Okayplayer Interview: David Banner x Malcolm X, 2M1 Movement + Sex, Drugs & Violence

Not many in hip-hop have the range and depth needed to excel in the booth, the Senate chamber, the streets, and on the forefront and the frontline of the culture. It takes a multifaceted individual, an all-purpose man, if you will. Who else but one David Banner would have the mutated DNA needed to morph into a beastly being that takes matters into his own hands and gets things done by any means necessary, but for undoubtedly good purposes.

In a world that seemingly grows bleaker by the minute, It’s refreshing to hear that David Banner gives a damn --about hip-hop culture, the poor, Katrina, and artists creative and financial control of their work. That’s the factor that sets Banner apart from his musically one-dimensional peers. The content of his music is but one layer of his being. There is more depth and texture to the makeup of this dude. Just scratch the surface and his core--activist, entrepreneur, go-hard MC, hip-hop analyst, enforcer--becomes visible.

Don’t judge Banner by his lyrics for they are simply a façade through which he makes an inroads to your mind and soul; a tool through which to reel you in, a method used by the man to connect, inform and uplift. OKP recently had a chance to catch up with Banner and learn more about his new project, his passion for social justice and more.

OKP: Could you elaborate on the symbolism behind the title of your new project, “Sex, Drugs, and Videogames (SDV)?”

DB: First of all bruh, I want to thank you for what you’re doing today. This movement means a whole lot to me. SDV refers to the fact that in reference to American society, people from urban surroundings get so involved in sex, drugs, and violence.  A lot of us have the feeling that its free thought. But see, in the song “Swag,” I said everybody in my city pushing keys, if that’s all these kids see, that’s the only thing they hear, and that’s the only thing they’ll be.

All we get is violence, and we 70 years old and we’re into violence.  It’s as if the label pushes this violence on us without any balance. What do you think will be on our minds? If all we hear is that we’re n**gas and bitches, and we don’t hear that we’re Kings and Queens. Inherently that’s all that our children will aspire to be—is n**gas and bitches.

If you hear a lie enough times, your brain will begin to believe that it’s true. So SDV asks the question, “If life is truly a video game, who really has the controller?”

OKP: Hey?

I’m giving my fans the songs that they want to hear from me.  Why do we love to hear ourselves being downgraded. Why do we love to hear the negative situations that we see in our lives daily? I’m not trying to make sense of it, I’m not giving any solutions, I’m just tossing the question. What’s really controlling the way that we think?

OKP: That’s pretty deep, I hear you all the way around. Now from a content perspective, what’s a unique personality trait of this project?

DB: It’s Jammin’!  (laughter) We’re going to get to the movement behind it, because there’s an underlying meaning, but at the end of the day if you strip all of that down, it’s jammin’.

OKP: You’re straight to the point, I like that.

DB: We wonder why kids listen to certain things, because it’s jamming. At the end of the day I make it jam. I don’t care what anybody says about “Swag”it was jammin’! All the messages that were in that, and just to clear it up for everybody, that song was positive.

We’re even changing the business model. There is no [featured] single on this album, every-other-Wednesday we’re releasing a song, and on the alternate Wednesdays we’re dropping videos [Watch "Malcolm X--A Song To Me" below]. We’re coming each week with a new song, and each week the material gets progressively better.

Then they’re going to be like, Damn, David Banner! –And, Oooh look at the visuals and oooh look what he’s giving us and all he’s asking us for is a minimum donation of one dollar [click button at bottom to donate]. People have given one hundred dollars, a player from the L.A. Clippers pledged one thousand dollars, just off of the new business model. We’re trying to teach artists that if you’re smart enough to develop the material, then you’re smart enough to market and promote the album too.

OKP: Who was the player from the Clippers that donated one thousand dollars?

DB (Laughter) Ahhhh, I’m not sure if that man wants to be out there like that.

OKP: It’s not a negative action now. It’s not like it’s for a bad cause.

DB: Mo Williams.

OKP: Alright, Mo Williams, my man, my man. Now speaking of the “Believe” cut with BIG K.R.I.T-both of you share Mississippi roots and insightful lyrics. Is that what brought you together?

DB: It was a lot more than that. First of all, I’m proud of K.R.I.T., I’m proud that the person that came after me shares so many similar views [as mine]. From him being a producer, to him being a God-fearing man—being political in a sense that he wants to see the poverty-stricken do better. He wants to be the spokesperson for them. He’s a person who wants to make sure that the music is here for the kids when our time passes. He’s a respectful and respected man. He has a level of respect for me, and I definitely have a level of respect for him.

As much as people try to pit black entertainers against one another, because of the underlying feeling that there can’t be two of us, or, all of us can’t do well. That’s what hurts rap the most, the fact that none of us are fighting to protect the door of those who run our industry. It’s enough money for all of us.

OKP: More than enough.

DB Once there were 30 or 40 rap groups and solo acts doing their thing (in various styles/flavors) at the same time.

OKP: Yeah, that was a beautiful thing. Who has the biggest influence on the hip-hop industry, and how do they use that power?

DB: What do you mean?

