David Banner vs. Al Sharpton: It just hit the fan!

This is about to get some national coverage. Has the reverend been attacked his viciously yet throughou this whole "lyrics" issue?

I'm not sure the words that Banner chose are going to score him/y'all any new supporters. It might get current ones pumped, though, I suppose.

Sad all around.

Oh, Lord. A permed-out pimp. Oh, Lord.

Hmm.... This smacks of Imus.

There are plenty of y'all with that phrase on the tongue, eh?

I think it's a little different from Imus. Not good, but not the same as Imus.

So pimp is bad now? Good!

I'm... underwhelmed. Doth Banner protest too much or something?

Cut Sharpton some slack. You know it's hard out here for a pimp.

You're right.. It's completely different from Imus. He's white, and talking about a girl. This guy is black, and is talking about another male black. Gotcha.

Can we just say "Stupid all around?"

"permed out pimp" is pretty funny, but the rest of Banner's diatribe just makes him look like an angry jackass.

This is *so* not the same as Don Imus using his radio show to attack a bunch of college age women. Sharpton's an adult, and deliberately puts himself in the midst of controversy, as does Banner.

I read the article. I thought it was pretty funny. Maybe Banner is angry? I'm angry too. Banner brings up a good point about the execution style murders in New Jersey. Why isn't Jesse and Al up in arms about that instead of trying to ban 3 words?? Please.

what an angry jackass!

this is awkward because I was just now playing my Queen's CD with "Another one bites the dust" on it.

Cut Sharpton some slack. You know it's hard out here for a pimp.

hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha

Banner is our boy and all, ut what he needs to realize is that when he talks badly about Al's hair, he's also talking about James Brown, Al's mentor.

He can talk about Sahrpton and be alright for a minute with me. But I be damn if he's going to badmouth the legacy of James Brown. "Good God." " I wanna jump back and kiss myself." "I can't stand it, when you touch me." "Get up off of that Thang and start releasing some pressure." "I feel good."

Rap deserved some criticism. Sharpton is trying not to be a hiphopocrit with the Imus and Rap matters.

Banner, Al, Jesse...do not speak for me as an American or as a black man born and raised in the great state of Mississippi! They and others like them never have and never will represent me and my thoughts on religion, politics or any other subject! Al and Jesse have, for the most part, fought the wrong battles. There are many other socio-economic issues that plaque our community and bickering with one another is certainly not going to solve any of them. I was born in 1971, raised by ONLY my mother (she and my father divorced when I was about a year old) in the Valley North sub-division in North Jackson. I have listened to hip hop/rap all my life and somewhere during that time I graduated from Tougaloo College, have a great job, have been married 14 years and have two daughters (both with the same woman)! I see David’s point but I think that he is handling the issue all wrong...

Banner is a hypocrit...he made a song like a pimp....but that was just Al's theme music...

Al - 1
Banner - 0

Has Banner taken a position on the Jena 6? He went to college in Louisiana, right?

Banner is our boy and all, ut what he needs to realize is that when he talks badly about Al's hair, he's also talking about James Brown, Al's mentor.

I saw pictures of James Brown on CNN when he had his 'fro for a little while. I wish he kept it. It really looked good on him. I wonder what Sharpton would look like with a short 'fro or low fade.

I have listened to hip hop/rap all my life and somewhere during that time I graduated from Tougaloo College, have a great job, have been married 14 years and have two daughters (both with the same woman)!

Hey, I'm an Eagle/Bulldog too. What was your major, Big Tee?

Banner calling Al a pimp when rappers have made pimping as popular as waking up in the morning. Who's pimping who? I'm a bulldog/eagle too, Big Tee.

Has Sharpton apologized for his position on the "Duke 3"?

Didn't he take his position before it was revealed that the D.A. screwed it up? I really don't know that case in and out.

Also, one does wonder if Banner is simply against permed pimps, but others are OK. Who can keep up?

Has Sharpton apologized for his position on the "Duke 3"?

Haven't heard about one.

