David Banner Promises “Super Space Age” Songs for T.I.

David Banner crafted one of T.I.’s first commercial hits in 2003’s “Rubberband Man.” The track’s uplifting organ riff injected a lighter sound on Tip’s, Trap Musik LP.

Now, nine years later, Banner hopes to change up T.I.’s sound again, this time crafting a couple of records on Tip’s upcoming and highly-anticipated album, Trouble Man.

“We got a couple of songs that we did so far…super space age,” Banner recently told XXLMag.com. “One of the things that I wanted to do for Tip is to help create a new sound because we did that with 'Rubberband Man.'"

“The industry was so dark at the time and [“Ruberband Man”] lightened it up,” the Mississippi MC and producer said. “To me, it was similar to when Busta Rhymes came out with ‘Woo Hah!!’ [Got You All in Check] in his time. [T.I.] was still talking about ‘wild as the Taliban,’ but the music was bright. I wanted to do something similar on this record in giving him a new sound, something you wouldn’t expect. So, yeah, I got a couple of records with him.”

With help of Banner and other producers, Tip’s Trouble Man LP seems to definitely be taking shape.

XXL recently reported that Miami producer Rico Love laced the Grand Hustle boss with a record called, “Tomorrow Here We Come,” which features Usher.

“It’s something new for Tip. It’s a more crossover feel to it, but it definitely has bass and a lot of bottom, so it gives it that bump,” Rico told XXL. “Usher comes in on the chorus and blows the record out of the water, man. I definitely wanted to go with something that had a immediate radio and club record feel.”

Trouble Man is tentatively scheduled for a summer 2012 release. Meanwhile, Banner's free album, Sex, Drugs & Video Games will be available for download on May 22.—Mark Lelinwalla