David Banner Speaks on Scoring Footloose Remake, New Street Fighter

David Banner has been dipping his feet in fresh waters lately. In addition to his usual hip-hop fare, the Mississippi veteran is also carving out a path for himself as film and video game score composer. XXLMag.com recently chopped it up with DB to find out about his extra-curricular activities.

It seems like the former Crooked Lettaz frontman, has quite a busy side hustle. "I just finished doing something for [the new] Street Fighter [game]," Banner revealed to XXL. "I also did the music for the Megamind trailer and the score for Footloose." Craig Brewer, the man directing the forthcoming remake of the classic 1984 Kevin Bacon movie, gave Banner his first acting gig in 2006’s Black Snake Moan.

Aside from rapping and producing for himself and others, composing film scores and commercials, like last year's "Evolve" campaign for Gatorade, has become part of Banner's steady gigs. He couldn't be more grateful for the unique opportunities. "I'm blessed, because not many artists get the opportunities that I get,” he said. “I'm so humbled for these opportunities. This is something I can do for the rest of my life."

Banner was recently inducted into the Mississippi Musicians Hall of Fame for his music. And though his collaborative album with 9th Wonder, Death of A Pop Star, is still fresh on everyone's minds, he's not resting on his laurels. The rapper/producer is still spending plenty of time on his first love, hip-hop. He's already hard at work on an upcoming solo album, entitled Trinity.

So what's on David Banner's agenda for 2011? "More commercials,” he said as well as a self-financed movie to be released via his film production company, A Banner Vision.—Henry Adaso