Where Are They Now? David Banner

Starting in the late nineties and working into the present day, David Banner has been on the rap scene in a way similar to the Ying Yang twins.  Here, we take a look at David Banner’s career, and what he has been up to in 2018.

After graduating with the business degree, Banner changed direction and focused on a full time career in music.  After sending a demo tape with several friends to a local radio station, Banner would take on his stage name from the hit television series made after The Hulk comic books, and work with his friend (then called Kamizake) to make the duo Crooked Lettaz. The pair would have a small bit of success with their first album, Grey Skies, before Banner took to his own act and released Dem Firewater Boyz.

This would lead to 7,000 album sales, and a big hit on the radio, “Like a Pimp”. This would lead to multiple label offers for Banner, and his career truly launching.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MKGQ5cIw_ew

Soon after the release of “Like a Pimp”, Banner signed with Universal Records. Banner went on to produce T.I.'s hit, “Rubber Band Man”.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xjDT3rMSQLQ

Later in the same year, he would go on to release his next two albums, Mississippi: The Album, and  Mississippi: The Album 2, which would have another major single, “Crank it Up”.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AWQ53F9RaDU

Banner’s next album labeled, Certified would be true to the meaning of the word with his biggest hit yet, “Play”. Similar to the “Whisper Song” by the Ying Yang Twins, Play was deceptively soft in terms of vocals, but rather explicit in content, with quite a large amount of the lyrics censored for radio use.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qld7WvHa5kc

After Hurricane Katrina, David Banner used his “Heal the Hood” foundation and alongside other stars like MJG, Twista, T.I., Nelly and 8Ball, would do a fundraising concert for those affected. After the concert, he would go onto multiple interviews advocating for those affected, claiming that this was not only an issue for the majority African American population, but for everyone poor within the area. Banner  won a Visionary award for his work by the Black Caucus of State Legislators.

A year later, he would appear again before congress, this time to defend his use of sexist imagery and explicit language in his art. He admitted that there were multiple issues with hip hop, but his was a symptom, not a cause, and that the cause itself was the social issues within neighbourhoods were such music was popular.

https://open.spotify.com/album/4dlnbBnFH9CE6sbyrPP2aR?si=bFpNtkGTRyqMB9nYMjszCg

After his appearance before Congress, Banner would not only work on his next Album, The Greatest Story Ever Told, but also appear in both his first film, “Black Snake Moan” and a cartoon which would later evolve into the 6 episode “Freaknik: The Musical” mini-series.

His next film would be another surprise from the artist, going from rapper and drama actor to an actor in the Christmas movie, This Christmas. His next album, The Greatest Story Ever Told would feature such guest stars as Akon, Snoop Dogg, Lil Wayne and others.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LPz7LCybSNk

Between The Greastest Story Ever Told and his 2010 album, Death of a Pop Star, he would also appear in the gang drama Days of Wrath, as well as the direct to DVD film, Stomp the Yard 2: Homecoming.

Banner kept a low profile after this, and released his new album The Good Box in 2017 with featured tracks from Big K.R.I.T., Trinidad James and Tito.

https://open.spotify.com/album/3Rdf6EFR90LuwLXkBWxLvm?si=P1q_5DboRXaIqSeH9Da-Ig