L.W.
Political Science and received my Gerontology certificate as well.
Class of 94!
Tougaloo Eagle Queen we love thee!!!

Ray,
I knew I liked you and now I know why!

Mother Eagle stir thy nest!!!

I met the two main lawyers for the Duke boys in San Francisco nearly two weeks ago. They represented the team captain, and believe it or not, the youngest and least experienced of the lawyers was the one who read all of those documents and figured out the DNA didn't match the Duke players but several other people. They forced him to do the cross examination of the DNA expert because he was the only one who had read those thousands of documents which unraveled the mystery and broke open the case. Being young and inexperienced is not necessarily a defect in every case.

Thanks Big Tee. Ignore that error I made above. Hopefully, Mrs. Johnson doesn't read my writing.

Big Tee, you're killing me with the alma mater. Tougaloo is the only school I've even been to where memorizing a school song was an academic requirement. :-P

BTW, Class of '96, Math/Computer Science.

Rout thine eaglets to the breezes,
They enjoy the teeeeeeeeeeeeeeest.

Tougaloo is the only school I've even been to where memorizing a school song was an academic requirement. :-P

What is this, Lean On Me?

Class of 78. Likely with your parents. Did Al say the Duke boys were guilty or he had evidence of it? Otherwise, what is he to apologize for?

What is this, Lean On Me?

ROTFL. Not quite. Tougaloo ain't nothin' like Eastside High.

Also, one does wonder if Banner is simply against permed pimps, but others are OK. Who can keep up?

haha..who knows...but one thing is for sure..his comments further polarizes the generations of black people who prefer Miles Davis over P.Diddy.

what a moron.

I just heard from some of Al's people. Apparently, they read the JFP too.
Al said to tell Banner, "PRIMPING ain't easy either, check with the women on this." His camp further says to tell Banner and the Rap community that while they acknowledge "pimping ain't easy, it shold is sleazy."

Ray, I think that Al and/or Jesse called for the players to get jail time if they were convicted.

I really believe that parents first then uncles, aunts, cousins, folks in the church, etc. are all responsible for the actions of our children. Children need to know that we care! Talking about it isn’t enough! Just the other day I was in Northpark Mall looking for tennis shoes with my girls and there were several boys grouped together making a lot of noise and whistling at girls passing by. I politely asked them to stop and asked how they would feel if what they were doing was done to their mothers or sisters…three apologized and thanked me for mentioning their actions and two cussed at me and walked off…but I tried. I believe that being raised by my mother has made me a better man and since I have only girls I feel complied to speak up when I see young men doing the right thing and when they are not.

No, the Loo is no Eastside but Dr. Olabode sure could sing ‘Happy Day’!!

oops...compelled :-)

Wonderful Big Tee. Many of us are afraid to even chastize these knuclkheads these days. One of my friends in the TC Class of 1980 said he was pulling up to a service station to get gas recently when one of those young fools said, "move that damn car so I can go first." He said he just drove on to the next station. We said where is your manhood, you gonna let those boys punk you out. He simply said he had 2 children to finish raising and get through college so passed on that one.

I indeed agree the verbiage may have been a little harsh but it definitely got Al's attention and its high-time someone did. laughter, methinks you may be one of those professional Banner haters that run around Jackson. He and Jesse need to quit charging folks to hold rallies and actually get off into these streets and start helping some folks. They definitely don't speak FOR me

It was more than harsh. It was funny. You know like the pot calling the kettle... Or a pimp calling another pimp a pimp. Banner must have had a bad day before choosing those words. Neither is likely a pimp in actuality, but they operate in the pimp game or often act or pretend to be a pimp. So whers does that leave us and them.

Ray, I agree with your friend. You have to pick and choose your fights. Kaze, I agree with you as well...we have to start at the grass root level.

"permed out pimp" is pretty funny, but the rest of Banner's diatribe just makes him look like an angry jackass.

