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Danny!

Danny!, also known as D. Swain (born August 18, 1983 in Killeen, Texas[1]), is an American hip-hop performer and record producer from Columbia, South Carolina, a former student of the Savannah College of Art & Design[2][3] and, most recently, a recording artist for Definitive Jux Records[4]. Garnering praise -- and fielding minor criticism -- for being an atypical rapper relying on sampled tracks, Danny! released five self-produced studio albums, three instrumental albums and even a greatest hits[5] compilation prior to his affiliation with Def Jux. He is often seen wearing his trademark oxford shirt and pinstriped necktie, a fashion style he adopted during high school.

Danny! is most notable for his critically-acclaimed self-released albums Charm and And I Love H.E.R., the latter named by ABC News as one of the best 50 albums of 2008[6]. L.A. Weekly has called Danny! "the best new artist that Def Jux has signed in recent memory"[7].

Biography

Early Career (1999 - 2001)

Danny! began producing at an early age, but by the time he was 16 years old[8] he had developed a style all his own courtesy of the keyboards and sequencers his mother would buy for him[9]. A hobby he had only intended to pursue "for fun", Danny! began to take producing music seriously when he sold his first beat at age 17. Following his initial reluctance to rap, he started penning his own lyrics and eventually recorded makeshift songs first on his boombox (via cassette tape), then later on his personal computer. Early Danny! songs mimicked rapper Eminem's multi-syllabic shock lyrics; Danny! has openly admitted to copying Eminem's flow early on.

File:Danny Drake Thank Me Later.jpg
Performing live in Atlanta, Georgia.

College Life (2001 - 2003)

After high school Danny! matriculated at Claflin University, a liberal arts college 50 miles from his hometown of Columbia, and enrolled in the college's fledgling "Call Me Mister" program. While at Claflin Danny! began to stray from the keyboard-crafted beats he was known for and started experimenting with sampling, eventually becoming inspired to work on an album of his own. Danny! has stated that hearing a demo version of Freeway's "What We Do (Is Wrong)" for the very first time was the definitive point in which he decided to incorporate samples into his production[10].

A campus-wide grade-changing scandal[11] forced Danny! to leave Claflin University in November 2003, just as he was putting the finishing touches on his debut album, then titled The Danny Swain LP. Though no proof or evidence was ever presented, Danny! was accused of orchestrating a scheme in which 300+ students' grades had been altered in exchange for money, and was expelled from the university.

Post-Claflin (2003 - 2006)

After spending nearly a year rebuilding his reputation and networking with local rappers back home, Danny! released his debut album, now renamed The College Kicked-Out, in late 2004. The record's content would become overshadowed not by Danny!'s dubious past, but by those who panned the effort as an amateur version of Kanye West's own debut album, The College Dropout[12]. Critics felt Danny!'s style of production at the time, which heavily utilized pitch-altered vocal samples, was far too similar to West's. Artists in the Columbia area ridiculed Danny! and refused to continue to work with him, which Danny! would allude to in much of his later work.

Danny! was later accepted to the Savannah College of Art & Design and relocated to Savannah, Georgia accordingly[13]; it was here that he began to work on his second project, F.O.O.D. Highly bothered by the reception to his debut album, he spent much of F.O.O.D. verbally attacking his detractors. Otherwise decent songs on the LP were overshadowed by the out-of-place, retaliatory tracks. Nevertheless, Danny! began to develop a moderate following -- albeit primarily on the internet -- and fans began to praise him for his production efforts, usage of satire and, at times, humor that ranged from quirky to self-deprecating.

Breakthrough (2006 - 2007)

In March 2006 Danny! officially released his third and allegedly final LP Charm, a concept album in which he has credited the song "Poor Charlotte" from The Miracles' City of Angels record as his inspiration[14]. The album was notable for featuring an underlying theme of escapism, narrating the story of a musician who wants to achieve success through music and be reprieved of the day-to-day routine in his hometown. The protagonist, which is believed to be Danny! himself, dreams that he actually becomes famous and wealthy, only to realize towards the album's closing that perhaps fame wasn't meant for everybody, particularly him. The album ends with the musician awakening from his dream, only to be approached by a label executive shortly afterwards. Lauded by a variety of music critics, Charm went on to become Danny!'s biggest success and, ironically, help make the entire premise of the album come true in real life.

