|
|
|
His rise to stardom was immediate,
assertive and momentous, much like that of his
namesake's. DAVID BANNER broke through the music
industry's concrete boundaries with the force of a super
hero, single handedly putting Mississippi on the map as
a force to be reckoned with.
In the spring of 2003, BANNER released his major label
debut Mississippi: The Album delivering such aurally
entertaining gems as the hard hitting party anthem "Like
A Pimp" and the conscious, thoughtful "Cadillac on
22's." On the heels of Mississippi: The Album came
BANNER's Mississippi: The Chopped & Screwed Album. He
was the first Southern artist to release a "chopped and
screwed" CD nationally. Banner explains, "Chopped and
screwed is when a song is taken and the tempo is slowed
down--that's called screwed--and at the same time the
lyrics and the beats are chopped up. I decided to do the
chopped and screwed version of Mississippi: The Album to
bring light to that art form; it's another part of
Southern culture, like crunk." All the while, BANNER was
polishing his talents as a producer, creating
instrumentals not only for himself, but also for
multi-platinum established artists like Nelly, Trick
Daddy and Busta Rhymes.
Setting the stage in '03 was just the beginning of
BANNER's plans. He showed the world his versatility and
commitment as an artist, now it's time to prove his
undeniable longevity. With that mantra, the music
maestro from Mississippi is
on the brink of releasing his sophomore project MTA2:
Baptized In Dirty Water. "When you get baptized, it's to
get better," BANNER explains of the title, "but imagine
being baptized in dirty water, i.e. negativity" With
great knowledge of current events in the hood as well as
on a global level, BANNER addresses pertinent political
and social issues throughout this album with the premise
of baptism in mind. "Baptized In Dirty Water is a theme
record and I'm just trying to tell stories about
people's lives in the ghetto," BANNER proclaims. "If you
are being baptized in `dirty water,' it doesn't matter
what you're intent is, if everything around you is
negative you are gonna become a product of that. This
album represents that."
The underlying theme of the title is apparent throughout
the album especially on songs like "Eternal" where
BANNER speaks candidly about his life and the hardships
he has experienced and his will to overcome them, all
over a bass heavy, rhythmic instrumental. "People are
not giving solutions, that's why I'm trying to show
different options," he offers.
 Being a
man of word, BANNER's commitment extends beyond the CD.
With the release of MTA2: Baptized In Dirty Water,
BANNER, a college graduate who is deeply committed to
giving back to the community, has set up a "Crank It Up"
contest which will give five lucky fans the opportunity
to win a $10,000 scholarship. Five tokens will randomly
be places in the first 300,000 copies of the CD and the
recipients will each win a $10,000 scholarship that can
be used toward any post-high school education including
college, graduate school, community college, trade or
vocational school.
Similarly, Lil' Flip re-teams with BANNER on the
military feeling anthem "Talk To Me" that, while
explicit in its language, speaks to the ills of society
and impresses upon the listener an undying effort to
reclaim a sense of self and persevere through all that
often confines people of color. "A lot of people may
think this album is harsh or negative, but before you
judge people, you have to understand what they go
through."
On the other hand, BANNER includes strip club anthems
like "Pretty Pink," with it's funky, soulful
instrumental, the remix to the smash hit "Like A Pimp"
featuring Lil' Flip and Busta Rhymes, and "Pop That," a
melodic track with a distinctive guitar riff and
pounding vocals promoting carefree dancing and revelry.
"My goal was to make every song jamming," professes
BANNER.
BANNER certainly accomplishes the aforementioned deed.
Writing, producing and completing two albums in one year
has been no small feat for a man of his caliber, but it
does not stop there. BANNER has also been at work on a
clothing line called MP Wear. "I never really wanted a
clothing line, but I was so pissed off that I was in
Mississippi and I see every other state on front of
shirts but I couldn't find Mississippi," BANNER says.
"So I was fussin' in the store and the clerk said, 'why
don't you make one?' So I did and they were in the 'Like
A Pimp' video."
Innovation, hustle and passion have fueled BANNER in his
ability to bust through this rap game. With Baptized in
Dirty Water on its way to store shelves, BANNER will
once again show that his imprint is infinite.
|
|
 |
Copyright © 2005 Rapcity
by:ooza
|
|
Links |
|
 |
|