This is *so* not the same as Don Imus using his radio show to attack a bunch of college age women. Sharpton's an adult, and deliberately puts himself in the midst of controversy, as does Banner. <<<<kate

Aight time for the Queen to chime in....first of all, take a seat folks, I find that I agree with the statement above by kate (yes Kate). However, I must say that although Banner is doing little to come across as intelligent, surely one can understand his frustration. I mean sure it affects all rappers when they are being brought under the fire (and I am not going to go all the way with that); but for Banner it's different.

For some reason people don't understand this. Not only is Banner a black man trying to make money legally by offering himself - as complicated and as much as he is still a work in progress - he is also from the worst of the worst - MISSISSIPPI. I am certain that he feels a bit more passionate about this friction with Sharpton than rappers who haven't been fighting this discrimination, racism thing as much as he has. And not to mention it, now not only is he defending himself to the white racists who blame hip hop for everything, but here comes Sharpton. I totally agree that he is attracted to controversy and I agree that Banner is as well. However, this is ultimately a shame and a knock right back down to were we started for to public figures (AFRICAN AMERCIANS) to be going at it in this fashion. Why can't they just let us have this music? It is NOT going to change. They CAN NOT stop these folk from saying the words that they choose. Even if they did, as Sharpton proposes, we would just get it by other means. Why? Because that's what the people want. Sorry it's not cute. But it is what it is.

So Banner, although I think you're a bit erratic, I'm still with ya bruh. If you wanna get a MILLION HIP HOP FAN March together....let's do it!!!! IF Jackson and Sharpton can march, hell, so can we.... FIGHT THE POWER!!!!!

I should clarify that Banner has a right to be angry. I'm not a fan of degrading lyrics, but I'm not a supporting of this idea of "banning" certain words.

My wish is that Banner, being that he's a musician/lyricist/poet, could have come up with something a little more expressive than all the "s*** my ****" that was quoted in the article. I mean, any idiot can use that language. If he wants to be taken as an "artist", then he should expand his artistic vocabulary. Also, as a mississippian, I want him to get a little more sophisticated in his insults, since he's representing the state on the national stage. Like I said, 'permed out pimp' was pretty funny. Too bad the rest was just crude and unimaginative.

My favorite Sharpton moment ever was his "interview" a few years back on the Daily Show. He didn't show for the interview, so Stephen Colbert pretended to be him, and Jon Stewart interviewed him. it was hilarious.

Queen, et al, Al's people emailed me again saying "they're not sweating at all, because they have already heard about a brotha trying to gain mo' ground by being lo' down, and that's nothing new to them." They further said they're all for the march and will meet y'all half way of the National Mall in D.C. or any dark alley way. I then asked if they really knew these ganasta rappers as well as they thought. Anyway, I'll be on the sidelines looking and praying we have enough black folks left to carry on. I wonder what would the double march be called?

Uh.... Two Million Man march? With actual estimates coming in at 200k, tops? :D

We had more than that at each march. Stop listening to sly as a Fox for your news and counting, Ghost.

Besides, Ironghost, Two Million Man March leaves out Queen and her entourage. I hope she tells you off.

Ray, dude. Don't insult me by saying I watch Fox News all the time. I don't even think Fox News was around during the first MPM. That figure was batted around a lot, all the major media outlets and the National Park Service. I don't think anyone's actually come close to the "Million Carbon-Based Lifeform March"

Kate, again I totally agree with you. It makes it hard for his very sound opinion to be heard when he making statements filled with hardcore profanity. I totally agree. I am not excusing that. It would be nice if he would use all the manners Mrs. Crump taught him when he is defending himself. However, things like this happen in the heat of convo. I mean, as a Mississippian it would have done my heart better had he completely humiliated the man in a tactful, dignified manner. You're right on that. Sometimes, as I've learned here, when you bark to hard, the other dog gets the bone because you're too busy barking. Right?

Ironhost's comments about the "million man march" does resemble the misinformation of the lying liars on Fox News. The Center for Remote Sensing at Boston University analyzed photos of the March and discounted the National Park Service estimate of 400,000 attendees. The BU estimate was of 837,000 with a margin of error of plus or minus 20 percent...meaning it could have been as low as 670,000 or as high as One million. Why do THEY hate the truth? <http://www.bu.edu/remotesensing/Research/MMM/MMMnew.html>.

