While the South dominated the hip-hop scene in 2005, it was through a somewhat different sound than what was popular in 2004. Good old-fashioned crunk music was almost nowhere to be found, traded instead for the chopped and screwed sounds of the Swishahouse family, or the so seductive invention of Mr. Collipark’s “intimate club music”. David Banner himself was apart of this movement, with his innovative “Play”, which packed a four-alarm fire beat, while the Mississippi native traded his usual rah-rah for some whispery dirty talk. 

    However, while the cover to “Certified” features a suited-and-booted David Banner, don’t expect the rest of the album to be all smoothed out. Banner picks up the slack where Lil’ Jon left off, exemplified on the ridiculous “Treat Me Right” (feat. Jadakiss), or wild-out anthems like “On Everything” (feat. Twista) and “Ain’t Got Nothin’”. But Banner’s unapologetic growl can take its toll on the listener, so thankfully he switches it up from time to time. The aforementioned “Play” and the dark drive-by soundtrack, “Certified”, both find the grizzly bear mellowing out a bit for a change of pace. But Banner is in top form when applying some substance to his music, such as on the opener “Lost Souls”, where he explains his motivations, or the controversial “Ridin” (feat. Talib Kweli & Dead Prez), where he and his guests speak openly on race relations. 

      While these tracks make for a pretty decent record, much of the rest of the album gets lost in a pool of confusion, attempting to mesh styles that usually wouldn’t/shouldn’t go together. “Two Fingers” for instance, features a rousing “Tipsy” inspired beat, however the club vibe is killed immediately by Jagged Edge’s lousy hook. “My Life” is another introspective joint, but just like “Fuckin”, it’s ruined by strange R&B crooning of profanities. Maybe it’s just this critic’s ear, but belting out your best notes to words like “n****s” and “fucking” just doesn’t work. But it’s probably better than Banner trying to sing himself, as he does on the syrupy “Thinkin’ About You”, where he and Case get smooth (ugh). The closing number, “Crossroads”, is another failed attempt at crossing genres, as Banner teams up with rockers Grout, who try to force this mash-up into working.

     In today’s day and age of making a song on album to please every type of listener out there, rather than making it true to what the artist believes it should sound like, David Banner’s Certified suffers from trying to please all of the people, all of the time. It should be noted that there are a few joints on the record worth the price of admission, but unfortunately they can’t carry the whole weight.