Words by DeWayne Rogers
Images by Michael Melendy for Steed Media Service
Y
ou never know what you’re going to get with David Banner. No scratch
that. You always know what you’re going to get from David Banner; you
just never know how it’s going to manifest itself. So as the rolling out
production crew embarked on a daylong photo and video shoot with
Banner, expectations ran high across the board that something powerful
and poignant would occur during our time together. We just didn’t know
when or how it would happen. I mean, sure, we were well aware of
Banner’s fifth studio album, The Greatest Story Ever Told,
which hits shelves on July 15. And we had all personally experienced
the sheer pandemonium that ensued when Banner’s infectious first
single, “Get Like Me,” began to blare through the speakers at any given
party. But that tells only part of Banner’s multifaceted story.
It was the other side that intrigued us so much. It was the side that
found him speaking before Congress; the side that compelled Banner to
scold the NYPD in the aftermath of the Sean Bell verdict. In the end,
it was also the side that transformed Banner into more than just an
entertainer, and into arguably one of this country’s most
unconventional public servants. And it was this same side that would
provide that powerful moment that we had all come to expect. Time and
time again throughout our interview, Banner would take the simplest of
questions, and effortlessly use them as an opportunity to educate us on
the world from his unique perspective. Each of his answers was
carefully packaged in an understanding that could only come from a life
that was well versed in the language of the streets as well as the
classroom.
As he sat down with our photographer to discuss the theme of our first
photographic scene, Banner let us know right then and there what time
it was.
“Why don’t you give us one of your patented mean mugs in this first shot,” the photographer prompted.
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“They
told me not to mug anymore,” Banner flatly replied, as the bystanders
softly laughed, unsure of the sincerity of his response. But there was
no punch line. “Someone told me that for real. He said they already
look at young black males as being criminals. So he said, ‘Every time
you take a picture, as much as you possibly can, smile.’ You know, just
like at the O.J. [Simpson] trial, they try to go and find a picture
that makes it look like you’re an animal or a beast. If they can’t find
one, and if when most of the time they see you, you look halfway
pleasant, then you’re cool.”
That response, and the many others
that followed, provided a more complete picture of not just David
Banner the entertainer, but David Banner the man. Our time together
would be well spent as Banner shared his insightful views on the state
of both his country and his people.
Journalists often describe you as a “rapper-activist.” How do you feel about this label?
I
think being labeled an activist is rooted in your actions, and comes as
a result of what you do. I’m definitely active … I’m going to be honest
with you, though. What a lot of people don’t know is that I try to wait
and see if someone else is going to say something first. But one thing
that I thank God for is that people in the ‘hood trust me. People in
the ‘hood want me to speak out. They come to me, and they tell me
what’s going on, and they want me to make sure that the world knows
about it. It’s because of that, that I always try to make sure my music
is bumping. That way, the ‘hood will always love me first for my
talent. And then I can allow the rest of that stuff to fall into place
… The one thing that I don’t like about politicians is that they
allowed politics to become professional. And anytime someone becomes a
professional at something, they cease to be motivated by the welfare of
the people. They’re being motivated by what’s best for their pockets.
So I never want to just say things for the sake of saying it; or say
something just because I need to be in the news. I think the day that I
do that is the day that God is going to tap me on my a**. As long as
I’m right, then I can say whatever the hell I want to. And the blessing
of it all is that I’m a gansta rapper. So if I want to tell Al Sharpton
to kiss my a**, then I’m going to tell him to kiss my a**.”
So
speaking of Rev. Al Sharpton, do you think that he and others who speak
out on behalf of black America are motivated by a self-serving agenda?
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I don’t know other people’s hearts, and I try not to judge other people, so I don’t know.
Is it disheartening when you try to wait for others to speak out, and they never do?
No, because I don’t know other people’s background. I was built for
this. Flavor Flav is my homie, and we get along very well. But I don’t
want Flavor Flav speaking on behalf of my people. He’s my homie, but I
wouldn’t want to put him in front of Congress. He’s not built for that.
I’m built for this. I come from the streets, but at the same time I’ve
debated against the vice president of the United States. Yeah I
hustled, but I was also the student body president at my college. I
also have a 3.99 GPA at the University of Maryland. So it’s not as
emotional as people think it is. See that’s the problem with America.
They make our kids feel like everything is so easy. Like they see 2Pac,
and think, ‘oh I can just be a rapper, and then an actor.’ They don’t
know that 2Pac went to a performing arts school. They see Mos Def, and
think, ‘man, he just jumped up there and started acting.’ No, Mos Def
has been acting since he was 6. Then they see me on the big screen, and
they don’t know that I’ve been going to acting classes since ‘Like A
Pimp’ came out. That’s the reason why you didn’t see me with jewelry
and all of that because I was flying to L.A. every week going to acting
school. People don’t see that I’ve been doing this for a while. Even
before I was on, people were still calling me an activist. I was in the
community and doing those things, even when I was hustling. That may
have been an oxymoron at the time, but that was always the type of
person that I was. Outside of that, I honestly feel like it’s no
rapper’s responsibility to do anything for anybody. I only feel like
it’s your responsibility if you’re already that type of man. I’m that
type of man. It has nothing to do with me being David Banner. A
rapper’s only responsibility is to make hit records. But I feel like
this is something that I should do because that is the type of man that
I am.