I'm a fan of Banner's and I agree with him completely. Banning certain words for rappers is ridiculous. Why just rappers? Is it OK for rockers to simulate sex on a record, having orgasims on songs now? Al Sharpton is a media hog who doesn't know when to let it go ... and the hair needs to go. However, with Banner's obvious intelligence and education, he could have outwitted the Rev. Media Hog with words. The foul language wasn't needed.

Let's just call it what it is for both sides involved...a publicity stunt.

both need attention at this point.


someone up there call me a professional hater? not me. I just don't do well defending stupidity, but you seem to have it down so you're free to continue.

What intelligence is that? If rapper had intelligence they wouldn't spew the feces and garbage they spew on a daily basis. Not only do rappers not have any soul, the don't have hearts either. Rappers have denigrated the black women more than any racist ever have. Rappers have poisoned our children more than any Klansman or racist ever has. Rappers, by and large, are dumb surrogates for white racists just as black conservatives like Walter Williams, Shelby Steele, Thomas Sowell, Armstrong Williams, Jessie Lewis Peterson and many more are. The latter group is not dumb but hates black folks and are simply on the take for what they can personally gain. If they told the truth about racist white people there positions would be instantly taken away. Not all white people are racists. Many millions of white people have overcome racism. Kamikaze and a few more rappers are exceptions to this surrogate claim, but the majority are not exceptions in my opinion.

I'm not talking badly about Al and Jessie anymore. You will never see these southern white boys bad-mouthing Jessie Helms, Strong Thurmond, Trent Lott, James Eastland, Ronald Reagan, Karl Rove, et al, all of which have clear racist legacies. Of course you won't see it, they know they're not supposed to bad mouth people they support or have furthered their goals, aims and desires. The JFP writers will talk about them and so would Tom Head, but not many more.

Banner acted like a moron in his comments on Sharpton. No ands and buts about it. I forgive him and hope he will soon see a bigger picture. I can make a strong argument that he did it to impress the white boys who he knows buys his records. Al and Jessie have done many wonderful things for many wonderful causes. They are not mere hustlers as racists as racists and dumb negroes and others like to call them. Sure they get on people's nerves running from place to place. It's almost always for a good reason.

Ray, what'd you put in your coffee this morning? You're coming out fighting, today...

I'm alright Kate. Every now and again, I take it upon myself to tell folks the hard-core truth. Furthermore, it unnerves me to no end, to see southern white men and boys run all over themselves to criticize Ike Brown, Al Sharpton, Jessie Jackson, Frank Melton, et al, and not say a darn thing ever about known white racists and white a__holes of all sorts and types. Yes, I know exactly why this is the case. It's because the past is not dead. The past isn't even the past.

I'm nit saying these and other black folks don't deserve criticism. I'm simply saying lots of other people do too. Until I see some of that also, I will play a similar sick game.

Those rappers/crappers simply make me sick. I want to support and encourage them to be all they can be, but their gross ignorance and cooning makes it difficult for me to side with them.

wow Ray, those are harsh words for an entire genre of young black men don't you think? your finger pointing is misguided to say the least.

You probably cuss like a sailor when in the privacy of your own home. should your kids throw you out with the bath water too? no.

I see nothing wrong with ANY of the language in hip hop today. why? because my parents grew up on the same thing...from Millie Jackson to Willie Nelson. it's just entertainment.

this banner guy is just one badexample of how NOT to respond to someone like Al or Jesse. His immaturity got the best of him and now his foot tastes like chicken.

I've heard Motley Crew records more vile and promiscuous than most hip hop records.

so again I say....a publicity stunt is all this is. no need to get ruffled out of place Ray. just treat it like an old episode of Amos & Andy and relax.

