On his sophomore album, Rotten Apple, Lloyd Banks proclaims “out of every 70 rappers, 69 flop.” Although Banks has the potential to avoid being one of those 69 rappers, he falls flat on his face.

Rotten Apple is the typical G-Unit album: It contains limited subject matter but is full of boasts about Banks’ “gangsta” status, his prowess with the ladies and his ridiculous amounts of money. The album does little to paint a picture of the trials and tribulations of a hard New York life, and although Lloyd could easily swim out of G-Unit’s shallow shadow and dive into new material, he doesn’t – and Rotten Apple is mundane and formulaic as a result.

The album’s production lacks any spirit and yields many disposable tracks. For instance, “You Know the Deal” contains a weak bass line that fails to complement the Rakim sample. Generally, Banks’ raps also fail to make up for the album’s poor beats. Although he claims he is “the punch line boy,” his lyrics fail.

The throw-away tracks begin with the Eminem-produced “NY, NY.” Note to G-Unit: Never let Eminem produce a New York tribute song. Instead of using the city’s signature thumping bass or soul samples, Em prefers to torture the listener with an electronica style, heavy synthesizers and an annoyingly simplistic keyboard melody. “NY, NY” also features Tony Yayo, G-Unit’s pet mutt. Despite his aggressive attack on the track, Yayo will never be a pedigree rapper.

“Help” makes another contribution to Rotten Apple’s pile of crap. Banks attempts to create some Prince-esque baby-making music, but his lyrics make him sound more like a thugged-out Nick Lachey. Luckily, “Help” features a chorus sung by Keri Washington, and her voice is seductive enough to give the cliché song a touch of sexual healing.

On a positive note, Banks does exhibit a knack for writing catchy choruses, such as on the head-nodding track “Make a Move.” Banks’ rhymes are on point, while his husky, Don Corleone-like voice shines through.

“Cake” is another highlight. The production, which features a sample of “I Believe” by the Triumvirat, makes the usual money-making content seem fresh. 50 Cent – who is featured on the song – has gotten a bad rep for his lazy flow, but throws back to his hungry mixtape days with lyrics such as “in the heart of a victim, murder is monumental/My bullet wounds tell you a story of what I’ve been through.”

After suffering through a bunch of lackluster beats on its first three quarters, Rotten Apple finds its saving grace in 9th Wonder’s soulful beat for “One Night Stand.” This instrumentation makes Banks seem as sensual as Barry White, despite typically vulgar lyrics about how “we can sleep away the morning and f— away the afternoon.”

It is clear that Banks is G-Unit’s best asset, with an even mixture of swagger and creativity. Unfortunately, poor beats and sub par songs turn what could have been a great representation of Southside Queens, N.Y., into a generic G-Unit stereotype.

Contact reporter Alex Rush at diversions@dbk.umd.edu.