Interview with
David Banner
By Allen Gorden
From Murder Dog Vol. 10 #2
Are there any misconceptions or misinformation about your deal. I’ve seen reports about $10 million dollars, but what are your obligations to SRC to meet the criteria of the deal?
I look at it from this standpoint. It could only be positive. The management asked me if I wanted to do this or not before the information was released. My answer was to “go ahead and put it out,” the reason being for these kids in Mississippi. Everyone around here has seen how hard I have struggled and how hard I have worked. Regardless of whatever the misconceptions of this deal could be, these folks would see that for once somebody who worked hard could win. It brings hope to the ethic of what hard work means. As far as the negative part of being tagged a ten million
dollar
man, I was prepared for that long before this deal.
When you were doing the Crooked Lettaz group and solo, you were already prepared to deal with being the center of the entire Mississippi?
I was referring to the negative things that come along with people thinking you have money. The demos and all that stuff, that has never been a problem. What a lot of rappers don’t understand is, a lot of people are generally happy for you because of the influence you have. I’m more worried about people not bringing me demos than those that do. If they stop bringing demos or stop trying to rap for me, then that is a problem. It means that my influence is no longer effective in their minds. I’m more afraid of people not calling all the time. That’s when this becomes a problem.
Since you are the first from your state to get this kind of coverage, do you feel that you have to carry the load of Mississippi music scene on your shoulders? Whether real or implied?
A lot of people been asking me that. One writer said to me, “Damn, Banner. You’re taking on 300 years of misconceptions of slavery, oppression and pain and the stereotype of what somebody from Mississippi is.” I don’t feel that as pressure, I feel that as a responsibility. I was watching Lord Of The Rings one day, and the wizard told the little guy that “you are a ring bearer. If you don’t do it, the task will never be done.” That’s how I feel. I feel this is a blessing that God put on me. I don’t feel like anyone else can take this responsibility like me. So I want this. I am a man. I want to go through the fire, I want to prove that I am worthy.
How does your deal allow you to avoid becoming an artist that doesn’t have have a Neptunes single or Ja Rule on the hook? What kind of leverage have you given up, if any, signing on to a major?
None. The independent record was equally as good. This one, Mississippi: The Album, isn’t too different than original. It’s strange the way my deal is set up. More than just the money, I have a lot more freedom than the average artist. With that came along the ability to show that I am more than just a rapper. What I told them when I signed is, all they have to do is give me my money. They, as a label, didn’t have to go out and find producers because I already know them. I’m going to write my own album. I’ve got my hooks, I’ve got my own concepts, I know where I wanna go. I got my artists, all I need the label to do is take me to that next level. Put me on the cover of Murder Dog and Vibe, get me played on radio stations I couldn’t reach before. put me in those venues and let my influence take over. I’m hot on the streets, but I need to be out there to make it happen.
You are now the new flagship for Steve Rifkind’s new venture, like the Alkaholiks and Wu Tang were for his Loud Records.
That’s one of the reasons why it was logical that this deal happened. Steve made a big impact as an major independent, and I’m down with how Steve works. This is one of the main reasons I am not as anti-label as I have been previously. As a grown man, if I make a decision to go with something we might as well try and do it together, and Steve Rifkind put his nuts on the line for me and my state. People weren’t sure what he was going to do after the Sony situation, but he decided to roll with me to help shut up all the critics and stand tall. Nobody else understood it, but for Steve, someone on that level, to understand what I was trying to do when nobody was really trying to help me, it’s a blessing. He got down in the dirt with me and we are gonna make this thing happen.
By Allen Gorden
From Murder Dog Vol. 10 #2
Are there any misconceptions or misinformation about your deal. I’ve seen reports about $10 million dollars, but what are your obligations to SRC to meet the criteria of the deal?
I look at it from this standpoint. It could only be positive. The management asked me if I wanted to do this or not before the information was released. My answer was to “go ahead and put it out,” the reason being for these kids in Mississippi. Everyone around here has seen how hard I have struggled and how hard I have worked. Regardless of whatever the misconceptions of this deal could be, these folks would see that for once somebody who worked hard could win. It brings hope to the ethic of what hard work means. As far as the negative part of being tagged a ten million
dollar
man, I was prepared for that long before this deal. When you were doing the Crooked Lettaz group and solo, you were already prepared to deal with being the center of the entire Mississippi?
I was referring to the negative things that come along with people thinking you have money. The demos and all that stuff, that has never been a problem. What a lot of rappers don’t understand is, a lot of people are generally happy for you because of the influence you have. I’m more worried about people not bringing me demos than those that do. If they stop bringing demos or stop trying to rap for me, then that is a problem. It means that my influence is no longer effective in their minds. I’m more afraid of people not calling all the time. That’s when this becomes a problem.
Since you are the first from your state to get this kind of coverage, do you feel that you have to carry the load of Mississippi music scene on your shoulders? Whether real or implied?
A lot of people been asking me that. One writer said to me, “Damn, Banner. You’re taking on 300 years of misconceptions of slavery, oppression and pain and the stereotype of what somebody from Mississippi is.” I don’t feel that as pressure, I feel that as a responsibility. I was watching Lord Of The Rings one day, and the wizard told the little guy that “you are a ring bearer. If you don’t do it, the task will never be done.” That’s how I feel. I feel this is a blessing that God put on me. I don’t feel like anyone else can take this responsibility like me. So I want this. I am a man. I want to go through the fire, I want to prove that I am worthy.
How does your deal allow you to avoid becoming an artist that doesn’t have have a Neptunes single or Ja Rule on the hook? What kind of leverage have you given up, if any, signing on to a major?
None. The independent record was equally as good. This one, Mississippi: The Album, isn’t too different than original. It’s strange the way my deal is set up. More than just the money, I have a lot more freedom than the average artist. With that came along the ability to show that I am more than just a rapper. What I told them when I signed is, all they have to do is give me my money. They, as a label, didn’t have to go out and find producers because I already know them. I’m going to write my own album. I’ve got my hooks, I’ve got my own concepts, I know where I wanna go. I got my artists, all I need the label to do is take me to that next level. Put me on the cover of Murder Dog and Vibe, get me played on radio stations I couldn’t reach before. put me in those venues and let my influence take over. I’m hot on the streets, but I need to be out there to make it happen.
You are now the new flagship for Steve Rifkind’s new venture, like the Alkaholiks and Wu Tang were for his Loud Records.
That’s one of the reasons why it was logical that this deal happened. Steve made a big impact as an major independent, and I’m down with how Steve works. This is one of the main reasons I am not as anti-label as I have been previously. As a grown man, if I make a decision to go with something we might as well try and do it together, and Steve Rifkind put his nuts on the line for me and my state. People weren’t sure what he was going to do after the Sony situation, but he decided to roll with me to help shut up all the critics and stand tall. Nobody else understood it, but for Steve, someone on that level, to understand what I was trying to do when nobody was really trying to help me, it’s a blessing. He got down in the dirt with me and we are gonna make this thing happen.