The latter group is not dumb but hates black folks and are simply on the take for what they can personally gain.<<<<Ray

Ray, I feel you. I'm a little confused though on exactly what your point is. To the statement above, I have to ask, do you not think this statement is reflective of Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton. Thing is, all of these people are in it for selfish reasons. I think as wilworkforfood mentioned, this was a publicity stunt on the parts of all involved. Especially Banner. As you all know I "rydes 4 DB" but in this he is just adding fire to a flame that seems continuous. Banner, in his own way, is trying to educate. Yes, I know many have a problem with his tactics, as people do with Frank. But ultimately in all his crappy choices and his ridiculous antics -- FRANK IS TRYING TO HELP YOUNG BLACK FOLKS IN THE COMMUNITY. He is loosing respect because he is trying to (as Banner has claimed he is doing) trying to "carry the city (in Banner's case - the state) on his back". Doing this leads to discredit in the community because you can't save the community alone. Banner is making that same mistake....although in the purest of hearts.

I can not go along with such a broad generalization as rappers by and large are idiots or ignorant. That's a crack that's simply unrealistic. They may not be as informed on tact and grace as we would perfer, but ignorance isn't the word I'd use to discribe them. Again, Banner is probably one of the most equipped rappers to stand this battle with Sharpton. I doubt that he can debate with Banner and not come out looking like a mad old man -- at least to us. So, he's not ignorant by far....

Ray, you know how you come on here sometime and ALL your comments are filled with sarcasm and humor. I could make the judgement that you are a sarcastic idiot who doesn't really care about issues, but just like to spark flames. However, there are times when you come on here and spew nothing but knowledge. As you've done above. You're not that way all the time. SO, why would you make a statement about a rapper using profanity in their lyrics or in the mist of confusion and controversy, as being ignorant. Just like you can turn your level of frustration on and off here, what's to say they can't do the same. It is their job. How they make money. How they feed their families. That does not mean that they are "that" way. And the thing that gets me with all these "rap haters" is that they are trying to say this is influencing young minds, well I differ. I believe that by and large WE (who listen to this music - as many rap haters DO NOT) KNOW that this is ENTERTAINMENT. Yes even the young ones. Actors are not faced with having to defend the roles they play. That's there job. They selected the part. Why are they not held to that same regard?

Excepting Kamikaze and a few more rapper does amount to the entire genre, laughter, right? Good thing your screen name is laughter because your comments above surely make me laugh. Not because they're funny though. You don't get it all, do you? Nor do you want to.

Mind you, I do laugh when I hear something funny, and take notes and learn when I hear something educational or intelligent.

This entire rap thing...blaming HIP HOP for everything is ---get ready --- just another form of control. This is a young, black thing. It's a culture. It's freedom. If the people who run this country didn't b!tch about rap, who else would get the blame. If it were as white as rock and roll, it wouldn't be happening. As I have stated before, where is the blog and the media on blaming rock and roll for the walking tragedy that is Lindsey Lohan, Paris Hilton, Courtney Love, Nicole Richie, Brittany Spears................why is it that rockers are not being brought under the fire for influencing these young white girls for carrying coccaine and using heroine; and being IN AND OUT of jail REGULARLY; and having babies just for the hell of it; being alcoholics by the tender age of 21; passing out in clubs and on stage....

This is an extension of slavery people. It's only happening because it's related the the black experience. Your statement that the past isn't the past is probably the most true statement I've read in this blog. Face it, it boils down to this music BELONGING to black folks, and thus makes it subject to ridicule and blame for everything since in the minds of most white folks WE ARE THE PROBLEM. To that I say LONG LIVE RAP and love live BANNER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Laughter, I agree with your last post...nicely put!

But ultimately in all his crappy choices and his ridiculous antics -- FRANK IS TRYING TO HELP YOUNG BLACK FOLKS IN THE COMMUNITY.

Frank is in it for the money and the power IMHO. I've lived here too long not to know what motivates this guy. so they must follow the same model given your assessment.

Let me put it like this, laughter....Frank has a selfish agenda as well. He may be using this "let me help these kids" as a front for his greed, but still he is working to help these kids (or at least somewhere deep within he has a resemblence of desire to help these kids). Personally I don't think Frank's objective is money. I think his objective is power. Frank wants to OWN this city. He has devised a well thought out plan to control this entire city. But still and all, he has some sort of connection to them...I'm still trying to figure out what and if it's legal, but it's a connection.

