by Slava Kuperstein
posted January 14, 2011
hiphopdx.com

Lloyd Banks credits the Chef with inspire him to return to storytelling.

Early on in his G-Unit career, Lloyd Banks was considered by many to be G-Unit "s best storyteller. Boasting his talents on songs like 50 Cent "s "Don "t Push Me" and his own "Til The End," Banks had no problem spinning tales of crime and regret.

So when G-Unit "s youngest member got away from his lyrical plots, it took one of Hip Hop "s most renowned storytellers to get him back on track: Raekwon of the Wu-Tang clan.

When the Wu member sent Banks an unfinished "Last Train to Scotland" off of Rae "s upcoming Shaolin vs. Wu-Tang album, the Queens emcee knew exactly what to do. "Soon as I heard [Raekwon "s] verse it was on some storytelling shit, so I already knew what I had to do with it," he said to Vibe.com. "Rae is one of the best at that, so his verse opened up my mind. It wasn "t like I had a blank beat to go off of."

"It’s crazy because I’d already planned on going back into the storytelling thing on my next project... that "s a cool start for me," added Banks, who collaborated with Raekwon on his recent Hunger For More 2. "It’s actually easier for me to paint pictures as far as stories because it’s less punchlines, it’s more out the mind. It’s different than having to break your brain to come up with a witty line."

Lloyd Banks is looking to drop a mixtape in March, followed by his next studio album in late 2011.