David Banner

David Banner Questions Motives of Artists Moving In On Occupy Wall Street

19 Oct 2011 06:53:12 EDT

'All of us have become so corporate that people don't even feel like we're a part of the people,' rapper tells MTV News.
By Steven Roberts

David Banner at Occupy Wall Street
Photo: MTV News

NEW YORK — David Banner wasn't the first artist to visit Occupy Wall Street, and he certainly won't be the last. But Banner questioned the true intentions of many of the artists taking part in the demonstrations. When MTV News followed Banner down to Manhattan's Zuccotti Park last Thursday, he said others probably questioned their intentions as well.

"One of my only criticisms of hip-hop right now is that we all — like everybody — we can't separate ourselves. All of us have become so corporate that people don't even feel like we're a part of the people, especially rappers and punk rockers," Banner said. "People always felt like we were them. We were their voice. "You look at what happened with Troy [Davis]. We're still at war, we're in a recession, where's that in the music? I don't hear that in the music," he continued. "This is the general feeling that people won't really say, but I hear it." Banner said that in the aftermath of 2005's Hurricane Katrina, many rappers ran to the Gulf Coast to help, but only when cameras were there. Banner, who won a Visionary Award from the National Black Caucus of State Legislators for his efforts during the hurricane, said that many of those rappers disappeared once the cameras did. "That's why I applaud somebody like Big Boi, like he still holding Troy [Davis] down. The thing is, we have to understand that it's not about what you do when the cameras are on, it's what you do when the cameras are off." Banner also addressed the merits of the Occupy Wall Street demonstrators. People have questioned whether or not the demonstration is representative of everyone it claims it is, because the demonstrators are predominantly white. But Banner said that if upper-middle-class white kids weren't there, the police wouldn't be as patient with the demonstration. "They'd just send the police out there, throw some tear gas, plant somebody in there. Call it gang violence, whatever, ya'll know what they do in the 'hood," Banner said. "When their children are out there is when it becomes a movement. And I used to fight that and be mad at that, but what we got to understand is, in every movement, even in the '60s, young, white, middle-class people were a major part of the movement. We have to stop separating ourselves."

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Occupy Wall Street Lets People 'Really Talk,' David Banner Says

18 Oct 2011 12:49:56 EDT

'It's bad that it takes pain to unite people, but [it's good] to see people from all walks of life come together,' rapper tells MTV News.
By Steven Roberts

David Banner at Occupy Wall Street
Photo: MTV News

NEW YORK — By now, you've heard about Occupy Wall Street, the demonstration that began September 17 in Manhattan's Zuccotti Park. The demonstration has been both lauded and laughed at, and it has continued to grow and spread to several cities across the globe.

The movement has made waves throughout the media and caught the attention of several politicians, celebrities and CEOs, including David Banner. MTV News followed the Mississippi rapper down to the park — now dubbed "Liberty Park" — last week. He said he was proud to see Americans standing up for themselves, because he's always worked for the upward mobility of people. He also drew a parallel between America's current economic struggles and the fallen music industry. "You watched in the same way that the middle class is being evaporated; you don't have those 250,000 to 650,000 artists anymore," Banner said. "You['re] either selling 15,000 records, 20,000 records or you selling a million records. So the middle class in entertainment is going the same way the middle class in America is going." David Banner isn't alone: Tom Morello, Kanye West and Talib Kweli have also joined the Occupy Wall Street protesters throughout their monthlong demonstration. One of Banner's main goals was to present the side of the people. He said he's noticed some Republican leaders speaking disrespectfully about the protesters, as well as about the general public. "I hear comments like, they need to work hard or they need to take baths. Like, dude, why would you even say that about your people? Regardless of whether we agree with each other or not, we're all American," Banner said. "This is even our opportunity to show the side of the people, to allow people to really talk, especially the young people." Another of Banner's goals was making sure people's goals were expressed. He worried that the power of the movement could be watered down because it's faceless. There are consequences to having leaders and goals, but at least everyone would know exactly what they were out there for. When Banner talked to a few of the demonstrators, he didn't find one common thread, but he said he was motivated by their willingness to take a stand. "It's bad that it takes pain to unite people, but [it's good] to see people from all walks of life, all colors, all creeds come together to try to make something happen." Share your thoughts on the ongoing Wall Street protests in the comments below.

