By The Hip Hop Writer
Hip Hop Vibe Staff Writer
It was not until David Banner spoke out on BET’s “Hip Hop vs. America” panel. Previously, Banner was viewed, by many, as just the typical Southern rapper. Following the outrage of hip hop lyrics and the debates, which took place in 2007, David Banner changed his style. By the time he made his next public appearance, David Banner had shed a lot of weight and had a muscular build. Meanwhile, his lyrics also had more social conscious.
Since his 2008 album release, David Banner’s profile has drastically risen. No longer is David Banner regarded as “a part of the problem.” Showing his intelligence led to a trend from rappers and other members of the hip hop community. Many others have also displayed their true nature and have remained well-received within the hip hop community. Due to the advance of the internet and hip hop media, many hip hop fans only go online for sources, leading to more learning.
With learning now “cool” in hip hop, David Banner has more to teach, as he plans to release a free album, as he told XXL. During his interview with XXL, David Banner revealed he was going to release a free album and then ask fans for a donation of $1. The goal is to generate $2 million in donations for the album, thus proving artists do not need the backing of major record labels to gain commercial success. Those who see David Banner’s vision have invested great sums of money and ones who cannot afford much have still donated much more than $1.
Discussing his new album, David Banner says the people have no idea how much he spent.
