MADEFEATURE
MADEXXXX
T H E E VO LU T I O N O F
DAVID
BANNER
MADE BY JASMINE BROWLEY
F
rom the outside looking in, it’s easy to assume that
life has always been good for David Banner. Since
the early 2000s, the multitalented rapper riddled the
Billboard charts with hits like “Like A Pimp” and
churned out memorable albums like Certified, The
Greatest Story Ever Told and Death Of A Pop Star,
collaborating with the late Pimp C and 9th Wonder. In
2012, Banner dropped the well-received mixtape, Sex,
Drugs and Video Games with appearances from Chris
Brown, Raheem DeVaughn, A$AP Rocky, Maino, Bun
B, Lil Wayne, 2 Chainz and many other notable artists
on the credits. But despite the success, he was still
deeply unhappy.
“For a long time, I was very depressed, even when
things were going extremely well professionally,” he
told MADE.
With the help of a licensed professional, Banner
realized that he was depressed while recording the
mixtape and was advised to immediately make some
spiritual changes in his life.
Through an intense introspective journey, Banner dis-
covered meditation and strengthened his relationship
with God. Shortly after, he shifted the way he rhymed,
pivoting from braggadocious lyrics about the ‘hood to
verses spotlighting social injustices. He then became an
advocate for holistic wellness and a voice for change.
What he didn’t become however, was passionate about
making music again.
“During that time, I wanted nothing to do with being
a rapper,” he said. “It just didn’t feed me like all of the
other positive things in my life were.”
How His Spiritual
After that realiza-
tion, Banner
Awakening
quietly quit the
rap game. So
Brought Him
much so, he
Back After
scrubbed his
entire library of
Quitting Music
music clean. All
that he had done
for Five Years and
musically up to
that point was
His New Project
sent to that little
trash can on his
“The God Box”
Macbook. Now,
after five years, he’s back with a new masterful piece
of work: The God Box.
While ordering a turkey burger and a side of brussel
sprouts from one of his favorite eateries in Atlanta,
the down-to-earth star spoke with us about the self
imposed musical exile, how The God Box is more
than an album and how his faith pulled him from a
deep depression.
MADE: According to your bio, you were homeless and
living in your van while pursuing a music career. Can
you walk us through how that time in your life was a
pivotal turning point, personally and professionally?
DB: I transformed the passenger side of my van into a
studio; that’s just how passionate I was about my mu-
sic. But to be honest, I wasn’t homeless because I had
to be...I had places to go. I was pursuing my master’s
degree at the time so I could’ve stayed on campus,
moved back home or stayed with the girl I was dating
but I wanted to do it on my own. Being homeless
was a conscious choice that I made. Either I was going
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