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Rapper Urges Students to Protest His Exclusion

Photo credit: david-banner.com

By Gabrielle Maple
Black College Wire

Lavell Crump, a.k.a. hip-hop recording artist David Banner, was barred from performing at Southern University's 2003 Homecoming concert, and the former Student Government Association president says that, "I am mad because the powers at Southern are the same powers that were there when I was there."

"It is bad that a person has been blessed and has been so connected with Southern and the officials did me the way they did," Banner said.

Conflict between the administration, SGA and the rapper arose after WEMX-FM, a sponsor of the event, drew criticism from parents at a local high school after radio personalities distributed Banner�s "Mississippi: The Album" to students. The album carried a parental advisory warning of explicit language.

In an October interview with The Southern Digest, Vice Chancellor of Student Affairs Raymond Downs said he did not think it in the university's best interests to have Banner perform.

"Our community would not understand. I was not in favor of bringing him to our concert," said Downs. "We�re always fighting a battle with rappers and comedians that come here. This is a college campus, we have to exert some supervision."

Despite the rejection, Banner said that he still had love for his alma mater.

"I will still represent SU till the day that I die, but I really see that times ain�t changed," he said. "You have alumni who has accomplished a lot and is willing to give money back to their school. They want to call me up to get money, but won�t let me come back and represent my school. That is bad business."

Banner said that it is up to students to stand up to the administration to bring forth change.

He encouraged them to come together and voice their opinions.

"As long as they know that we don�t care about our rights, they can do anything. They can do anything with our money, do anything with our education. We have to set a presence," Banner said.

The bitter taste of rejection is still fresh in the mouth of the Jackson, Miss., native whose songs about growing up in the South climbed up the rap charts.

"I scream Southern everywhere I go, and I can�t even perform for my people and I was going to do it for free," Banner said.

However, he said, "I might just throw a concert outside of Southern and invite all of the students for free."

Gabrielle Maple, a student at Southern University, is editor in chief of The Southern Digest.

Posted Dec. 12, 2003