Death of a Pop Star

Another in the crop of one rapper/one producer collaborations that have been dropping all over the place in 2010, *Death of a Pop Star* pairs up North Carolina producer 9th Wonder (Little Brother, Justus League, Jay-Z, Destiny\'s Child, etc) with Mississippi hit maker David Banner, for a short but sweet project that has critics and fans alike equally impressed. 9th is generally associated with chilled out, sample-saturated beats, while Banner is known for his highly aggressive, over-the-top vocal style. What may sound like a curious combo on paper works extremely well; together, they rub off on each other perfectly, resulting in a conceptual project that is neither too crunk nor too low-key. Far from your standard Dirty South anthems, the ten tracks here give 9th a chance to stretch out and deviate from his usual style (he also flexes on the microphone a bit), while Banner unleashes a flurry of rhymes that are insightful, intelligent, and profoundly entertaining.

First collaboration from this unlikely combo-- one of southern rap's more idiosyncratic realists meets one of the key flame-keepers for golden age boom-bap.

A surprise pairing, for sure, but there’s a great chemistry between rapper David Banner and producer 9th Wonder on Death of a Pop Star.