Does David Banner practice his rhymes on the treadmill? The Mississippi rap vet didn’t miss a syllable when the “Hip Hop Live” tour hit Nokia Theater Saturday, cannonballing into the crowd during “Like a Pimp” and sprinting to the back of the venue for some face time with the “cheap seats.” Banner had tripped backward over a stage monitor only moments earlier, but for a show with oodles of stage diving, head banging and weirdly impressive somersaulting, his wipeout could have easily been part of the act. During “Play,” Banner hung from the rails of the balcony, looming 40 feet above the crowd, but thankfully did not attempt to reenact the finale of Pearl Jam’s “Evenflow” video. He did, however, cover “Smells Like Teen Spirit.” This, rap dudes, is how you steal the show — even when the bill is loaded with solid sets from B.O.B., Little Brother, and Talib Kweli, each backed by the Rhythm Roots Allstars. See ‘em all in our slideshow.
