True To The Game might just as well serve as a good example on teamwork and mentoring. The compilation is a collaborative between Stadium Entertainment Corp, a new music and entertainment founded by a trio of music industry vets, and the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum, a non-profit organization which stands to receive part of the proceeds from this project. True The Game will "feature combining the talents of successful and prominent recording artists with new talent." Indeed, indeed. February 2009!
David Banner is an anomaly to those who have closely followed his career. He went from pushing the crunk movement on an underground level in 2000 with Dem Firewater Boyz to reaching the masses with the Universal release Mississippi: The Album in 2003. His breakthrough single Like A Pimp kept crowds rowdy but its followup Cadillac on 22s, a letter to God wasn’t met with the same grand reception. Since signing a major deal he has been walking the line between making righteous music to save souls and achieving success with more easily digestible songs that people seem to love.
Record Author(s): David Banner
Record Title: Certified
Record Producer(s): David Banner, Craig Love, Lil' Jon, Cyber Sapp, Michael Crooms (pka Mr. ColliPark), Jazze Pha, Kevin Rudolf, Get Cool, Maestro, Chris Flame, Mike Hartnett, Down Beat Production Collective, Billy Hume & Jake Arnorld
Executive Producer(s): God
Release Date: September 20, 2005
With Certified David Banner is at a crossroads with whether to "keep it real" or become an even bigger household name. The album opens with the rock tinged Lost Souls demonstrating a concern for the disenfranchised, but many may not hear past the hook: "this is for my thug niggas, all the pimps and the drug dealers, thieves and the motherfucking killers." Frequent Banner collaborator Lil’ Jon contributes Treat Me Like, keeping things crunk as ever.
Few hip-hop albums intended for mass audiences in this day and age are without a song or two for females. Certified manages to satisfy this quota and then some, a far cry from Banner’s prior work. The raunchy single Play is a part of the new genre dubbed "intimate club music" (in the same vein as the Ying Yang Twins Wait), and guest appearances from Jazze Pha, Case, and Jagged Edge make certain the needs of women listeners are taken care of.
David Banner isn’t without help in attempting to make this effort as big as it can be. Twista appears on the high energy On Everything where they combine forces to defend their South and Midwest territories. Gangster Walk is a moment in history as Memphis veterans Three 6 Mafia and 8Ball & MJG have never been on record together prior to this song. Talib Kweli and Dead Prez are on the conscious Ridin fighting for freedom and Ain't Got Nothing featuring Magic and Lil Boosie denies men and women asking for money.
Certified is to be commended for its creativity and experimentation with different sounds. This displays an attempt at rising to stardom but long time fans may wonder if there has been a changing of the guard between the split sides of David Banner’s musical personality. Newer fans should be well pleased by the balance between maintenance of crunk and the more commercial styling inherent.
