David Banner raps about car doors, women, and the direction of his community on The Greatest Story Ever Told, an album that sparkles with moments of brilliance and fizzles under moments of weakness.
Perhaps the most uneven rap album of the year, David Banner’s fifth studio album is probably his most popular. It is stacked with guest appearances, including Chris Brown, Lil Wayne, Snoop Dogg, and Akon, and is structured quite well with a good amount of pop-rap radio hits.
But Banner seems less interested in testing his limitations and more interested in covering the same old ground that most other rappers cover. The problem comes in the form of his actual potential, as there are a handful of tracks that betray a broader sensibility. Give David Banner credit for exposing his potential, sure, but overall The Greatest Story Ever Told is more like a shoddy pulp novel than anything momentous.
With “So Long,” Banner is off to a great start. Tightly produced and politically intense, Banner spits lyrics about Iraq, Sean Bell, and anger in the hood with passion and legitimate fury. “Fuck the law, this was somebody’s damn grandmother,” he says, infuriated.
But after starting off so well, the album simply derails. Banner tells us on the “G.S.E.T. Intro” that we’re going to travel through his life. I understand that cars, sex, bragging, and political topics might well be all a part of David Banner’s existence. After all, this is the guy that told congress that hip-hop was “sick because America is sick.”
With “Suicide Doors,” he enlists UGK to flavour the track with nice touches and good verses. The problem isn’t the track itself, as it is as strong as any club banger. Instead, the lead-in from the “G.S.E.T. Intro” seems simply out of place and diminishes the track immeasurably. Banner gets us all wound up with a politically charged introduction and then simply betrays the build. And similar situations occur all over this strangely constructed record.
Article comments
1 - Michelle
You dont know shit David Banners album The Greatest Story Ever Told is the shit, as well as his other albums. Not only does he lay down some good beats he kills it with his lyrics. How you gonna dog on what he raps about...his lyrics not only relates to his life but most of his listeners lives as well. Hes witty, funny and serious through his lyrics. This is a lame ass article.