2 Ban


		2 Ban Throughout the world of Moonlight Radio, we believe in giving each of our artists as much to say in their own words as possible, and with 2 Ban, we think we have come across a true individual. We have had a huge response from this exciting new artist and think it's worth sharing with you. Check out the articles below for more information. Also, see his website at www.2ban.co.uk. Also, you can hear music from 2 Ban at our Listen Live page: The current track playing is Against All Humanity with many more to follow. In his own words: "An absolute re-instatement of good clean integrity in this pursuit of life experience we all indulge in. We all share a common root , and through our presentation as Ban2 Label we have painstakingly put together a project that will ensure that humanity has no options apart from assimilate it’s actual role within creation. Root’s Hip-hop is the graduation of an entity, whereby the primary concern is for the progression and development of all within the entity’s domain. Life is an experience that all subjects encapsulated in this experience share as common. Towards this reality we all owe our loyalty. We should utilise all our ingenuity to relate common ground. We should thus relate our make up to one another explicitly using our most disciplined accounts of our own experiences, to allow others to harness the lessons that may well be gotten from others experiences. The world is rapidly becoming a compact community, and yet there within that compact community is a dynamic diversity. This diversity is best catered for by feeding it with a uniformed consistency of that which is not diverse. To exercise that diversity is in our collective interest, Roots Hip-Hop has been constructed with a view of relaying educational material of human historical relevance. This together with the grounding of the narrators origin and heritage thus, we have a vestige that can attempt to open up a deeper integrity in us all as a human family. Material is available in a variety of format, with the progress into using other formats that will make available the historical content that is on offer. The material is sanity to the human child and that unites us all. There is nothing that should keep us from learning about ourselves. The material can be used as adverts between programs, in lecture rooms to fuel intellectual research, in the community to relate to our common situation, continentally to understand our participation; it is beautiful to observe the material come to life in us all. The lyrical content can be combined with any film footage of anywhere and still retain authencity because it is n actual living motion that we all experience at one time or another , so the compositions are embedded with territorial hallmarks just like humans. The objective is that we all have a story to tell and it is good to participate when your story is being told, not by yourself but accurate none the less. In our material we teach each other skills in how to use the ability of mind over matter. Thought process over impulse of action, and this is the commodity we at Ban2 label bring on offer, a thought process that should establish tolerance for a diverse compact community. We welcome the improvisation that may duly be expressed by yourselves in view of where you see this material should be aimed, but we expect to gain commercial exposure due to the nature of the material. It highlights our commercial life experiences in the same thought provoking way." Review: Made in Africa and unleashed in the UK. 2Ban drops this 13 track album with stories of slavery and about how much little has changed today for African peoples. Just from reading his bio this rapper has experienced everything from civil war to poverty. He was born in Uganda and moved to UK at the tender age of 10 seeking refuge from the external problems that was facing him at that time. The first track that I was feeling was "Selah Akbah" which starts off with quirky island style keyboards that help the track get this eerie feel. 2Ban is not a bad emcee, in fact he delivers his lyrics quite well with confidence and keeps you hooked throughout the track as he tells his story. What I like is that he does not take on the American accent which is what a lot of African emcees do. Anyway so what I like is that he has a message. He doesn't mess around, he tells his story to you directly. He wants to wake the African people's up and show them what colonialists have done to them. On "Personality" you cannot help but stay focused on the track. He delivers this track with such a lot of passion and the chorus is painted with African vocalizations. Take a couple of listens to this track because it's takes a few listens to get into it, but once you get into it you will feel the intensity. Another one I liked is "Love We Made" where he takes the process of love making and makes it sound totally interesting. One of the nicest tracks on here is "My Reign Of Wisdom" where he raps about social issues over a well produced reggae tinged beat. Overall this is good album and that you should check this for his good fact telling abilities. His strength is in keeping you listening. He has