David Banner enlists T.I., Method Man and more for new album The God Box 2

David Banner is bringing Benny The Butcher, Westside Gunn, Method Man, T.I. and a long list of other guests onto The God Box 2, his follow-up to 2017's The God Box, after coming close to stepping away from music entirely.

The Mississippi rapper, producer and actor told AllHipHop co-founder Chuck Creekmur that acting, public speaking and technology ventures had nearly replaced music in his life before the pull of hip-hop brought him back. "As soon as I let it go and said I was done, everything came to my feet," he said. Since then, fans have been paying as much as $150 through a pay-what-you-want option on his website for early tracks, support Banner said could push him to release the full album for free.

The guest list for the project runs deep: T.I., Juicy J, Duke Deuce, Method Man, Juvenile, T-Pain, E-40, Bun B, Young Dro, Conway The Machine, Westside Gunn, Benny The Butcher, Lil Boosie, Akeem Ali and 2 Chainz all appear, alongside Erica Campbell of Mary Mary, Anthony Hamilton, Raheem DeVaughn, Eric Bellinger, Devin The Dude and Ali Siddiq.

Banner said he played the record for Big Daddy Kane before finishing it, and the response stuck with him. "This is actually Southern Hip-Hop," Kane told him, distinguishing the sound from artists who simply borrow a Southern accent. Banner called it one of the best compliments of his career, tracing it back to his roots as a battle rapper before he became known for production.

The album follows the recently released single "Where You From?," featuring T.I., Juicy J and Duke Deuce, which gave hip-hop fans their first taste of The God Box 2 before the full guest list came into focus.