In late 2007 Danny! revealed the name of his upcoming fifth album, And I Love H.E.R.. The pseudo-soundtrack's cover is clearly homage to the Beatles' poster for their 1964 film A Hard Day's Night.

Charm and selected tracks from the album made their way onto the shortlist for the Grammy Awards of 2007[15], making Danny! the first hip-hop artist from South Carolina to achieve such a feat. Shortly before the Grammy recognition, Danny! quietly released an instrumental album, Dream, Interrupted, abroad. A sequel, Dream, Fulfilled, was also released overseas in April of the following year[16]. Both albums, which Danny! has jokingly referred to as "sensationalized beat tapes", are extremely rare; only a small number of copies exist stateside and are thus highly sought after in the US. Rumors of a third and final installment to complete the trilogy -- Dream, Extinguished -- swirled for months before Danny! actually confirmed its release in the wake of And I Love H.E.R. being delayed. However, Dream, Extinguished was abruptly withdrawn the day before its release.

Present (2007 - )

Despite his success, Danny! had long insisted that Charm will indeed be his final album as a solo artist. Citing such reasons as a desire to finish his education, an oversaturated market and a fickle audience, he had mentioned in various interviews that he had no plans to ever release another record commercially. However, in January 2007 Danny! finally received his big break when he received a recording contract with Definitive Jux Records by proxy[17]. The record deal "forced" him out of "retirement" to record an album for the Def Jux label and release a 12" single -- to be accompanied by a music video slated for an exclusive premiere on mtvU -- with fellow Jukie Mr. Lif.

The project would be mysteriously delayed for several years before a single, titled "Just Friends"[18], was finally released by Definitive Jux in early 2009. Despite a glaring absence of promotion from the label Danny! increased his musical output and self-released a staggering six records in a year-and-a-half span, of which only two were actual studio albums (Danny Is Dead and And I Love H.E.R.). Danny! would continue to gain acclaim on his own merits, appearing on URB Magazine's website as part of their "Next 1000" campaign[19], as well as features from Pitchfork Media[20], Okayplayer[21], Allmusic[22], Complex Magazine, VIBE, Rolling Stone[23], BBC News, Scratch Magazine, Creative Loafing[24], The Fader, IGN[25], XXL Magazine, Northern Express Weekly[26], Popmatters[27], Blender, mtvU, Billboard[28], Spin, L.A. Weekly[29] and the Village Voice. The self-promotional DIY approach has since been mimicked by other underground rappers such as Mickey Factz, Kid Cudi and Charles Hamilton, albeit slightly more successfully.

To date the outspoken producer/rapper remains reclusive, reportedly working on his Definitive Jux debut album aptly titled Where Is Danny?. In early 2009 Spin revealed that the record would be yet another departure from Danny!'s musical direction, sounding much like "[a] cross between Madvillainy and The Marshall Mathers LP[30]".

Discography

Main article: Danny! discography


Studio albums

Album Year Producer(s)
The College Kicked-Out 2004 Danny!
F.O.O.D. 2005 Danny!
Charm 2006 Danny!, Alex Goose, G. Test
And I Love H.E.R.: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack 2008 Danny!, Alex Goose

Instrumental albums

Album Year Producer(s)
Dream, Interrupted 2006 Danny!
Dream, Fulfilled 2007 Danny!
Dream, Extinguished 2008 Danny!

Compilations

Album Year Producer(s)
21st Century Masters: The Millennium Collection: The Best of Danny! 2007 Danny!
Behind The Beats, Vol. 1 2007 Danny!
Behind The Beats, Vol. 2 2007 Danny!

EPs

Album Year Producer(s)
Danny Is Dead 2007 Danny!

Singles

Album Year Producer(s)
"Just Friends" 2009 Danny!