a message that he is desperate for people to listen to. I was impressed with many of the tracks on this album just for the messages contained in here. I feel that people of all races can learn alot from this album. I leave you with a verse from from one of the tracks: Negroes were obtained by barter Sold out by our own fake arse rulers Or tribal chiefs in West Africa In exchange for cowry shells and copper Slavery was a lucrative trade For the empire or to put it straight If you weren't dark then you were safe Added: March 12th 2003 Reviewer: Milkdaddy Review: 2 Ban is an individual with a lot of drive and ambition. So much so that this is manifested in quite a unique approach to getting his material out there. He understands that if he continues to put out dope tunes recognition will eventually come his way. To facilitate this he his putting out many of his tracks in the public domain. The reason for this is that small scale record production is not really going to make anyone any money and should probably be counted largely as a promotional activity, with the artist taking opportunities to make money more from live performances, where if you put in the work the rewards can be quite substantial. So back to the public domain nature of the music. What this means in reality is that 2 Ban will actively encourage people to bootleg his material, heck, he'll even supply the cover artwork if you want. What this means is that any head who wants to make a few beans can get up and sell 2 Ban's stuff - keeping the revenue for themselves. 2 Ban feels that this can only be beneficial to him, especially in the early stages of his career. Before we get into looking at the music, I have to apologise to 2 Ban for dragging my heels over getting this written and up on the site. This is going to become a more common apology I think as everything is just getting too busy. So what we have here is a full 13 track LP created by UgandaBefore we get into looking at the music, I have to apologise to 2 Ban for dragging my heels over getting this written and up on the site. This is going to become a more common apology I think as everything is just getting too busy. So what we have here is a full 13 track LP created by Ugandan born 2 Ban and finished as far back as 2002. With all the experiences he has endured during his life so far he has a great deal of subject matter to explore and is most definitely concentrating on deep meaningful lyrics and is not interested in superficial blinging. There are some very serious messages on here, a real education if you choose it to be, however it is presented in an accessible way. The opening track is hard hitting and opens the LP as it is set to continue. Refugee Child breaks down the story of his child hood and how he had to leave as a refugee as a child to escape the fighting and bloodshed. Throughout the LP the production is very much synthesiser and drum machine based, rather than breakbeat and sample based. In a way I feel this type of production requires more musical skill, mostly because individual notes and riffs need to be played, or at least composed and arranged in the sequencer. Track two, Selah Akbah follows and draws the listener further into what 2 Ban is offering. Selah Akbah opens up with some steel pan sounds that are heavily effected. The buzzing bass fades in and out of the melody on this slow tempo track which has a distinctly original sound and feel. The lyrics are just as deep on here, exploring African history and the the struggles people can endure there, especially oppression and unjustified imprisonment. As if to emphasise the nature of the lyrics 2 Ban occasionally adds a gruff element to his delivery. Personality changes up the production a bit with pianos brought into the mix and some African chanting / singing in the intro and choruses. The synthesiser bass remains and 2 Ban's rapping make this a recognisable track. This track explores many of the facets of 2 Ban's youth that went towards building his personality, relationships with his father, but overridingly, the malevolent environment of a country in turmoil. Against All Humanity raises the intensity both in terms of harshness of the production, but also in terms of the energy of the delivery. 2 Ban is letting his anger out at racism and pointing out how this should be unjustified, especially when one considers all the great things Black people have contributed to civilisation and the society in general. Interracial relationships and the subsequent persecution and torture of the black party are exposed as well as facts like the appalling average age of slaves could hope to live to. This is an enraged tirade, but at the same time a track that many people can learn from. Musayi Gwa Muzei is a track in which 2 Ban looks at the political situation in West Africa and looks at the failings in many of the leaders over the last half century or so. H also looks at how Mussolini also committed horrific acts in the reigon and how his fathers blood was shed fighting tyranny and oppression. Come Correct eases the vibe a bit as the LP continues. A more smoothly produced track offers some suggestions for the future of how people can make things