David Banner Interview After Testifying Before Congress

[msscott73]

David Banner you are RIGHT!!!

[RiniCruz]

Love that mindset!

[sonofslaves33]

Clearly David Banner is going to say the hiphop industry isn't wrong because he's benifiting from it as we speak.

[raventakayama]

Banner's urge to disconnect hip hop from the structure of our society feels like a ploy to escape responsibility for what he may put into his music. Fact is hip hop has a profound effect on our society beyond entertainment. And responsible artists are capable of balancing the pressures of monitoring their musical content, while keeping it real with their fan base. Hiphop once shook America, but if we think of it the way Banner does it'll merely be music with no power.

[DJRenee]

I hate when any one down plays the power of music...music has the ability to heal the brain from traumatic injury...so isn't it plausible to believe that something that is powerful enough to restore something can also destroy it?

[reezyd]

I like how society is the victim here. Artists, labels, etc only make money because we(americans) open up wide for whatever they are trying to shove down our throats. If you don't like someones music or their message then don't support the music or the media channels that promote it. We are not helpless and we do have a choice. We have shown these companies that this is what we want and what we will buy so this is what they give us.

[hellokittycutie2003]

This just isn't a clean cut debate. Everybody is really responsible, for the simple fact that times have changed. Shielding children ain't as easy as it once way. Ex. Back in the day a kid had to sneak in to the basement to hear that nasty record that mama and daddy (or older sibling) had; now a kid just has to search on YouTube to find the song AND video. A kid can get their hands on way too much nowadays, and there ain't much you can do. Artists had a right to say that back then, not anymore.

[CALICOTV301]

@hellokittycutie2003 There's also gospel music. If I made a song called "jump of a bridge," nobody would do it. The fact is, in all cases, the finger needs to be pointed. When Hip Hop is no longer here, then it lands on someone else. People know right and wrong. Evil, wrongdoing, and immorality will exist when Hip Hop doesn't, and it did 25 years ago when Hip Hop didn't. America is running out of ways to point the finger. Guns, drugs, and poverty is not provided by Hip Hop, but America.

[CALICOTV301]

@hellokittycutie2003 There's no Hypnotism here. Words are letters. Now, if Im powerful enough to permute them to where I control your life, then you never had control, and were a ticking time bomb anyways. We ALL know TV versus reality. Elmer Fudd demonstrated how to blow off more heads than any rapper ever has. Countries like 3rd have no Hip Hop are chaotic. If anything, Hip Hop helps, in terms of employment and recreation.

[batanso]

BLACK HISTORY SKYSTHELIMITPRODUCTION COM

[PhillipIsAlive]

David Banner is that dude. Rapper, producer, hell he even wrote the latest song 4 the gatoraid commercials. Dude came outta no where with such talent AND he keeps it real. Parents DON'T LOOK AT THE MUSIC, LOOK AT YOURSELVES!!!

[iHipHop]

Our youth, our youth? Maaan--Not everybody is young. And these albums have had Parental Advisory on the front of them a looong time. Their audience isn't just young folk, it's teenagers, and older to be honest. And at that point in time, if the parents haven't gotten a hold of their kids...shit - you already fighting the odds.

[FuckUtube2008]

david banner is a complete dumb fuck.

[WarriorsAnonymous08]

@FuckUtube2008 Oh really lets see hes a rapper producer. Graduated at the top of his class in college. Damn hes really stupid aint he?I wonder what you have under your belt? Dont be quick to call some one dumb DUMB ASS

[FuckUtube2008]

@WarriorsAnonymous08 get off his dick you faggot. just because someone raps and produces doesn't make them smart. grow a brain.

[CALICOTV301]

@FuckUtube2008 David Banner is actually educated. He has his bachelors, and almost finished his master's in business, hence why he does this. He doesn't just "RAP." He started of producing, and he acts. He's produced for Gatorade, Marvel Comics, etc. He's done Experiment, Stomp The Yard 2 and much much more. He's also a humanitarian, has done tons of charity work. Rappers are entertainers, killers are killers, drug dealers are drug dealers. Separate the 3.

