At a time in the hip-hop community when the industry’s focus has shifted to the South with artists such as D4L and Jibb gaining mainstream success, many fans and critics have been looking for an artist to shift the focus of hip-hop back to the streets of New York City. With artists such as Jay-Z and Nas growing older, many fans are looking for a younger artist to become the new “King of New York” and shift the hip-hop world back into alignment. Lloyd Banks member of the multi platinum selling G – Unit has been considered a possible contender since his debut CD and does nothing to damper these considerations with his sophomore album The Rotten Apple.

Lloyd Banks debut CD, The Hunger for More, enjoyed chart-topping success, selling more than 1.5 million copies with such songs as “On Fire” and “Karma,” but one is left to wonder if “Blue Heffner” can recapture the success of his rookie debut. The answer is “yes,” with Banks picking up where he left off filling his CD with punch line after punch line, which is nothing new for the self-proclaimed punch line king.

The Rotten Apple has songs that fit the likes of almost all listeners with the songs “Cake” and “Hands Up” best suited for listeners who prefer songs they can dance to as well as more traditional hardcore Banks songs such as “Get Clapped” and “Playboy 2.” Banks also shows his love for the ladies with the track “Help,” which talks about Banks finding the right woman to settle down with.

Banks’ CD strikes gold at the end of the album with songs such as “Change” and “Iceman”.

“Iceman” is a nod to the South, with Young Buck, Scarface and 8ball making appearances on the song. The track doesn’t have a beat that would typically be categorized as southern, but it definitely comes across as a southern type of song. With the mentioned hip-hop heavyweights offering brash lyrics along with those of Banks, listeners are left with a song that will undoubtedly leave them satisfied.

When listening to The Rotten Apple one may be listening to the CD for many different reasons. There are certainly the listeners who are die-hard Lloyd Banks fans and others who may have the CD solely for the attractive blue cover. But no one who listens to the CD can deny the fact that Lloyd Banks took a serious stab at the crown for the new “King of New York”