better. There are still serious messages in this track, but it appears sugar coated when compared to some of the other tracks where reality is beating into you verbally. Love We Made follows and continues the smoother middle of the LP before we get to the title track - Walk A Mile In My Shoes! Walk A Mile In My Shoes! Is 2 Ban's story, and sort of summarises the rest of the tracks. The remaining tracks dish up more of the same, Remember Me with it's choral backing, My Reign Of Wisdom with it's Harpsichord, more natural sounding bass line and social commentary and Cold Heart Lover which is like Love We Made part 2 and features a repetitive horn sound. The final track Under Pressure rounds off the LP at a lengthy 6 and a half minutes. All the tracks on here are full lenght. There are no fillers here. As with so much product coming from the UK accent will be a hotly contested debate and I'm pleased to say that 2 Ban is rapping in his own accent, very much his local accent, but with a fair few African influences as you would expect. Many African MCs adopt a US accent as used to be the case over here as well. 2 Ban's approach heralds a growth in confidence of Hip Hop artists from the African continent. His flow is pretty similar throughout, but makes a solid foundation upon which to base an LP on. If anything I feel some of the production was a bit electronic and samey, and I'd definitely like to hear 2 Ban over some more sample based tracks, perhaps a selection of guest producers. Never the less, he has produced a thought provoking offering, and he has a lot to say. It is refreshing to hear from someone who is taking their responsibilities as a role model and educator as well as entertainer seriously. This album is autobiographical. It is a journey that Rai2Ban has travelled from his then troubled country of Uganda, through Kenya and ending up in the United Kingdom at the age of 10.He has since performed and produced great music. His brand of hip-hop has political messages and a great deal of social commentary. he calls it roots hip-hop as it is deeply rooted in Uganda , the country of his birth. Rai2Ban is currently in South Africa to look into the local music industry here. "I am not here to establish myself in the local music industry because I am already established back in the united Kingdom. "I am here to share the wisdom with my fellow Africans, sisters and brothers. "I am here so that we may enlighten each other on a number of issues affecting all of us as human beings and Africans in particular," he says. Most of the tracks on this 13-track album are a mirror into to his troubled past and his triumph over social instability in Uganda that saw him flee to the United Kingdom. This comes through in Refugee Child, My reign of Wisdom, Under Pressure and Walk A Mile In My Shoes. This is great stuff. 4. 2Ban (Uganda/UK) - Walk a mile in my shoes (2Ban, UK 2003) This is an interesting concept in Album marketing. 2BAN's album 'Walk A Mile In My Shoes' is free. This is the Open Source version of album releases. You can copy, sell and redistribute the album as many times as you wish as long as you mention the original author 2BAN. All the preceding information aside, 2BAN's story of hardship and struggle is not unlike that of many other African refugees in Europe. Having grown up in London, this Ugandan born MC gives us a taste of his reality. Stories of African history, slavery, Black Consciousness and a dialogue with 'The West' about their past misdoings inform 2BAN's lyrics. On one very autobiographical track, 'Musayi Gwa Musei', 2BAN speaks about his father as he spits: Mwami musoke / You are always my hero / I talk this big of my daddy / He unleashed this Sebbo / Bukulu me/ I express the life that has / Been lived by a deferent / Generation / He left home after mama died / Age of nine joined as a foreign / Legion to defend this land of mine / Age of sixteen lied his way / To being eighteen / Plus the English that he speak / Mutesasira / Was freshly landed on the scene / Lance corporal / Now he the platoon leader / And where the battle be / Engaging enemies / Early nineteen forties / The battles at gonad / I tell you now these were / The first rastafari soldiers / Defending Bantu people from / Invaders / The enemy was led by / Mussolini / And here to resist was / His imperial majesty / Haile Selasie / Its good for me to be / Omwana wa muzee / With such a rich history / That's why I'm giving enough / Thanks ndi / Musayi gwa muzee / The blood of my father. This album is richly packed with African historical jewels for your mind. I can't help but think that this is the kind of album that everybody needs to give a listen to, if only for the history lesson. There is not much I can say about this album that is not said by the artist himself, he drops a lot of knowledge. Check for more info on 2BAN at www.2ban.co.uk. Reviewer: Edward Tsumele Sunbuzz - 26/05/03 Album Track Listing: 01 - Refugee Child 02 - Selah Akbah 03 - Personality 04 - Against All Humanity 05 - Musayi Gwa Muzei 06 - Come Correct 07 - Love We Made 08 - Mile In My Shoes 09 - New Day Bro 10 - Remember Me? 11 - Reign of Wisdom 12 - Cold Heart Lover 13 - Under Pressure