“9MM” finds Banner hanging with the irritating Akon, the always enjoyable Snoop Dogg, and Lil Wayne. The song’s bounce is pleasing, but Akon’s dim-witted vocals demolish the track beyond recognition and Lil Wayne can’t salvage the pissing contest.
One of the most incommodious components of the album is Banner’s exploration of sexuality.
Not only are the two sex-themed tracks almost identical vocally, but they feature a great big vigorous stench. “A Girl” finds him describing a disquieting situation in which he asks a girl to “sign a waiver” so that if she passes out due to his hands around her throat, she can’t sue. Classy. And “Fly” features Banner retreating into what must be his attempt at a sticky voice again with Jazze Pha making sure the girl “freaks” him for free.
With this packaged misogyny, Banner attempts to raise the proceedings later on with messages about the depth of the African American experience and his mother’s advice (“Syrup Sipping”) and tracks about understanding forgiveness and persistence (“Hold On”). But sadly these songs all sound terribly incoherent given Banner’s obvious duplicity.
Bragging about flashing guns around and talking about God’s plans seems, to me at least, odd bedfellows. I know hypocrisy is common in hip-hop music, as rappers brag about guns and women in between tracks about modeling their lives after Jesus Christ, but David Banner’s “story” seems just too potholed to make for a good yarn.
Musically, the production is respectable and many of the songs make for good club tracks. If you can get past the palpable lyrical inconsistencies and beyond Banner’s craving to choke women, you might get some satisfaction out of The Greatest Story Ever Told. For my money, I’ll stick to Nas or the latest from Ice Cube.
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.