9th Wonder and David Banner have circled November 9 as the drop date for their much-publicized first collaboration album Death of a Pop Star.
David Banner, who upgraded the project from its initial mixtape beginnings, will release the LP on his very own Big Face Entertainment imprint. Banner himself is not a fan of the proliferation of mixtapes from most artists, believing that they condition fans to a “free entitlement” attitude when it comes to music that takes thousands of dollars to create.
“We were like fuck giving somebody something for free! I’ll look you in the eye and say this mixtape shit is one of the things that’s killing rap,” he explained. “Mixtapes were supposed to be a little bitty precursor to buy the album, not the whole thing. Man fuck a mixtape! If y’all love rap music and the former music and want it to be your job or profession you have to pay for something. 9th Wonder beats cost something, a David Banner verse cost something; that shit ain’t for fucking free, dog.”
The title “Death of a Pop Star,” is not just a reference to today’s popular musicians, but a critique of the music industry which they feel will prevent or stifle the growth of future artists who aspire to be like a Michael Jackson.
“We were talking about the death of black music, [saying] it’s going to be hard for there to be another Michael Jackson or Chris Brown,” he stated. “9th said that’s what we should call it, Death of a Pop Star. We’re talking about the death of contemporary black music. From there it started.”
The lead single and video “Slow Down” will be followed by the Ludacris-featuring “Be With You.” The album’s other guests include Heather Victoria and Big Remo.
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A few years ago I interviewed David Banner right before the release of his last solo The Greatest Story Ever Told. He told me one of the benefits of the Recession was that artists were becoming more humble and willing to work together on projects. He cited his recent work with the RZA at the time as a perfect example of something that wouldn’t have been possible in say 1997 or 2000.
Ever since “Like a Pimp” gave the Mississippi emcee his first big hit, David Banner has struggled with maintaining his Crooked Lettaz-styled origins with mainstream accessibility. I think the 9th Wonder partnership allows him artistic freedom and takes that juggling act off his plate. What “Slow Down” and his Nike song “Evolve” show me is that Banner is not compromising his art in concern of how fans and critics will take it.
I have high hopes for this album and look forward to having it to close out 2010. If it takes off, maybe they’ll become an official duo. David Wonder, perhaps?
Beats, Boxing and Mayhem 