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Lil Wayne 'Like Kobe Bryant' On Carter IV, David Banner Says

29 Jan 2011 23:45:18 EST

'He's highly focused and very sharp right now,' MC tells XXL of Weezy.
By Mawuse Ziegbe

Photo: Frank Micelotta/ Getty Images

Lil Wayne is working on the highly anticipated Tha Carter IV, and according to his pals, he's going for greatness. David Banner, who put his production touch on Weezy's Carter III cut "La La," recently gave an update to XXL about Wayne's progress on his ninth studio album, and compared the MC's drive to that of one of the NBA's most successful players. "Wayne is like Kobe Bryant right now," said Banner, who Young Money authority Mack Maine said will contribute to Carter IV. "You know, as Kobe gets older all he cares about is championships. Wayne is in that zone." Wayne is certainly making up for lost time since his eight-month prison bid. The New Orleans hitmaker has lent his crackly flow to the remix to protégée Nicki Minaj's "Roman's Revenge," appeared in Cash Money boss Birdman's "Fire Flame" remix video and popped up on DJ Khaled's star-packed cut "Welcome to My Hood." Wayne's lead single from the project, "6 Foot 7 Foot," has already been heating up airwaves, and producer Bangladesh — who also crafted his 2008 smash "A Milli" — said the Cory Gunz-assisted record showcases Wayne's lyrical acuity. "The overall wittiness is everything I was saying about 'A Milli' when it came to be," Bang explained to MTV News in December. "He freestyled 'A Milli,' and before it was big and before we knew what it was gonna do, we all had our opinions of it. A lot of people loved it, but me being the creator of the art, I didn't see the vision that he had. I think he attacked it as a mixtape. And that was the genius of what he did and it became the biggest thing. The way he approached this one, was everything that I wanted him to do on 'A Milli.' I think he's really focusing on every, every line. It's like he's writing. It's different. It's a whole 'nother level of cleverness to it." What do you think Carter IV will sound like? Sound off in the comments!

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David Banner Says T.I. Has Always Battled 'Adversity'

09 Dec 2010 21:31:09 EST

Mississippi rapper says Tip is 'probably one of the strongest dudes that I ever met' during 'RapFix Live' interview.
By Mawuse Ziegbe, with reporting by Sway Calloway

David Banner
Photo: Jonathan Goldner/ MTV News

According to David Banner, T.I. is gonna get back up from his latest drama.

During the latest installment of MTV News' "RapFix Live," the Mississippi MC's sit-down was preceded by an exclusive interview with Tip about his music and how the trials of the past year have influenced his work. Banner, who is friends with T.I. and crafted his bouncy Trap Muzik single "Rubber Band Man," said he's more concerned with how the ATL spitter's family is dealing with the superstar's sentence, and remains confident Tip will snap back from his latest setback. "T.I.'s probably one of the strongest dudes that I ever met. Since the first day I met him, he was the shortest dude in the room but had his chest poked out the furthest [and] always kept his head up," he said. Banner noted Tip's resilience both as an artist and a businessman, one who engineered a fruitful deal with Atlantic after his debut outing with Arista went south. "Even when his first situation went down with the label, he totally pulled [himself] off the label and started back over again," he remarked. "He's been one person who's been up against adversity all of his life." Banner further commented that regardless of T.I.'s status as the King of the South, CEO of Grand Hustle or trap-music kingpin, behind the fame, he's a fallible, flawed, flesh-and-blood human being — just like everyone else. "Everybody expects entertainers to raise [their] family. One thing that he said that really struck me is that we're still men; there's still certain repercussions as black men in America with everybody's eyes being on you. From the streets to business, we're still men, we're not gods. We're not perfect," Banner continued. "The thing that America has done, every mistake that a young black man makes — and not that he couldn't have made better decisions — but in life, period, everybody that's behind these cameras that's on the Internet or whatever, look at the mistakes you make every day in life. If you made one or two mistakes, and then every time you make one or two mistakes, everybody is on you, that's a lot of pressure as a person." What do you think of David Banner's comments about T.I.? Let us know in the comments.

