David Banner & Static

Debuting as one-half of the rap duo Crooked Lettaz, Grammy-winning rapper, producer, and social activist David Banner helped put Mississippi on the hip-hop map in the late '90s. Born Lavell William Crump in Brookhaven, Mississippi, he chose his stage moniker after the name of the Incredible Hulk's human alter ego. With a vocal power to match, Banner went solo in 2000 and released his debut effort, Them Firewater Boyz, Vol. 1. Originally on Penalty Records, he realized quickly that a New York-based record label just didn't know how to handle the south. With the help of his crew...