David Banner The Greatest Story Ever Told review
Does the southern Rapper's Album Live up to it's Name
Aug 7, 2008
Some critics have dubbed David Banner’s “The Greatest Story Ever Told” as a musical contradiction. Featuring a complicated mix of thought provoking and superficial songs, some say the rapper fails to convey a clear message.
David Banner Album Review
The 22 track CD starts off with the political track “So Long.”
“This is Bushanomics/George is a modern day Ronal Regan/I pray to God in the midst of pagans – niggas I’m just saying/When do we stop playing? When do we stop pimpin and start sprayin?/ Fifty shots for every cop that popped Sean Bell his body laying/But they acquit – cause they know our generation won’t do sh*t.”
The problem seems to come with the second track (and many of the other subsequent tracks) “G.S.E.T Intro” in which Banner says he’s bringing “the old Banner back.”
But that is exactly what he does with “Suicide Doors” featuring UGK and Kandi, “9mm/Speaker” featuring Akon, Lil Wayne, and Snoop Dogg, the painfully poppy “Get Like Me” featuring Chris Brown and Yung Joc, and Shawty Say” featuring Lil Wayne.
Although all four track bang (with the exception of the cookie cutter “Get Like Me”) it is at times hard to see the originality in them. Especially with the “Lollipop” sample in “Shawty Say.”
But Banner does redeem himself by cooling listeners down with a 2 minute and 11 second interlude with T.I. simply titled “T.I. Speaks.”
He then picks up the pave with the bon a fide bangers “Hold On,” “Cadillac on 22’s (Part 2),” and “I Get By.” The perfect testament to Banner’s talent, “Hold On” features his skill of detailed storytelling. “Cadillac on 22’s (Part 2)” shows his eclectic use of the piano while still keeping it gritty with the lyrics.
The track “A Girl” may be fan’s only disappointment with the grade B+ CD as it is almost identical to his 2005 whisper hit “Play.”
All in all, “The Greatest Story Ever Told” is a good (but not excellent) album. But is it really the greatest story ever told? No. Is it a damn good one? Sure.
"The Greatest Story Ever Told" Track Listing
1. “So Long”
2. “G.S.E.T Intro”
3. “Suicide Doors” featuring UGK, Young Dro, and Kandi Burruss
4. “9mm/Speaker” featuring Akon, Lil Wayne, and Snoop Dogg
5. “T.I. Speaks” (Interlude)
6. “Get Like Me” featuring Chris Brown and Yung Joc
7. “Shawty Say” featuring Lil Wayne
8. “A Girl”
9. “Syrup Sipping”
10. “Hold On”
11. “Cadillac on 22’s (Part 2)”
12. “Uncle Swac”
13. “I Get By” featuring Carl Thomas
14. “Freedom” (Interlude)
15. “B.A.N. (The Love Song)”
16. “**** You Hoes” featuring Jim Jones
17. “Marz (Banner Beat Break)”
18. “Ball With Me” featuring Chamillionaire
19. “K.O.”
20. “Fly”
21. “Faith”
22. “Wealth (Banner Beat Break)”
The question now becomes: Tupac is considered one of the best rappers to ever live partly because of his ability to tell stories from the perspective of everyman, the father, brother, womanizer and drug pusher. So is it really fair to come down on David Banner for doing the same?
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