Lloyd aligns the stars for "King of Hearts" album

By The Music Scoop
JR Staff Writer

In 2009, Lloyd revealed he left Murder Inc. Records, something denied by Irv Gotti, the head of the struggling label. After the release of Ja Rule's R.U.L.E., Lloyd found himself basically carrying the label. His 2008 album, Lessons in Love, was a flop, but the highest-selling Murder Inc. album of 2008.

Following a bitter dispute with Irv Gotti, Lloyd resurfaced and signed with Zone 4/Interscope Records with Polow da Don. Due to the change in labels, Lloyd found himself working with more high-profile artists. For years, Lloyd was restricted because of the feuds his label were involved in.

But, with his new label, he was free to work with any artist he felt like. Immediately, Lloyd began working with artists from G-Unit, the primary rivals of Murder Inc. While Lloyd has no issues with former Murder Inc. frontman, Ja Rule, Rule did call him out over "working with the enemy." Still, the two have worked together in the time since.

Lloyd's fourth album, King of Hearts, has been held up for nearly a year, but is slated for a July 5 release date. The lineup for the new release is filled with stars. Lloyd has called upon Game, Lil Wayne (who has been featured on all of Lloyd's albums), Andre 3000, Chris Brown, Young Jeezy, Trey Songz, and many more artists.

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Lloyd ft. Awesome Jones - "Cupid"

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Lloyd praises Rihanna and Keri Hilson's sexual videos

By The Music Scoop
JR Staff Writer

While the R&B scene has been criticized for the sexually explicit videos, not everyone is offended. Rihanna has been in the news, arguing about her "S&M" video being banned. Despite not appearing nude in the video, several media outlets have refused to air it.

Keri Hilson has also come under a bit of fire with her video, "Love Me," but not like Rihanna. There has been discussion about also banning her video. Even with everything going on, both artists can at least celebrate the exposure.

Lloyd is not offended by the videos. Instead, the Zone 4 singer is actually a major fan of the videos. Coming from a man, this does not come with much surprise. But, Lloyd has reasoning for liking the new vidoes.

The creativity of the videos is what Lloyd really likes. There has always been a sexual undertone to certain forms of R&B. Now, in recent years, it is being explored more and it is currently being explored by two of the most popular women in R&B. Lloyd likes the idea of the sexuality being explored on camera, calling it an expression of art.

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Lloyd helps Patti LaBelle land a Small Comeback

By The Music Scoop
JR Staff Writer

Ever since he left Murder Inc. Records, Lloyd has had great experiences. Now he is with a traditional record label, Interscope Records, and free of hip hop beef. The early years of his career were limited due to the feud between Ja Rule and 50 Cent. Regardless of how they felt, no Murder Inc. artist was to associate with G-Unit.

For a brief period of time, Lloyd was label-mates with the G-Unit crew. Last year, Lloyd met Lloyd Banks for the first time and they got along well. Because of this, the two decided they would soon record music together. Lloyd appeared on his H.F.M. 2 album and he has worked with 50 Cent.

After lackluster results with his 2008 album, Lloyd had been pretty much forgotten. Murder Inc. Records' deal with Universal Records was not as solid as Irv Gotti had boasted. For unknown reasons, the label refused to release Ja Rule's album and refused to promote Murder Inc. artists. On top of everything else, Irv Gotti was more focused on his reality show than he was on Lloyd's album.

In 2009, Lloyd had a very public feud with Irv Gotti, which led to him finally leaving the label. He surfaced in the summer of 2010 on Interscope Records. During the fall of 2010, Lloyd returned with his single, "Lay it Down." Surprisingly, he made a hit when he recorded that song. "Lay it Down" has received heavy radio play and it is setting the stage for a major comeback from Lloyd. The song also has another surprise, the remix features the legendary diva, Patti LaBelle.

Patti LaBelle still has a strong following with the older crowd, but she has lost touch with the young people, so she stopped targeting them. But, she decided to collaborate with Lloyd for the remix of his song and it has become an even bigger hit. The song has the youth talking and everyone agrees Patti LaBelle's part in the song is the best. All of a sudden Patti LaBelle is among the most-popular talk within the media again and it is partially due to Lloyd inviting her on the "Lay it Down" track.