[DJBLESS1able]

Brother Banner, you must hold yourself accountable for your own actions. Accountability in your lyrical content will help motivate our youth if it was re-directed towards a more positive, self-determining context. Today, the youth look up to the musicians. However, the majority of the music doe not have substance (i.e. promoting positivity, advocating for education and self-worth) that will guide them toward a more sustainable future. Brother Banner, its not to late to break the chains. Peace~

[journalism101]

David Banner is right, music should not raise our children. It's the community and the family's job to raise their children. A song is a song, whatever you take from is what you take from it right or wrong. And stop making children out to be stupid, they're smart as adults and make mistakes like adults. You have 15 yr. old gang leaders and 14 year old stock owners and self-employed not just 14 yr. old mothers and fathers. People make choices in everyday life based on reality. Face it America!

[850iStyle]

hahahah you people are sayings hes intelligent? not only does he stumble over his sentences but he refers to the interviewer as 'bra'...lets not be silly

[thebober10]

people are just confused because hes in a suit

[QueenSpeaksWord]

^^ LOVES D. Banner!

[dabaddest39455]

man HERE'S HOW I FEEL ABOUT MR. BANNER

I THINK HE'S SO INTELLIGENT BUT THE INTELECT DOES NOT REFLECT IN HIS MUSIC

HE WOULD GO OUT AND SAY SOME SOME SHIT THAT JUST MAKES YOU WANNA CLAP YOUR HANDS BUT NONE OF THAT GOES INTO HIS MUSIC.

[Neutralbuttafly]

I definately agree with you! He sounds so intelligent. He could use his mind and accomplish something great with it. Although, it doesn't sound like he's intelligent in his music.

[thinkbyonddabox]

I agree. I am a huge fan of him, but I always feel that he could deliver MORE on his albums. i just don't feel that he has reached his true potential as a solo artist. That being said, i think he is amazing and always try to support his albums and shows.

[LadyKararD]

Heres what I know... you go to a corporate office in new york and you have to speak the corporate jargon in order to get paid and work in that environment. Then you go home and do what the hell you want. The rap industry is a job and David Banner is employed by the industry. He does what he needs to do to get paid, but at least he is man enough to go back and help the community he serves. Not too many rap artist volunteered there help in the Katrina Aftermath. Take a chill pill.

[Neutralbuttafly]

Dabaddest-- I totally agree with you.

[hgk13]

not tru. listen to david banner-we ride dem caddies

[Bloodsport1]

That's the record company telling him what kind of music to put out so he can get radio play. Video play

[cbradlejr]

david keep up all the hard work, it will pay off. Im from mississippi and i want to thank u for looking out.

[DaProlifik1reaLyrics]

Music is expression of life. Fuck who don't like it. If y'all like real hip hop, click my page. I got my whole mixtape up plus a few new tracks. Check Something for the Pain, Your Judgement is Erroneous, 40 bars, Breath Fire, Tell Me etc.

[richieonce]

and oh yeah i am wide awake

[richieonce]

mgilbo1-i never said speaking english was'nt important but the same way europeans came by their respective languages whats wrong with 'us' finding our own way since obviously we lost our way as a people, no slang english is not the answer but is it worse than how the germanic tribes and the normans came by eventually present day english by conquering britain who knows how they spoke b4 then and what hybrid of language they made their own dialect but congratulations and good luck on your studies

[richieonce]

mgilbo1-your english is a product of slave system which not only oppressed and killed our ancestors but now continues to turn our own people against us and still oppresses our people do u think u speak better because u follow oppressors.

[mgilbo1]

richieonce, that is stupid. I speak and learned english so I could communicate with all people. I learned Spanish to communicate with many other races and I am currently learning chinese because there are 1.3 billion of them in the world. I am not going to dumb myself down because YOU think speaking english isn't important. Black people were killed fighting for freedom and equal rights and now you think slang english is the answer to those in the ghetto. Wake up please.

[tremaine20]

David. You speak well but let's get real. The issue really centers around the fact that much of Hip Hop Music is created by immature, irresponsible, uneducated, low lifes. People who will say or do anything to get a bad record deal and 20 seconds of fame. As a result, they make music about partying, pimping, and prosperity that is only a facade. Most of them go broke within a year after their 1st hit but they fool children into believing that their lifestyle is laudable. Heal the Hood!

[playboyoft]

But these rappers arent destroying our children its poor economic conditions .I mean everything in every country is about prosperity whats the diffrence between bling bling and the predident thats rich and getting 400,000 anaully. The hood will never change until the ghetto no longer becomes a ghetto its the social and economic conditions that create crime blame poverty. Im not mad at rappers for being greedy, most of them grew up with nothing and this whole world is based on greed.

