It’s no secret that Lloyd Banks is plotting his long-anticipated return with COTI, having been teasing the upcoming project with increasing frequency on social media. One week ago, the Punchline King shared a poetic trailer that effectively captured an intriguing vibe, albeit a cryptic one.
In it, a narrator muses about destiny among other profound themes. “We have been simply faded in our own existence,” he states. “But what do we say to the people who fear the choices they’ll have to make without any bit of guidance in this world? As if they already don’t have a sense of direction. If they’re not sure if it’s their time to shine or stray.”
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Today, Lloyd Banks has confirmed that there’s more where that came from, delivering the full version of the trailer on his YouTube channel. Picking up where its predecessor left off, the narrator is revealed to be artist Rashan Brown, who continues his spoken word journey with increasing intensity. Before long, Brown is basically spitting bars, including an allusion to Banks’ classic debut. “This right here is New York’s finest,” he states. “Subway living / my pursuit of happiness and a silver lining / you tell Chris I got a Hunger For More and I’m on New York City time and my time is now.”
As the narration concludes, the beat finally drops and Banks appears, ready to put in work over the dark pianos and boom bap drums. It’s then that the acronym reveals itself: the Course of the Inevitable.
While it’s as of yet unclear as to how this Shatek King-directed video will ultimately tie into Banks’ upcoming project, it’s clear that we’re looking at something cinematic — not to mention deeply thematic — in nature. Check out the full trailer now, and sound off if you’re excited to see what Banks brings to the table when COTI drops in the imminent future. It is, after all, inevitable.
WATCH: Lloyd Banks – COTI (Official Trailer)