Arts & Entertainment
 

Banner's follow-up full of hits and misses

By Chris Griffin
The Daily Cougar

Mosh pits and slam dancing are no longer strictly associated with rock music. Going to the club and hearing the latest from the Ying Yang Twins can get you a good workout, as well as beat up. Deemed by fans as "crunk music," this Southern style of hip-hop is rapidly becoming the most popular form of rap. The charts are topped with beats by Lil' John, anthems by The Youngbloodz, and Southern drawl by T.I. and Bone Crusher.

Ironically the Southern sound was once all about "slowing it down," but it now lives on drum speed and shouted choruses. The South is pumping out club-rattling music as fast as the songs can get overly eager, sweaty fans on the dance floor. David Banner knows as well as the others, that now is his time.

Just seven short months after his solo debut Mississippi: The Album, Banner is back with his second full-length MTA2 -- Baptized in Dirty Water. Similar to the East Coast triumph in the mid-to-late 1990s when DMX, Jay-Z, and Ja Rule were releasing three albums a year, Banner is riding on his popularity. Not only was his single "Like A Pimp" one of the best songs of 2003, but Banner is also highly sought after as a producer among Southern artists. But the artist's popularity can make a bad record sound much better than it is. MTA2 shows all the signs of being one of those records.

There are entirely too many guest appearances on MTA2, and it seems like more of a compilation spearheaded by Banner. "Talk To Me" features hometown hero Lil' Flip, and is one of the few good songs the album has to offer -- including a Banner beat that shows off his production prowess. Everything that features Devin the Dude is golden, and "Gots To Go" is no exception. Banner, Devin and UGK's Bun B take turns over a beat that makes one want to hop in the nearest Cadillac and take a long ride. "Lil' Jones" offers a guest appearance by Bone Crusher, and is a typical banger. Smooth guitar licks and excellent drum programming make this the record's best track. Banner and Bone Crusher show a chemistry that says they should consider forming a group.

Sadly, the good songs are great, but the bad songs are terrible. Unnecessary remixes of "Like A Pimp" and "Air Force Ones" are some of the reasons most of this album is filler. Surprisingly, most of MTA2's production was not handled by Banner, and this could be the reason for the music's lack of quality. Banner can undoubtedly be a respected rapper and producer for many years if he worries more about staying credible than staying popular.

David Banner

MTA2 -- Baptized in Dirty Water

Universal Records

The verdict: Banner's next should be a classic to make up for this.
 
 

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