It’s hard to believe it’s been nearly 15 years since David Banner dropped “Like a Pimp”, with Houston’s hottest rapper at the moment, Lil Flip. There are tons of artists that claim to put their city on their back, but Banner did it literally (with Mississippi tatted on his back) and figuratively. As a producer, he knew how to capture that dirty south vibe and deliver it on a track (go listen to TI’s “Rubberband Man” for a quick refresher), but he also paved a way for other southern artists like Big Krit to emerge. Early on, Banner made a bold statement repping a state that had been known more for it’s history against blacks than supporting blacks.
In a recent interview with Hot 107.9 Banner reveals why his recent album The God Box is a bigger statement for Hip-Hop then any of his previous work. For starters, the album is unlike any of his other albums. It was his intention to make music that still jams but doesn’t sacrifice any substance. There was a time in Hip-Hop where every artist was making a statement. Even the gangster rap of the early 90’s made a statement against police brutality despite its explicit lyrics. Nowadays despite having a larger world platform, most artists are mum when it comes to controversial matters. Well not Banner. This album is just a preview of what you can experience as part of his God Box lecture series. For the first time in Hip-Hop we see an artist using his music to truly influence the masses. His message: Empowering Black people through history. He traded sold out concerts for sold out lectures, but the reward is the same, if not more fulfilling.
In the interview he recalls his early days sleeping on Bonecrusher’s floor and how he has evolved as an artist and man since then. The rapper, producer, and now activist and speaker is proving that Hip-Hop is not just a young man’s sport. Hip-Hop is timeless as long as you stay relevant. Furthermore, he’s proving that Southern Hip-Hop is not all trap music and club bangers. It’s so easy to place artists in a box of ‘Conscious artists’ or ‘trap rapper” well remove all boxes for Banner, unless of course it’s The God Box.