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David Banner, 9th Wonder To Drop By 'RapFix Live'!

08 Dec 2010 14:19:47 EST

Mississippi MC and producer will talk about their joint LP, and an exclusive T.I. interview airs on Thursday's episode.
By Jayson Rodriguez

David Banner
Photo: Noel Vasquez/ Getty Images

David Banner is not an MC to mince words, and the Mississippi-bred rapper will have plenty to talk about when he and producer 9th Wonder appear on "RapFix Live" this Thursday at 4 p.m. ET on MTV.com. This week, "RapFix Live" will also feature an exclusive interview with T.I. that was conducted before the No Mercy MC was sent to prison last month. Watch a preview of the interview only on "RapFix Live," then check back later on MTVNews.com and RapFix.MTV.com for more clips from the exclusive Q&A.

As for Banner and 9th, the pair are set to release their first collaborative project, Death of a Pop Star, on December 21. The LP features production from the former Little Brother star and rhymes from Banner; Ludacris and Estelle also lend their talents to the project. Earlier this summer, Banner told MTV News partnering with 9th Wonder helped him feel rejuvenated about music. "It's like we playing basketball overseas for the USA and we win the gold," Banner said about their upcoming project. "That's how I'm feeling. I'm coming right off of that and going into my next album." How did these southern hip-hop stars come together? Why didn't Banner take on any producing duties on Death of a Pop Star? What do the two college grads think about President Obama's performance so far? Ask Banner and 9th Wonder yourself by sending messages via Twitter to @MTVRapFix with the hashtag #rapfixlive or upload video messages to the pair at Your.MTV.com. The duo will sit down with MTV News correspondent Sway Calloway and answer your questions. They follow past "RapFix Live" guests such as Nicki Minaj, Rick Ross, Fabolous, Swizz Beatz and Soulja Boy Tell'em. What should Sway ask Banner and 9th Wonder? Share your questions in the comments!

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David Banner Says 9th Wonder 'Made Me Wanna Do Music Again'

06 Jul 2010 21:21:26 EDT

'I had fun and gained a friend,' Banner says of working with the producer on Death of a Pop Star.
By Jayson Rodriguez

David Banner
Photo: MTV News

David Banner is feeling like a 2008 Dwyane Wade right now. The rapper/producer is putting the finishing touches on his 9th Wonder-assisted collaborative effort, Death of a Pop Star, his first new collection in nearly two years.

With a rekindled zeal for making music thanks to his work with 9th, Banner is set to revisit his most seminal LP, Mississippi: The Album, with hopes of delivering a redemptive effort à la Wade and his return to prominence after injuries slowed the star guard down. "I'm working right now on Mississippi: The Album 3 — it's called The Trinity Movement," Banner told MTV News. "It's the best work I've ever done and it's because I'm coming off of Death of a Pop Star — the creativity coming off of Death of a Pop Star — and I'm able to go in a slightly darker place with me. 'Cause some of the things I talk about on my album, I wouldn't put that pressure on a 9th album — I think that responsibility should only be held by me. I have a lot of wild views and I know they're wild. They're meant to be. I would never put that on my friend. So I'm able to take that creativity and spin it off of 9th Wonder. "It's like we playing basketball overseas for the USA and we win the gold — that's how I'm feeling," he continued. "I'm coming right off of that and going into my next album." Banner said the strain of making music and operating within the major-label system proved to be a grind for the Mississippi-bred star, but he credited the North Carolina rapper with helping to restore his faith in music. Banner said he was set on living comfortably in Los Angeles and focusing on acting and commercial advertising opportunities — he recently scored a Gatorade spot. "I had fun and gained a friend," he said of making Death of a Pop Star. "It made me wanna do music again." Are you looking forward to David Banner revisiting Mississippi? Let us know in the comments!