Ray, you go all the way from supporting a couple rappers and levelling the playing field with white boos boos, and back all the way left to dogging out 99.9% of YOUR black sons...get over yourself.

"Something's are better kept hidden behind the hole in your face."
- Grandpaw

Thanks Queen. I call many rappers ignorant because they either don't know how base, vile and hurtful they have been to black folks or they don't care. I aver it much of both. Money is the driving force for almost all of them.

Banner is not a test or comparison to Al Sharpton. Al is a talented and brillant person. He proves it all the time in debates with skilled journalists and debaters. So is Jessie. Banner isn't that. Banner isn't even a Chuck D, Common, Mos Def or the likes of other brillant rappers. I agree he's smart, but he's not ready for the skills of Sharpton or Jessie or the likes. Nor does he have a principled position here.

The problem I have with many rappers is that they don't know crap about our history of struggling in this country for justice, survival, human respect and dignity, nor do they care. All they care about are the benjamiins for themselves and their circle. Not only will they denigrate the black woman, they will denigrate Sharpton, Jessie, Dr. King, Rosa Park, and the list goes on, to sell records.

I haven't wrongly criticized rapper at all. I have tolerated their utter bull for decades just as other intelligent blacks have without calling them out. Had it not been for Dr. King, Jessie, Al, Rosa, Fannie Lou and many more, they wouldn't be able to do this cooning and make money. I demand some responsibilty, respect and change.

Now, I'm not dumb enough to get lost fighting rappers and letting the buyers of rap go free of criticism. Nor am I dumb enough to ignore the other problems of racism we still face. Rappers and supporter will rarely mention the problems associated with white racism except to say they are rapping about poverty and conditions in the black community that is caused by a larger power struggle. You won't hear many say a word about white racist politicans or leaders or racist purchasers of their records. They don't want to offend those they know mostly buy their records. This is why I say they're surrogates for white racists just like black concervatives such as John McWhorter. They do it differently but the results are the same. They perpertrate negative stereotypes and images of us as keeping it real, not as any entertainment, with few exceptions.

While I might be a jokester, and like to have fun, you want see me denigrating black women, poisoning black males, furthering negative and irreparable stereotypes and perceptions of black folks. Instead you will see me catching them, pointing them out, challenging them, and proving black folks can be funny, loving, compassionate, perceptive, discerning, friendly, engaging, diverse and quite intelligent at the same time.

I'm still laughing Laughter. For the same reason too. Believe me, Queen, I've heard that weak bullcrap before. Do you have anything new? I still love you though.

But still and all, he has some sort of connection to them...I'm still trying to figure out what and if it's legal, but it's a connection.


oh that's simple..Jackson is mostly elderly people who are used to sitting on the porch sipping mint julip relaxing. and what's the best way to get them to support you? fear. fear of crime, fear of drugs, fear of thugs(black boys), fear of everthing that's not "right" in Jackson. and It's going to take the kids of these elderly people to change this thinking in them. only then will Cowboy Franky be ousted and sent back to his ranch in Texas.

this is why papers like the JFP are important. the youth have a voice now. time to use it.

didn't mean to vere off the subject but....

And yes, Queen, I do show that I have sarcasm too. It's good for us. Most of it? Some of it? A little bit of it?

Ray, what planet are you from, exactly? where you dropped off in place of those other coo-koos who left with Hale Bop?

I found this quote by you hilarious:

I demand some responsibilty, respect and change.

I thought I was reading a canned transcript from "M.A.S.H."...hahaha

Laughter, I'm from pluto, mars, jupiter, earth and the other ones I can't remember. Been out of school too long. I was just having fun with you, Laughter. Hopefully, we're still buddies.

I think both David Banner and Al Sharpton would do good playing a pimp role on the big screen.

They could co-star in a film entitled The Pot Calling The Kettle Black.