David Banner/9th Wonder - Death of a Pop Star *

Artist:

Banner, David

UPC:

099923213024

Description:

Recording information: BrightLady Studios, Raleigh, NC; Premier Studios, New York, NY.
Photographer: Annette Navarro.
A surprise pairing, for sure, but there`s a great chemistry between rapper David Banner and producer 9th Wonder on Death of a Pop Star. The former Little Brother member adjusts his production style a tad, but it`s Banner that totally shocks, successfully flowing in an introspective style if he needs to deliver a message and then switching into brute mode when he needs to drive words through thick skulls. He`s got plenty to say too, as the opening "Diamonds on My Pinky" ponders "Boys club closing while they building P.F. Chang`s" while the slow-rolling highlight "The Light" warns of both the death of hip-hop and society itself with "Rappers is turnin` into singers/Preachers touchin` the kids." Wonder`s beats are the kind of top-notch, scratchy soul he excels at, but the real attraction here is Banner`s coming off as a more layered and complicated artist than previously, with every rhyme he spits being a step in the right direction. Even when things get easy and romantic, he is the reason the Ludacris feature "Be with You" is an above-average bedroom number, and when it comes to getting soulful with Erykah Badu, "Silly" is the symbiotic proof he`s more than able. All that said, Death of a Pop Star has morphed from a mixtape, to a full album, and then into this final, rather short release, and while it`s sold as a conceptual piece inspired by the end of music industry, it does go off topic without warning. In the end, Death of a Pop Star seems like a sampler for something much bigger, but fans of innovative hip-hop will still be thrilled to hear that Banner has joined their ranks and taken a position on the front lines. ~ David Jeffries

Track Listing:

DISC 1

1. Diamonds on My Pinky
2. No Denying (Channel 3)
3. Mas 4
4. Light, The
5. Slow Down
6. Be with You - (featuring Marsha Ambrosius/Ludacris)
7. Stutter
8. Silly
9. Something Is Wrong - (featuring Lisa Ivey)
10. Strange - (featuring Big Remo)

Album Information

Release Date:

12/21/2010

Type:

Performer

Genre:

R&B

Subgenre:

Southern Rap

Label:

Bigface

Catalog Number:

EOMCD 2130

Original Release Year:

2010

# of Discs:

1

Studio/Live:

Studio

Mono/Stereo:

Stereo

Runtime:

30 : 34

Guest Artist:

Heather Victoria; Marsha Ambrosius; Ludacris; Anthony Hamilton; Erykah Badu; Lisa Ivey; Big Remo

Portions copyright 2005 Muze Inc. All rights reserved.