks says. "That's bull."

    While being 50's artist has afforded Banks way more fame and luxury than most debuting MCs, Banks has certainly risen up to the occasion. He's put all eyes on him, incessantly hitting the mixtapes with freestyles and unreleased material. He's stood on his own with such tracks as "Bangers" and "Warrior," and stolen the show on posse cuts like "I'm So Sorry." He can go from outlandish one-liners ("My words touch the kids like Michael") to potent b-boy-based punch lines ("If you don't learn how to relax, swallow steam/ There'll be more shells in the grass than Halloween"). 

    "When I go in the studio, I gotta keep making them go, 'Oooooh! Did you hear what he just said?' " Banks says. "50 could just be himself, he's just going in the booth and telling whatever happened to him today or yesterday. The 'most lyrical' title makes me feel like I gotta get on my job."

    Part of the job for Banks means never substituting quantity for quality. No matter if he's putting records out in stores or in the streets, he says chances are you won't hear him at anything less than his best. "Before I put out a mediocre freestyle, I won't put one out. I'll disappear for a minute, then I'll come back and have the impact," he explains.

    Luckily, L.B. has enough rhyme reserves in his arsenal to keep him around for a while. "I'll never disappear, but I will leave the lane open for Young Buck, Yayo, Game," Banks says. "I'll leave the lane open like when 50 left and fell back for me. I had to beg 50, 'You're 11 million records sold, leave. Can I get an award? Can I get a plaque?' At the end of the year, I want to be able to go, 'Buck's a platinum artist, Game's a platinum artist and Yayo's a platinum artist' so I can get some of their money." 

    Just because the members of the G-Unit show solidarity, it doesn't mean that they're OK with getting outshined by each other.

    "50 and Banks are always the ones battling each other," says Whoo Kid, the G-Unit's DJ. "50 will come out and just try to kill him. They're always at it. I guess Banks lives off of 50's energy."

    "While we're working on a record it'll be a competition," 50 admits.

    "It's competitive, especially 50," Banks says. "I didn't really have to look outside the studio for that drive. I go in the studio and Yayo's got a verse that's making me go, 'Whoa! I gotta go do something else.' When [Yayo] was gone I felt his absence. Him being home for one day, he reminded me of how it was a year ago. He was like, 'You hot, but I don't think you can mess with me.' I was like, 'Soon as you get home? Damn, you could've ate a slice of pizza, did something, then come talking the trash.' " 

    "Of course we're competitive, 'cause that keeps you on your toes," says Yayo, who insists he became a better lyricist while he was locked down. "Banks has damn near the hottest punch lines in New York. He'll say a hot punch line and I'll be like, 'How the f--- did you say that?' Banks has always been talented. Then here comes 50 with some fire and then I know I gotta write some sh--. 50 could go in the booth and do a song in two minutes. 50 knows how to make songs. He knows how to make hits." 

    "I got my drive from 50 ... I know when it's a go. If he doesn't go crazy when I play a song for him, then I scrap that one." 

    The newest member of the G-Unit, Game, says coming up with new raps is never a problem when the family of thugsters are in the studio at the same time. "When we all in the studio, it's like just crazy creativity," Game points out. "These are MCs that are all street and they all bring something different to the table. Then when they jell, you never have a problem, you never catch writer's block. You feed off one another and that's what we try to do when we in there. It's usually 50 that's more creative, cause he's real melody-driven. It's usually him coming up with the song format. Then after that it's just me, Banks and Buck that takes it. Now that Yayo's home it just adds more base to a foundation that's already in its mold. It's crazy man, it's like it's easy. We're knocking out three songs in a matter of an hour and a half." 

    It's in songmaking where Banks' next big hurdle lies. He's murdered a thousand freestyles and proved himself as a spitter, but now with the release of Hunger for More, he has to convince people he can make an album. Banks says there's a question he often hears from doubters: "He got the mixtape thing, he's the mixtape artist of the year, but can he make records?"

    "I knew I could make records, but I ain't wanna tell them that. For what?" Banks says. "I wanted it to build up for now. On my album there's everything — the hook, the bridges, the character, everything is coming out. They'll get a good feel of who Lloyd Banks is and what I could bring to the table. 50 came out last year and blew by everybody like the roadrunner. I plan on doing the same thing." 

    "Banks' album is gonna destroy New York City," Yayo forecasts. 

    The self-proclaimed Talk of New York isn't selling wolf tickets when bragging on his buddy. Banks is a clear standout on the street level, and Hunger for More should establish Lloyd as a viable commodity in the industry and as one of rap's top lyricists. There's records like "I'm So Fly," where he raps, "Don't confuse me with these suckas/ When I spit, you hear more 'oohs' than a Skip to My Lou move at the Rucker." Banks and Yayo have a vicious duet called "Ain't No Click," where the Boy Wonder brags about having guns as big as Popeye's arms and sending "amateurs back to wrapping sandwiches." 

    "Banks is definitely the punch-line king in our crew," Whoo Kid says. "And while other dudes are chasing groupies — and that's not to say Buck and Yayo and Game are not working — Banks is more likely to be in the hotel room writing than chasing girls. He's always trying to stay ahead of the so-called competition out there. He doesn't even want them to try to come near him."

    "I had damn near 60 records in preparation for my album," Banks says. "I got my drive from 50. I know when he gets a rush. I know when it's a go. If he doesn't go crazy when I play a song for him, then I scrap that one. I have a lot of faith in him."

    "50 will be like, 'Yo, I think y'all should say this like this,' " Young Buck further elaborates about 50 putting his stamp on certain tracks. "I'll be like, 'Nah, I feel we should do it like this.' "

    "I'll say, 'But look, I sold 10 mil,' " 50 Cent, seated next to Buck, jumps in. " 'How many records you sold, baby? I think you should take my advice.' That's the same way I feel when Em and Dre tell me something; no question, just scrap it."

    "I feel the exact same way," Buck affirms. 

    50's been in Buck's ear the most lately. Like Banks, Buck has begun his ascension up the ranks, building up his name as a solo artist. His debut album, Straight Outta Cashville, drops July 27. Soon after the Buck album, Game and Yayo will have a chance to prove themselves as well. Game has been recording for the past several months with Dr. Dre, and Yayo recorded an entire album within just 12 days of being released from prison. He plans on going back in the studio and making more records. 

    So who is the illest member of the G-Unit? We can't make a decision until everyone drops their own album, but 50 says he doesn't care who you choose, as long as it's somebody down with him.

    "I like it when fans say they think Lloyd Banks is ill, or they like him better," 50 says with a smile. "There's people who pick [someone else in G-Unit] just because they are tired [of me]. They got so much 50 that they'll be like, 'I wanna like the other guy.' I love it." 

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