[tremaine20]

I respectfully disagree playboyoft. Young people didn't start back wearing mohawks until P-Daddy reintroduced it, gold grills were never a part of my community until rappers started flashing them, and brother's stopped cutting "parts" in their hair back in 1989 until Kanye West started doing it. The bottom line is hip hop influences young people, and it's part of the reason some stay in the ghetto. Rappers err when they sell out impressionable youngsters b/c they are hungry for wealth.

[playboyoft]

Yea you do have a point . rappers do set trends . And young people follow rappers more than doctors teachers or lawyers .

[mgilbo1]

playboyoft, do you think this is the first time in history there has been poverty? You can't blame poverty for poor language and morals. Thats an excuse that you better learn to get over. There has always been a ghetto no matter what time in history you want to point out.

[beanothedon]

@tremaine20 thats not 100% correct... it is tru that the ones you SEE fit the criteria of ur comment...but what about the ones who are educated and put knowledgeable, credential, and factual wisdom in their lyrics?

u will NEVER hear of them or SEE them on TV...every label is ran by the rich men who are all part of whatever and whoever decides what media will allow.

[zavienlove]

David speaks the truth

[bimwopbarn]

@tremaine20 the issue doesnt center around that, the issue centers around the schools, community programs, etc. as he said. Thats just show business, always has been that way and it always will be you cant change what kinda music people are gonna make or what music people want to hear. Thats why its bullshit to blame the music, blame the people who have the responsibility of providing life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness to all men and women!!

[shakosrsexy]

David Banner has his own video blog! He's got some pretty cool shows on there, all that he produced himself! Check it out! It's on his myspace!

[mgilbo1]

"The underbelly of America exists and its something we need to bring to the forefront?"

Funny how he only wants to bring it to the forefront for a profit. Rap artists are a joke. Its so obvious their thug like video's have ruined several generations of young kids in the inner cities and will continue to do so until people wake up and realize our children don't need to see the UNDERBELLY of America. Lets save that for adults.

[jattztyle]

NIGGA FUCK U, he just shared that he shared 25 percent of his yearly profits to charity, STEP THE GAME UP U UNPATRIOTIC MOTHA FUCKA, u dont know america, if u know about freedom, like u aint muslim if u a terrorist, GET YO FACTS STRAIGHT "ignorance is the root and stem of every evil"

[mgilbo1]

First of all, your english is a product of this hip hop music. Maybe if you didn't listen to it so much you could speak with some logic and reason. If you think this guy is a hero for promoting gang & thug life, then you are as crazy as he is. He's only there to protect his way of life and trust me he only donates to inner city to sell records. Its a joke and too many have bought into it. As he has said, he promotes the underbelly of America. Whatever!

[playboyoft]

But he is not the problem david banner went to college and he is a smart brother he can idetify with a lifestyle that most people cant. The rappers didnt create these poor economic conditions they were pushed into them . Im not mad at any rapper for being materialistic or glorifying his way of life this whole world is based on greed and people glorifying their lifestyles.Southerners love the south. Nourtherners love the nourth he is simply from the streets and loves the streets.

[victornewman06]

Well said, mgilbo1. I couldn't of said it better myself.

[jizzy2sexi]

"First of all, your english is a product of this hip hop music"

God you are truly ignorant so according to that statement am I say when a person says something like that was so radical, tuberler or whatever as a product of rock music?

[Simma7]

@jizzy2sexi ey wont u faild to understand is that hip hop isnt just a genre of music, its a culture,

[jizzy2sexi]

"this guy is a hero for promoting gang & thug life"

Wow please kill yourself cause I for 1 never heard Daivd banner ever shout out any sets/ clicks or gangs of any sort in any song.... bloods, crips, decepts, GDs, Vice lords..... NONE stop generalising a entire genre of music by what you see on TV cause every so called thug you can point out & blame everything on I can show you how they give back to their communities & the Public enemies & KRS 1 type of rappers

[turnbullroad]

david banner does talk about gangs BUT every time he mentions them he is saying how much he wants them to cease thier violence and drop thier issuses about one another

[jizzy2sexi]

Not all rappers are gangster rappers retard always people that doesn't know shit about hip hop culture that usually saying ignorant sh*t so is Common, Mos def, Talib kweli, Brother ali, Poor righteous teachers, Little brother, the list goes on thugs?? No dumbass just like any genre of music there are SUB-GENRES gangsta rap, CONSCIOUS/BACK PACK rap, snap, crunk, hyphy, jerk, horrorcore, etc. SMH

[BaxterBam]

David Banner seems really smart.

