| H.F.M. 2 (The Hunger for More 2) | ||||
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| Released | November 22, 2010 (2010-11-22)[1] | |||
| Recorded | 2009–2010 | |||
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| Lloyd Banks chronology | ||||
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| Singles from H.F.M. 2 (The Hunger for More 2) | ||||
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H.F.M. 2 (The Hunger for More 2) is the thirdstudio album by American rapperLloyd Banks, released on November 22, 2010[2] throughG-Unit Records andEMI.[1]
Using Twitter, Lloyd Banks originally stated that the album was calledThe Hunger for More 2. It was unknown whether the album name was official or not.[3]The title of the album was later confirmed by50 Cent in an interview with MTV News.[4] The album was thought to be possibly released underInterscope, by a new contract of the label and the rapper; also the Interscope chairmanJimmy Iovine revealed that he wants to sign the rapper to Interscope again, and he asked label mate50 Cent "what can I do to sign Lloyd Banks again?". Banks has said that he is willing to re-sign, but only if Interscope is willing to issue an apology for "doubting him."[5]
On August 13, 2010, Banks said this about his upcoming album, "When I wrote [The Hunger for More], I took my whole life and tried to squeeze all those experiences into one album. You’ve got your whole life to make your first album and you can’t get it all out in 14 songs. There are a lot of similarities betweenThe Hunger for More andThe Hunger for More 2. One, the fact that I made both of these albums without any distractions or input from the label, or anyone else for that matter. Two, the energy feels the same."[6]
Banks announced that his album would be released underG-Unit Records andEMI.[7] After the album was released,Lloyd Banks stated that he completed the one-album deal withEMI and he was a free agent again. In an interview on Global Grind live, he stated that he had worked withJ.U.S.T.I.C.E. League on the project. In relation to this statement, a song leaked entitled "Don't Deserve You" which was produced byJ.U.S.T.I.C.E. League.
The album is named after Lloyd Banks' first albumThe Hunger for More, he said he wanted to regain the success that he had with it.[8] The album cover was released by Lloyd Banks' official website and Twitter page on October 5, 2010.[9] The album cover is similar to his first but show changes in wealth and surrounding.
In an interview withShade 45's G-Unit Radio with Miss Mimi, Banks confirmed that new producers would also be on the project; includingCardiak, Buda and Grandz, andNick Speed.[10][11] Banks also confirmed production fromRyan Leslie, Lamis Carneiro, Nascent,Young Seph, and G'Sparkz.[12] It was confirmed by thisis50.com that Lloyd Banks had been working with Doe Pesci in the studio on beats for the album.[13] In interviews withMTV News Banks' confirmed thatCardiak produces four songs on the album.
Confirmed guests includeEminem,Kanye West,Lloyd,Juelz Santana,50 Cent,Styles P,Raekwon,Tony Yayo,Jeremih andAkon. Newly confirmed artists on the album are,Fabolous,Pusha T,Governor andSwizz Beatz.[14] Even though50 Cent confirmedChris Brown was on the album, Banks later denied this in an interview withXXL.[15] In an interview with XXL, Banks confirmed that he had wanted to haveProdigy on the track withStyles P on the album. Banks confirmed that he had had a conversation with R&B singerAshanti to possibly collaborate for the album.[16] In mid October, a YouTube video containing footage of Banks in the studio with bothGucci Mane andWaka Flocka Flame was released, in which they were supposedly recording a song for the album.[17] Lloyd Banks originally said thatNipsey Hussle would be on the album, but this didn't happen.
On Twitter, Lloyd Banks said that he will start promoting the album, whilst travelling to different cities doing shows.[18] In an interview, Banks stated that he would be touring Europe in late 2010 to help promote the album there.[19] Just days later, Lloyd Banks appeared onChelsea Lately along withThe Mo'Nique Show to promote the album.[2]
The album was made available for pre-order oniTunes on November 2, 2010, along with the single "Start It Up."[20]Lloyd Banks will be releasing a documentary onMTV, calledThe Road to H.F.M. 2. It will premiere the day after his album is released along with another documentary that will appear on his Ustream.tv channel.[21]Lloyd Banks revisitedMTV rap fix live and premiered a couple of tracks.[22]
"Beamer, Benz, or Bentley" was released on February 9, 2010, featuringJuelz Santana, and has been confirmed as the first single.[23] The remix was released on May 13, 2010, featuringLudacris,The-Dream,Jadakiss,Yo Gotti.[24]
"Any Girl" is the second single from the album and it features R&B singerLloyd. It was released on June 8, 2010. The music video was released on August 15 through MTV.[7] "Start It Up" was confirmed as the third single from the album.[25] It was released toiTunes on November 2, 2010. It featuresSwizz Beatz,Kanye West,Ryan Leslie &Fabolous.
