Keep it real. So-called conscious rap has a crisis. It often lacks swagger. It can be corny. There is seemingly little place for it in the commercial marketplace. These issues present a clear and present danger to the genre. Clearly, this is not always the case, but through the years, it has been problematic. David Banner is one of the few acts that boldly defies the issues plaguing message-oriented Hip-Hop through the years. The God Box is the precursor to The God Box and Banner doesn’t disappoint. In fact, this opus is a free album with classic stamped all over it.
A number of the songs have been released already, but contextualized they feel brand new on Before The Box. The mixtape blasts off with the voice of the late Pimp C on “My Uzi,” featuring the young sage Big K.R.I.T. and the O.G. emeritus Bun B. This banger is a fitting start to an audio journey that whirls around like a roller coaster. “My Uzi” is produced by D.B., but the end of the song take it to a higher level thanks to a orchestral “score” by John Debney. “I got a chance to travel the internationally and I got to see the way America was depicting Black men and for the most part, it was rap videos..and we looked really bad. And I couldn’t be a part of that,” he says during the sonic break.
“Black Lives Matter” music is all the rage these days, but David Banner is a different sort of emcee. You realize this mixtape doubles as Black Man Leadership manual in additional to straight-up riding music. “Black Fist,” “Evil Knievil” and “La Policia” (featuring T.I. and Kap G) are soundtracks to the revolution in the streets. Ernestine Johnson bodies “Evil Knievil” with a potent poem. Tip croons, “We know when they pull us over, they gonna pull us outta that car / they know they can’t f**k with us, learned early keep ya mouth closed…f**k the polica everybody.” Banner then proceeds to spew bars about dead youth like 19-year old Mike Brown and 7-year old Aiyana Jones, both of which were slain by police that were not prosecuted.
Because of the quality, it is difficult to remember that Before The Box is just a promotional precursor to The God Box, David Banner’s highly anticipated album. (Pre-order #theGodbox Album now! May 13, 2016!) Notable contributions include Chris Brown, Jasiri X (Check out Black Liberation Theology), Coke Bumaye, Savvy, Tricky 45, Hollywood Luck and Big K.R.I.T., who makes multiple awesome appearances on Before The Box. The album shares 16 tracks that are seamlessly joined together through various skits, speeches and monologues by Banner, Minister Louis Farrakhan and others.
Before The Box is periodically broken up by emotive songs like “Marry Me,” “Blow In The Wind” and the deceptively conscious “Swag.” Overall, David Banner clearly has reached the point of no return. That point where one crosses that line and it is understood the matrix is the enemy. That is a wondrous space for classic material that exudes relentless rebellious, freedom and forward-thinking music. This is more than an album. Before The Box is a critical essay of the dire times we live in and also, to some extent, a pathway to liberation for Black people. Protests and marches alone won’t create that paradigm shift and Banner understands this all too well. Critical changes in thought, music, action, activism, leadership are paramount. Now the question is, “Will people get it?” That is up for you to answer.
Listen to The God Box and read the credits below.
Mixtape Credits
Artwork by Manzel Bowman @Artxman
Mixtape concept by David Banner and Thomas Burroughs (Thomas did most of the work!)
“My Uzi” featuring BIG K.R.I.T. And UGK
PRODUCED BY: David Banner – Burroughs
MUSIC SCORE BY: John Debney
“Black Fist” featuring TITO LO
PRODUCED BY: Street Symphony, 8X8 and D.O. Speaks
“Evil Knievil” featuring Ernestine Johnson
PRODUCED BY: Seige Monstrosity
“La Policia” remix featuring Kap G & T.I.
PRODUCED BY: Squat Beats
“Marry Me” featuring Rudy Currence
PRODUCED BY: David Banner and Rudy Currence
“Blow In The Wind” featuring Coke Bumaye, Savvy, Tricky 45, Hollywood Luck
PRODUCED BY: David Banner and Swiff D
“Black Liberation Theology Part 1” Feat Jasiri X & Tyhir Frost
PRODUCED BY: Akil Esoon
“Pain” featuring Coke Bumaye, Tito LO, Big K.R.I.T.
PRODUCED BY: Quintele “87” Amos
“Welcome To Mississippi” featuring Savvy, Coke Bumaye & Tricky 45
PRODUCED BY: David Banner
“Warrior interlude” featuring DJ EFN
Producer: DaVincci, Miami Beat Wave
“The Cross” featuring X
PRODUCED BY: Gensu Dean
“Malcolm X (A Song For Me)”
PRODUCED BY: David Banner
CO-PRODUCED BY: THX
“Believe” featuring Big K.R.I.T.
PRODUCED BY: Mr. Lee
“Swag”
PRODUCED BY: David Banner & Swiff D
“Amazing” featuring Chris Brown
PRODUCED BY: David Banner & Swiff D
“My Uzi” (chopped & screwed) – Michael 5000 Watts featuring BIG K.R.I.T. UGK
PRODUCED BY: David Banner
MUSIC SCORE BY: John Debney
REVIEW: David Banner Creates A Black Leadership Manual With “Before The Box”
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