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David Banner, 9th Wonder Promise 'Jamming' Message Music On Joint LP

30 Jun 2010 18:32:16 EDT

Death of a Pop Star is due this summer on Banner's independent label.
By Jayson Rodriguez

David Banner and 9th Wonder
Photo: MTV News

David Banner had the best of intentions. The Mississippi-bred rapper wanted to give away a free mixtape produced entirely by 9th Wonder titled Death of a Pop Star. But when the pair connected in the studio to record, they soon discovered a problem with Banner's plan: The music was just too good. "When we did the first three songs, we were like, 'Man, we ain't giving this jam away,' " 9th Wonder, who produced the entire set, told MTV News. "It was like, 'Man, this is really some good music.' "

The former Little Brother beatsmith said his and Banner's chemistry was apparent immediately. "Then about four or five [records] in, we were like, 'Oh boy, we can't give this away,' " he recalled. The long-in-the-works collection is meant to critique the musical landscape Banner and 9th Wonder come from. According to both men, the idea of hip-hop not speaking to a range of current events left them both frustrated. Banner, in particular, questioned why his generation hasn't addressed the BP oil spill, for example. The project's title, Death of a Pop Star, stems from the idea that an artist can no longer become an outsize entertainer in today's climate, like Michael Jackson or Lionel Richie, who were known for their philanthropic efforts just as much as their hit records. Banner, however, stressed that the music on the project — due this summer on the rapper's independent label — is more important than the message. "Before the message, before any of the rest of the stuff about this album, this album is jamming," he said of the collection, which will include collaborations with Estelle and Ludacris. "I want to get that straight. Something we both talked about, you got a lot of political rappers holding up their fists, but they not jamming. You got a lot of people that are killers and they kill for real, but they not jamming. At the end of the day, we need to get back to what this is about, and that's good music. If you choose to talk about something over a dope beat or dope song, that's fine. Whatever you choose to do when you get on it, if you have the lyrical depth, it's about what you decide to talk about." Are you looking forward to hearing David Banner and 9th Wonder's collaboration? Let us know in the comments!

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David Banner To Give Away Death Of A Pop Star For Free

23 Oct 2009 11:51:00 EDT

The MC speaks out against violence with 'Something's Wrong,' in Mixtape Daily.
By Steven Roberts, with additional reporting by Sway Calloway

David Banner
Photo: WB

The O.D.: A Mixtape Daily Exclusive Some members of the hip-hop community have recently been vocal about their anti-violence stance in the wake of the murder of Derrion Albert. David Banner has been particularly active on the matter of youth violence and attempted to organize a rally in Chicago — which was ultimately postponed — for the video of the remix of his song "Something's Wrong."

Banner recently told us that the song wasn't dedicated specifically to Albert, but it was part of a new album he's working on with producer 9th Wonder. "Me and 9th Wonder are really good friends, and we really got tired of people complaining about the fact that there's no good music. And we started making this album called Death of a Pop Star," Banner said. The album, about the death of young people's music and how it has all been reduced to downloads, was made to prove to everybody that there is still good music being made. And it will cost you nothing. "We're going to give the album away for free," Banner offered. The Mississippi native also said that he and 9th would be setting up a Web site where you can send donations for the album. Half of the proceeds from those donations will go to a yet-to-be-named nonprofit organization. Banner emphasized the fact that "Something's Wrong" is about a much broader problem than Chicago's recent tragedy. "What I want people to know is that if you listen to the first version of the song, I wasn't just talking about Chicago — I was talking about things that were happening in America, period." For other artists featured in Mixtape Daily, check out Mixtape Daily Headlines.