OKP: I mean from a control standpoint—you talked about who holds the controller, who holds it as far as trends and such?

DB: I honestly think it’s the people sitting behind desks, but I realize it’s about the artists and about the fans. Those are the people who truly have the power. It’s like politics, we give away our power to representatives and we give it away to our President.  That’s what I’m showing with this 2-M-1 movement. It’s about the fans and the artists, we get better product when the focus is on the fans and the artists—all artists; musical artists; singers, the graphic designers, the painters, the DJs, I mean everybody, the writers. I mean the artists, you know?  We can’t allow ourselves to feel as if we’re not important in the equation when we are everything!

OKP: Well said!  Now what do you want people to take from this mixtape?

DB: Well the first thing I want to clarify is that it’s not really a mixtape.  We have to be very clear about what we’re doing to our music. We’re giving away free albums. Now think about the psyche of the ordinary man, we don’t respect anything that’s free. Anything that we get easy has no validity.  Of course the concept is to give people samples to get them hooked, I get that. But to continuously give away our music, that’s the reason why you don’t see [many] rap award shows anymore, the reason that you don’t see rappers in commercials anymore; because we have allowed our music to be devalued.

What I’m saying is that, Yeah I’ve given away albums for free online at mixtapes.com, but the only reason that I’m doing that is to hook people into understanding that you can get it for free anyway the way technology is today.

So I’m saying, is love hip-hop and respect it. On SDV I’ve got Two-Chains, Li’l Wayne, Snoop Dog, A$AP Rocky, Chris Brown, Bun-B, Big K.R.I.T., Game, Raheem Devaughn…you’ve got David Banner on there, David Banner beats. And we have 16 videos covering every song on there. All of this, for a minimal donation on David Banner.com. People are seeing the failure [of the free mixtape business model]. They’re seeing what I’m doing. We’re asking two million people to get the project for a $1 donation [click button at bottom to donate]. And what’s bigger than the dollars are the e-mails and creating the ability to communicate with each other with no middle man. Like the same thing that’s going on with the Trayvon Martin discussion, and what’s going on over the U.S. with our youth. Creating my network through which the two million donors can communicate with each other.

We can talk on Ustream with each other, to discuss our security or any other topic, so we can move in the same direction-at the same time, it’s not just about a dollar, or an album. Sex, Drugs and Videogames is a part of a bigger movement.My next goal is to shoot a movie.

I would like to reach out two my two million person network-and they wouldn’t have to go to a theatre to see the movie. I’d be asking for $5 for the movie and we can send the movie directly to you.

I’m trying to build this machine to a point that whatever I do, those 2 million people are a part of it, they’re like investors that help to build a structure-my new business model dude. It’s way bigger than music. That’s what we’ve got to get people to understand.

We can’t keep begging or expecting people to give us an opportunity to make a movie or to represent our culture in the right way. They’re not from or neighborhoods and communities so of course they can’t truly relate to our experience. It’s our responsibility to properly protect our people and to properly give them opportunities for employment.

OKP: On a sidebar, I want to reflect back on the “Stuntin is a Habit” video-you had Barry Bonds in there man.

DB: That’s my man Bruh!

OKP: … How did that come about and how was working with Barry-the media portrays him as kind of stoic and introverted.

DB: Man, Barry was cool as hell man, I don’t know what them folks are talking about man (laughter).  The Maloof brothers were impressed with my work speaking out for Katrina and they wanted to work with me. They came by the video shoot, brought a couple of Lamborghinis or whatever-they roll up and guess who’s up in the car with the Maloof brothers, Mr. Bonds. And I’m like, Wow. Hey, Barry you want to get in this video man? I’m from the country and the only way that you’re going to get an answer is if you ask. He said yeah. BAM!

OKP: Talk to me about your activism and how you aggressively participate in relevant social issues like the Trayvon Martin Situation. How did that come to be and where does your passion come from?

DB: My passion comes from the things that have historically happened to black people in Mississippi. I can honestly say that most of the things that I’ve accomplished in my life have come from my spirituality and my belief in God.  This faith allows me to feel that as long as I’m in line with God everything will be O.K. and that I’ll make it through whatever. When I haven’t been aligned with God things haven’t worked out so well. The other thing is the passion that I have for the people. Sometimes it gets hard because a lot of times people don’t understand why I do some of the things that I do because they can’t see my vision. That’s where my activism comes from

MY concern was first, for the black people of Mississippi, then I became concerned for black people nationwide, now my concern is for black people all over the world. I began to realize that it’s not as much about race as we think it is. It’s about the rich vs. the poor. I feel as if the different races are pitted against one another so we won’t see the bigger (financial disparity) problem.

So now, I will probably have a tendency to lean toward trying to resolve the issues that negatively impact black people, but the overall picture and the overall power is achieved in bringing all impoverished people together. The common denominator is pain, because we all suffer through the deaths of loved ones and eventually suffer death. That’s where that comes from.

OKP: Well I’m glad that you’re doing what you’re doing man, thanks for your time. It was a pleasure talking to you. Take care.

DB: Be blessed and be safe bruh.