BIO
The Greatest Story Ever Told
Let’s cut to the chase: David Banner is one of the
most under appreciated rappers to emerge from below the
Exposed to all kinds of music while growing up, Banner’s musical palette
is never lacking. From the funky head nod of the Akon-produced first
single “Speaker” to the dark path of “Suicide Doors,”
featuring UGK to the textured grooves of “Cadillac On 22’s Part II,”
David Banner proves he can do it all. “UGK, Sun-Ra and The Police
all have had their influence on what you hear in my music,” he laughs.
In 1999, as a member of the Mississippi rhyme duo Crooked Lettaz, Banner
became part of the dirty south revolution, releasing the critically lauded and
criminally slept-on Tommy Boy Records debut Grey Skies. A year
later, Them Firewater Boys Vol. 1, his introduction as a soloist, saw Banner
blazing through the underground; both XXL and Murder Dog named it
one of the best albums of the year. Soon the major labels were knocking
on Banner’s door, sparking off a bidding-war. When legendary music
executive Steve Rifkind (Wu-Tang Clan, Mobb Deep, Big
Pun) signed the self-contained Banner and his b.i.G.f.a.c.e.
Entertainment imprint to Rifkind’s SRC label, the music industry took
notice.
Having recently released his first single, “Speaker,” which
features Lil Wayne, Snoop Dogg and producer Akon, it
obvious that David Banner has concocted the perfect hip hop banger.
“When people listen to my songs, I want them to consider them the soundtrack to
their lives,” David Banner declares. “I’m not just making songs for the
moment; I’m creating material that I hope lasts in their minds forever.
“2006 was a difficult year for me,” Banner continues. “So, for 2007 I
wanted to come out celebrating. To me, “Speaker” is a celebration
of hip-hop and what it can represent. Rap gets blamed for all the ills in the
world today; I just wanted folks to know there is a lot of love in the music
too.”
In the last year, David Banner has also made the transition from the
studio to the screen, having appeared in Black Snake Moan and the
forthcoming movies This Christmas and Days of Wrath. “I started taking
acting classes soon after ‘Like A Pimp’ came out,” Banner states.
“Now, making movies is like my new love; it’s hot to be able to go from one art
form to the next.”
A complex man who is both street-wise and book-smart, Banner has carried
many burdens over the last few years. From working closely providing aid for
Katrina victims (his foundation and concert Heal the Hood raised $500,000) to
burying his father earlier this year, his heart has been heavy. “The world
isn’t a nice place. Often, my music was an outcry of my pain,” he says. “But, a
lot of my music has been too dark and depressing; right now I’m trying to bring
some light into my life.” The brightness of Banner’s optimism
blares brilliantly on the hypnotic “Get Like Me,” a track that
features collaborations with Young Joc, Jim Jones and Chris
Brown.
Produced by the man himself, who has stirred massive pots of musical gumbo for T.I.Rubberband
Man (“”) and Trick Daddy (“Thug Holiday”), Banner
has constructed his most mackadelic track to date with “Get Like Me.”
“Chris Brown is like my little brother,” Banner says. “It’s been
amazing for me to watch him grow as both an artist and a man. I knew from the
beginning, that I wanted him on this track.” But, what about the song’s
production? “I’m a real producer, not simply a beat-maker,” he explains. “When
I’m in the studio, I’m thinking beyond just samples, I’m trying to build
something special. Unlike a lot of other people, I’m still a fan of music and
it’s that fan in me that I’m making music for.”
Combining an old-school sensibility with new-school grooves, one of the
standouts on The Greatest Story Ever Told is the amazing “Hold
On.” Revolutionary in its execution, this sweeping song has the cinematic
appeal of a ‘70s blaxploitation flick playing down at the local movie theater.
Yet, instead of getting caught-up in a web of blown-out afros and leather pimp
coat clichés, Banner has a deeper tale to relate. Deep as
quicksand and soulful as a steaming plate of catfish, “Hold On” is social
commentary at it’s finest. “A lot of rappers today don’t tell stories,” Banner
comments, “but, on that track, I went through an entire lifetime. Nobody does
that anymore.”
David Banner has been busy perfecting his skills. “For me music is
about honesty, pain and a willingness to cry as well as fight. As a rapper and
producer, my goal is to unite with the audience, not trying to rein over
them.” Coming straight out of