See also

References

  1. ^ Jeffries, David (2006-03-11). "Danny!: Biography". Allmusic. Retrieved 2008-09-11. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  2. ^ "Dean's List: Hosted by Danny!". mtvU. 2007-04-08. Retrieved 2008-09-11. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  3. ^ Stoehr, John (2007-01-28). "Local Student Wins MTV Award". Savannah Morning News. Retrieved 2007-09-11. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  4. ^ "Jukies: Danny!". Definitive Jux. 2007-01-28. Retrieved 2008-09-11. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  5. ^ "Danny!: 21st Century Masters - The Millennium Collection: The Best of Danny!". MTV.com. 2007-10-11. Retrieved 2009-03-17. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  6. ^ Raible, Allan (2009-01-02). "The 50 Best Albums of 2008: Nos. 25 to 1". ABC News. Retrieved 2009-01-11. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  7. ^ Weiss, Jeff (2008-08-01). "The 10 Best Hip-Hop Albums Of The Half-Year". L.A. Weekly. Retrieved 2008-08-17. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  8. ^ Jackson, Deborah (2009-03-11). "Military People: Danny Swain". Military Hub. Retrieved 2009-03-21. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  9. ^ Jeffries, David (2006-03-11). "Danny!: Biography". Allmusic. Retrieved 2008-09-11. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  10. ^ Fresh, Dee (2008-02-22). "Interview With Def Jux Artist Danny Swain (a.k.a. Danny!)". Thirty-Three Jones. Retrieved 2008-09-11. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  11. ^ Hughes, Megan (2003-11-14). "Claflin University Subject of Grade-Fixing Controversy". WIS News. Retrieved 2005-02-08. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  12. ^ Brown, Amena (2008-03-20). "Bigger Than Buzz: Creating Your Own Mania". Performer Magazine. Retrieved 2008-09-11. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  13. ^ Jeffries, David (2006-03-11). "Danny!: Biography". Allmusic. Retrieved 2008-09-11. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  14. ^ Suss, Ginny (2006-08-18). "Charm". Okayplayer. Retrieved 2009-01-02. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  15. ^ Brown, Amena (2008-03-20). "Bigger Than Buzz: Creating Your Own Mania". Performer Magazine. Retrieved 2008-09-11. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  16. ^ "Danny!: Dream, Fulfilled". Rolling Stone. 2007-01-26. Retrieved 2007-02-01. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  17. ^ Welte, Jim (2007-01-26). "Danny Swain wins mtvU/Def Jux contest". MP3.com. Retrieved 2007-02-01. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  18. ^ "Danny!: Just Friends 12"". Definitive Jux. 2009-03-10. Retrieved 2009-03-11. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  19. ^ Ciotti, Corey (2007-07-12). "Next 1000: Danny Swain". URB Magazine. Retrieved 2009-02-08. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  20. ^ Patrin, Nate (2007-08-02). "Danny! News". Pitchfork. Retrieved 2007-08-04. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  21. ^ Suss, Ginny (2007-07-17). "Danny! Is Dead!". Okayplayer. Retrieved 2007-11-04. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  22. ^ Jeffries, David (2007-02-27). "Allmusic Spotlight Archive: Danny!". Allmusic. Retrieved 2009-03-14. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  23. ^ "Danny!: Discography". Rolling Stone. 2007-10-31. Retrieved 2009-02-28. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  24. ^ Howard, Jacinta (2009-04-28). "Don't Sleep On Danny!". Creative Loafing. Retrieved 2009-05-01. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  25. ^ Leonard, Alfred H. (2008-10-27). "Five Underground Producers You Need To Know". IGN.com. Retrieved 2009-03-29. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  26. ^ Kates, Kristi (2008-09-17). "Danny!: And I Love H.E.R. (4Play)". Northern Express Weekly. Retrieved 2009-03-29. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  27. ^ Catania, Chris (2009-04-20). "Flavor For Your Ear, Eventually". Popmatters. Retrieved 2009-04-24. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  28. ^ Purdom, Clayton (2008-06-27). "And I Love H.E.R.: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack Album Review". Billboard. Retrieved 2009-03-11. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  29. ^ Weiss, Jeff (2008-12-17). "The 25 Best Hip-Hop Songs of 2008". L.A. Weekly. Retrieved 2009-03-17. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  30. ^ Coscarelli, Joseph (2009-03-26). "Lone Star State (Of Mind)". Spin. Retrieved 2009-03-28. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
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