[shogun37]

Yes, Banner seems smart but I think he's missing the point. Im not being dismissive of some of the charity he has done but when he along with other Rappers proclaim themselves as the new voices of the younger generation, many of them "dropped the ball" when it came to the Jena 6 in terms of lending their voices or talent to what was going on there. It should not have been the older heads leading the charge on this. I hope it was not through fear loosing a white demographic!

[BoyMorganIII]

You can't place the responsibility on Parents. Because Parents are not being parents anymore. Parents are getting younger and younger and younger. Music DOes have more of an influence on them than anything. I understand what he's trying to say. But, the discipline is dissappearing, and music does have a powerful impact on youth.

[vicegripp]

Alotta yall dont realize that without the position to speak and make a change, how can you do so? It's the responsibility of the individual and not the influence. The problem in our society is role models. Parents should be the biggest influence on a kids outcome; not anyone on TV or Radio.

[TheAtotheK]

When Jazz came out it was targeted for its seductive melodies. When Rock came out it was targeted. Heavy Metal came out and was targeted. Then Hip Hop came and was targeted long before Ice-T and NWA came on the scene. No matter what parents won't agree with what their kids listen to. However, hip hop has diverted most attention on its shoulders. Other genres can breathe easier for not having defend itself as much so your welcome.

[onedim]

That's you 'Pumpkinshoes!' But 4 the children whose minds are yet developed or better yet advanced to tell the difference it's very hard. Aside from rock it's hip-hop targeted the most, understand that. Music is music at the end of the day, but not the actions depicted on the youth who portray poor intents .

[Pumpkinshoes]

I think he has a great, valid argument. Music is music, creative people perform music because they have that gift. No one expects rock songs to stop violence like school shootings. Why do people put so much stock in music like it is the reason for everything? That's absolutely insane, in my opinion. Just because I listen to someone say "Who shot ya?" doesn't mean that I am going to go kill someone, at all.

[victornewman06]

Excuses!!!!!!!! Man, stop making excuses why you do what you do. The reality is that these kids are emulating these clowns that do nothing but create a grave disservice to the black community. Our predecessors before us made music to uplife our people while picking cotton, you never heard songs about 'reppin the plantation' and glorifying. Wake the fuck up!!!!

[AfrikanPanther]

Excuses, reasons, we're saying the same retorical plea. David Banner ain't 'Hip-Hop' he's a rapper, with somewhat good intentions, THAT doesn't filter as much in ears lyrically in what he verbally "ACTs" out in his music, as much...

[keronjm]

there is a difference between plantation and the ghetto. thats where they worked as a slave and black people is not slave anymore in the ghetto. just where they live. so there is no excuse its just where they live and conditions that come by living there.

[victornewman06]

What's the difference between being enslaved by white people physically and psychologically, as to opposed to being enslaved at least psychologically by your own people? There is really no difference. In some aspects of the ghetto, our peers thought it was cool to hustle, and getting an education and making something out of your life meant that you were trying to act "white" and that wasn't the cool thing to do, amongst some of our own people.

[victornewman06]

When your own people say stuff like acting and talking "white", that's a subservient slave mentality right there because you are basing your ideology of high moral standards and an achieving social level of classism to "white people standards of living". High moral standards of classism shows no color. It's an underlying black doll/white doll test all over again.

[victornewman06]

I come from that same poor environment and believe me, there are still injustices that are still prevalent in today's society, and I'm a strong advocate against it, but that is not a crutch for you to lean when you are staring adversity in the face. I still go through it everyday, but I don't victimize myself mentioning, capitalizing, and in some cases, exploiting the ills of the ghetto. The ghetto was something to strive and get away from, not glorify the ills in it.

[BlackJesus2153000]

I agree, theres books you should read, but youv've probably already read it. The Miseducation of the Negro, Post traumatic slavery snydrome

[victornewman06]

That's a book I definitely have to check out. Good lookin' out.

[onedim]

C'mon mister Banner. Hip Hop IS the responsible weapon that'll get these kids in community programs and/or schools with a better understanding on what's real! Being alert and conscious on what the hell is going on is what the word Hip means, and Hop is gettin' to it on the double verbally into actions as you hop yourself in situations that matter, wholeheartedly. Watch how you word things David, 'casue "shit" can get misquoted and misconstrued, dude.