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David Banner's 'Something's Wrong' Video Shoot Postponed

20 Oct 2009 18:49:00 EDT

Clip was to be shot at community rally, but increase in attendees led to safety issues.
By Steven Roberts

David Banner
Photo: MTV News

CHICAGO — The community rally and video shoot for David Banner's "Something's Wrong," originally scheduled for Tuesday (October 20), won't be happening until mid-November. According to a press release from Banner's Heal the Hood Foundation and 247HH.com, the event was postponed due to an increase in the anticipated number of attendees and resulting safety issues. Despite the event's postponement, Banner was in good spirits when MTV News caught up with him in Chicago. "If we would've been doing 'Girls Gone Wild 17,' everything would've went smoothly. Honestly, nothing went wrong," Banner said. "The truth this time is that there was an overwhelming response, and it was too big."

Banner said they were only expecting 500-700 attendees, but that number quickly grew to an anticipated 2,500. He said the projection showed him that "people are sick and tired of talking, and they are read to move. They're just waiting on somebody to move them in the right direction. "Sometime you have to make a decision that's better for the people," Banner continued. "If we would've had 2,500 hundred people, it wouldn't have had the proper security. If anything would've went wrong, they would've said, 'Look at them rappers. Look at MTV. Look at David Banner.' So I made the decision: Since we know that we have this power, and people know that we're in the position to make something move, let's push it back and organize it." Banner planned to film the video for the remix of his song "Something's Wrong," featuring Twista, Naledge of Kidz in the Hall, Rhymefest and Scooter. Though the remix is dominated by Chicago artists, Banner said that in the original song, he wasn't just talking about the Windy City. "Whether America wants to admit it or not — whether you're Christian, Muslim, whether you believe in Buddhism — whatever you believe in, we know in our spirit that right now something is not right," he said.

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War Vets Honored At Heroes Red, White And Blue Military Ball

21 Jan 2009 02:28:00 EST

President Barack Obama stressed in his inaugural address that their example of courage should be followed.
By Erica Anderson

Photo: Erica Anderson

As they say in the biz, the show must goes on. And on the eve of President Barack Obama's inauguration, the Heroes Red, White and Blue Military Ball had to do just that. Scheduled performers Jamie Foxx, Nas, Josh Groban and Tiki Barber ultimately did not appear, putting ball sponsors USO, TAPS and Citizens Helping Heroes in a difficult position. Nevertheless, adjustments were made and the night was a huge success, with performances by Parliament Funkadelic mastermind George Clinton — who is renowned for his wild live shows — David Banner, Memphis Gold and others. "We can be so proud," Captain Angelina Carrera said. "We served our country with love and honor." Carrera served in Iraq with her husband, Colonel Stephen K. Scott. He was killed by a mortar round in Baghdad last April. Carrera's remarks came during an intermission between performers Memphis Gold, Peter Paul and George Clinton in the historic Warner Theatre in Washington, D.C. During Obama's inaugural address earlier that day, the president stressed that American civilians should follow the example of men and women in uniform. Staff Sergeant Calvin Linnette, who was wounded twice in Iraq, said Obama's remarks made him feel good. "A lot of people today wouldn't join the military," he said. "A lot wouldn't dare join. But Obama sees the courage in us, he sees what we endure. For him to make that comment, about our service, it means so much. He understands what we sacrifice." The sacrifice wasn't lost on the quickly organized group of performers, including George Clinton and Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes, who stepped up to give America's heroes a show. "This is an honor," Peanut of George Clinton's entourage said. "We don't say it enough. We don't say 'thank you' enough." Watch "Be the Change: Live From the Inaugural" online now, and come back Thursday for the full performances from Kanye West, Kid Rock and Fall Out Boy. Stick with us for wall-to-wall coverage of the inauguration and of the scenes in Washington, D.C., New Orleans and Kenya.

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