David Banner
David Banner
Lavell Crump, Lavell William Crump
David Banner is a rapper, producer, and actor from Jackson, Mississippi. He’s best known for his 2000s hits “Like A Pimp,” “Play,” and “Get Like Me,” as well as his production for other artists, including T.I.’s first top 40 hit, “Rubberband Man.”
Banner—whose real name is Lavell Crump—took his stage name from the TV series The Incredible Hulk. After graduating from Southern University, he started his music career as a member of the rap duo Crooked Lettaz before going solo in 2000 with Them Firewater Boyz, Vol. 1. In 2003, he signed to Universal Records and released his major label debut The Album, which debuted at No. 1 on Billboard’s R&B and Rap charts thanks to the hit “Like A Pimp.”
Banner released three more albums with Universal before the end of the decade. In 2010, he independently released Death of A Pop Star, a collaborative album with producer 9th Wonder.