David Banner's appearance on The Breakfast Club this past week featured takes of him covering a range of topics about his life and world view, as is usually the case when the artist/activist speaks. He spoke on everything from dealing with death threats and depression brought about by fame, to his feelings on the Trump administration being the best thing to happen for the Black community, so far as it has allowed for the people to grow alarmed enough about the future to think outside of conventional means of responding to their political reality.
In terms of hip hop music, Banner was critical of the direction Black people have gone in with the genre, saying, "I believe hip hop has given in to white supremacy." The Memphis rapper shared his perspective in response to Charlamagne's bringing up the topic of artists compromising who they are in exchange for success. According to Banner, Black radio stations are the only that would promote the emasculation of it's people, pointing out his first hit "Like A Pimp," as an example of what kind of content is cherry picked and played from an artists catalog. He then went on to give other example of artists representing themselves in their music, in a manner which doesn't reflect their actual lives.
Banner also touched on his own life, and his evolution as a man navigating the culture and the business. Like he highlighted hip hop of once having, he reflected on rules that the community had, despite what dirt people within the community were doing. He shared having been kept from selling drugs, by OGs who wanted him to remain focused on music. It was only after entering manhood that Banner says he began to dabble in the game, and develop bad habits, such as a Hennessy addiction so bad his body began to reject alcohol. Banner has since sobered up and become more militant in his advocacy for Black people to intensify their self consciousness.
Source: youtube.com