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Ciara talks New Album and responds to Lloyd

Last year, Ciara released her first album in three years with Fantasy Ride. The album was a commercial success and Ciara reached the top ten with her hit, "Love/Sex/Magic." Her music dominated the summer of 2009. Even into the fall, people were still with Ciara as she went on this wild Fantasy Ride.

In an effort to keep her wave going, Ciara stepped right back into the studio after she completed Fantasy Ride. Not only is she very popular, but Ciara finds herself in a creative groove. Her album has come together quite nicely and her video for "Ride" made headline news for a while. Ciara plans to release Basic Instinct later this summer.

Last summer, Ciara was unexpectedly dissed by Lloyd. Early in their mainstream careers, the two were very close. Ciara appeared in the video for his "Hey Young Girl" single. But, as time went on, the two grew apart. Lloyd spoke on their relationship and said they no longer talk because Ciara went Hollywood.

While Ciara's career had hit an unexpected height, Lloyd's career had hit an unexpected low. In 2007, Lloyd was thrust into the spotlight by Irv Gotti. His Murder Inc. label had fallen off and Ja Rule was not being properly marketed. Also, Ashanti could not get a single to stick to the radio waves. The only artist on the label who could receive air play was Lloyd. But, by 2009, not even he could sell records, so the label stopped backing him.

Recently, Ciara responded to the comments made by Lloyd. She said his comments have come from left field because she has not spoken with Lloyd in a few years. The reason is not because she has changed, it is because the two have grown apart, as people do. Ciara said if he reached out to her, she would be more than happy to spend some time with him. She said instead of talking about her to the press the way he has, Lloyd should have been man enough to come to her if he had a problem.

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Lloyd is in No Rush with New Album

Finally off of Murder Inc. Records, Lloyd is taking the time to relish the moment. In his last days with the label, he was forced to carry the entire label on his back. Despite being home to such stars as Ja Rule and Ashanti, Irv Gotti would only release albums from Lloyd. Usually, R&B artists release albums every three years, but Gotti had Lloyd releasing an album every year.

This, coupled with the fact that he was not given much creative freedom led to Lloyd declaring his independence. When he first left the label, Irv Gotti did all that he could to keep him in his contract. However, the singer was still able to get out of his deal with Murder Inc. For the next few months, Lloyd remained a free agent. Because of his relationship with Lil Wayne, it was assumed that he would replace Omarion and sign with Young Money.

Eventually, Lloyd landed with Interscope Records, but he did admit that he came close to signing to Young Money. What stopped him was fear that he would be in a similar situation to the one that he had just escaped. Now that he has a new label, Lloyd is not feeling any rush to create a new album. He is simply going to take his time when it comes to seriously recording. Lloyd will soon release a single and if it catches on, it will become a single off of his album. He has no release date set, but Lloyd wants to release his Interscope debut before the end of this year.

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Lloyd wants a New Label

Without Lloyd, the downfall of Murder Inc. Records would have been a whole lot worse. He signed to the label right in the middle of the G-Unit feud. The next year, he released his debut album, which revived the label for a short period of time. Not even the popularity of Lloyd could keep the CEO of Murder Inc., Irv Gotti, out of the reach of the law. When the label came under investigation, they lost their distribution deal with Def Jam.

Being dropped by Def Jam cost the entire label two years of productivity. While all of the Murder Inc. artists were upset at the hindrance provided by the case, it really got to Lloyd. In 2006, he attempted to leave the label, but Irv Gotti convinced him to stay. He stayed and the label rode off of him and his next two albums. Then, last year, he tried to leave the label, again and Irv Gotti refused to let him do so. Behind the scenes, a deal was reached and Lloyd got off of the label.

Now that Lloyd is off of Murder Inc. Records, he wants to find a new label home so that he can release a new album. His relationship with Lil Wayne, plus their frequent collaborations led some to believe that he may sign with Young Money. While Lloyd has admitted that he would not turn down Young Money, he said that he has not spoken with Lil Wayne about signing with the label. However, his name has been linked to Jay-Z and Roc Nation. It is also possible that Diddy may sign him to Bad Boy Records. All of the solo male R&B artists on the label are gone, with the exception of Donnie Klang.

Currently, Lloyd is talking with some label and they are close to a deal. Lloyd has not given up much information, but he has said that he is close to signing a major deal with a new label. Regardless of his label situation, he wants to release a new album this year.

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