"I Don't Deserve You" was confirmed as the fourth single from the album by50 Cent in an interview withMTV News.[26] The single features R&B singerJeremih. It was released as adigital download on November 22, 2010, and released to radios on January 6, 2011.[27] "So Forgetful" is the fifth single from the album which features R&B singer and producerRyan Leslie. The music video was released on May 8, 2011, through MTV.[28]
The album debuted at number 26 on the USBillboard 200 chart[29] with first-week sales of about 49,000 units in the United States.[29][30][31] The album also peaked at number 4 on theCanadian Albums Chart. However worldwide the album would sell more than 500,000 copies going gold under G-Unit/EMI records. Which would be his departure under G-Unit records.
| Aggregate scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Metacritic | (64/100)[32] |
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| AllHipHop | (7/10)[33] |
| AllMusic |    [34] |
| DJ Booth | [35] |
| HipHopDX | [36] |
| Now | [37] |
| PopMatters | [38] |
| Q | [32] |
| Rolling Stone | [39] |
| Spin | (7/10)[40] |
| USA Today | [41] |
Upon its release,H.F.M. 2 received positive reviews from most music critics. AtMetacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an average score of 64, based on 9 reviews, which indicates "generally favorable reviews".[32] Slava Kuperstein of HipHopDX noted a marked improvement over Banks' 2006 effortRotten Apple, stating that "the execution isn’t as good the second time around, but Banks has reestablished his sound, and made clear that he is still a major force to be reckoned with in the rap game."[36]Allmusic writer Dave Jeffries, despite citing a lack of new ideas as one of the album's weaknesses, was also positive about the album: "At 13 tracks the album feels right-sized, not overstuffed, and Banks himself is in fine form throughout, delivering stone cold and slow punch lines that are as lethal as ever. When it comes to evolution, there’s really none, but even though he’s been here before, veteran fans will appreciate his return."[34]
Giving the album a rating of 7/10, Ben Detrick ofSpin stated that "Lloyd Banks' hunger is not born of starvation, but of an insatiable appetite. On his third solo effort, the G-Unit rapper is a connoisseur of cars, women, and guns, spinning tight spider webs of syllables that are often so patterned that they obscure individual strands. "Put my Ferrari in park, give 'em a running start," Banks growls on "Payback," a sinister track with mentor 50 Cent and a woozy, almost dubstep bass line. But he loves the ladies almost as much as barking threats. On "So Forgetful," an apology to past conquests, Banks muses about "wet spots on the mattress and champagne splashes" atop producer Ryan Leslie's 8-bit Atari synths."[40] Steve Jones ofUSA Today was also positive about the album, giving the album 3/4 stars and citing that "the G-Unit rapper seeks to rekindle the spark of his critically acclaimed 2004 platinum debut by recalling both the title and the potent street vibe. Banks enlists several like-minded rappers — Pusha T, Styles P, Juelz Santana and Raekwon— who complement his own grittiness. The same goes for R&B stars Akon and Lloyd as he relies mainly on his signature jaw-breaking punch lines while eschewing a rash of poppish hooks. Banks is well served by his refusal to compromise just for airplay. His Hunger should whet his fans' appetites for even more."[41]
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Take 'Em to War" (featuringTony Yayo) | Cardiak | 3:29 | |
| 2. | "Unexplainable" (featuringStyles P) |
| Cardiak | 4:15 |
| 3. | "Payback (P's & Q's)" (featuring50 Cent) |
|
| 4:12 |
| 4. | "Home Sweet Home" (featuringPusha T) | Nick Speed | 3:59 | |
| 5. | "Beamer, Benz, or Bentley" (featuringJuelz Santana) |
| Prime | 3:28 |
| 6. | "So Forgetful" (featuringRyan Leslie) |
| Ryan Leslie | 3:59 |
| 7. | "Father Time" |
| G'Sparkz | 3:25 |
| 8. | "Start It Up" (featuringSwizz Beatz,Kanye West, Ryan Leslie andFabolous) |
| Cardiak | 4:49 |
| 9. | "Celebrity" (featuringAkon) |
|
| 3:29 |
| 10. | "On the Double" |
| The WatcherZ | 2:49 |
| 11. | "Any Girl" (featuringLloyd) |
| Dready | 3:31 |
| 12. | "I Don't Deserve You" (featuringJeremih) | J.U.S.T.I.C.E. League | 3:52 | |
| 13. | "Sooner or Later (Die 1 Day)" (featuringRaekwon) |
| Frank Dukes | 3:31 |
| Total length: | 48:44 | |||
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 14. | "Kill It" (featuringGovernor) |
|
| 3:21 |
| 15. | "Where I'm At" (featuringEminem) | 5:18 | ||
| Total length: | 57:23 | |||
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 14. | "When I Get There" |
| Doe Pesci | 3:09 |
| 15. | "Make Money" |
| Doe Pesci | 4:26 |
| Total length: | 56:19 | |||
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 14. | "This Is the Life" |
|
| 3:13 |
| 15. | "Stuntin'" |
| G'Sparkz | 3:00 |
| Total length: | 54:57 | |||
| Chart (2010) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| USBillboard 200[29] | 26 |
| USIndependent Albums (Billboard)[45] | 2 |
| USTop R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)[45] | 6 |
| USTop Rap Albums (Billboard)[45] | 4 |
| Region | Date | Label(s) | Format | Catalog |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States[46] | November 22, 2010 | B0046JLTBU | ||
| Canada[47] | ||||
| United Kingdom[48] | November 29, 2010 | |||
| Germany[49] | ||||
| Ireland[50] |
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