David Banner
Rapper-producer David Banner was one of the major forces behind Dirty South rap's breakthrough into the music mainstream in the early 2000s. He took his name from the scientist whose uncontrolled anger would transform him into "The Incredible Hulk." It was a fitting analog for the energetic producer-MC and his explosively gruff vocal style. Banner made a name for himself as a solo artist and produced T.I.'s 2003 single "Rubberband Man," which became one of the biggest hits in the history of Southern rap. Banner has consistently reached across the regional lines that have often divided hip-hop--even in the midst of the Northeast's dismissal of his work as a musically shallow fad. He collaborated with outspoken New Yorker Talib Kweli and held out the ultimate olive branch when he agreed to produce a track on "Digi Snacks," Wu Tang-mastermind and vocal crunk-critic RZA's third album as Bobby Digital. On "Death of a Pop Star," Banner's concept album with hip-hop scholar 9th Wonder, he explored the demise of soul music. Banner sees the rise of West Coast rap as bolstered by the parallel success of gritty urban directors like John Singleton and hoped a move into acting could expand the cultural impact of Dirty South. After a small part in the controversial 2006 film "Black Snake Moan," he co-created the Mississippi-themed animated pilot "That Crook'd 'Sipp" and starred in the 2010 revenge thriller "The Confidant."