Don’t exactly know what this is all about, as the Def-Jux-affiliated artist D Swain was supposed to release this album for sale later this month. Now all a sudden, it’s up for FREE download. Click below to download Danny!’s “Where Is Danny?” for FREE:

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Danny! “And I Love H.E.R.” Album Review
“Like them young boys say, let’s keep it real” (credit Eddie Murphy in Life) – the game is overly saturated. Saturated with 60% of wack emcees and producers; 20% lukewarm ones; 15% of those who are “almost there but often overlooked”; and 5% of the hottest, highly promoted the movement has to offer. After listening to Danny!’s “And I Love H.E.R.,” I’m not quite sure where he believes he fits in (not that he should box himself in). But the bottom line is that Danny!’s talent sits at the top 5%, but his name lags behind; and I believe the game is partly at fault.

A portion of the first verse on the opening track Intro says it all in regards to D. Swain’s motivation and inspiration behind this project:

Great Scott jeepers!/
Only thing that changed was my crates got deeper/
Big shoes to fill – word to Aesop’s sneakers/
Supposed to be with Jux/
But I just don’t give a fuck/
What the fuck am I supposed to do?/
Bills don’t pay themselves/
On the shelves where they kept me at/

It’s easy to hear and read the frustrations throughout his album. Danny!, an independent artist who puts in his heart and soul into his music, goes above and beyond to promote his projects; he finally gets with a legendary indie label; but yet gets shafted because they don’t believe in him as much as he does – so they shelf him.

As victimizing as it may sound, I can only rely on his side of the story. It’s a common thing; many artists go through similar obstacles in their careers. Some recover from it and press on, others give up and quit. Danny! is one of those artists who apparently doesn’t quit but just gets better; using his frustrations as motivation to press on.

With much pirating and album sharing these days, from a hip-hop label perspective I can understand why they shelf some new artists compared to their veterans. Push the artist you know will sell, and shelf or promo the others. Sucks but, again, the game is dying business-wise because not many are buying music anymore. First, CDs went out the door because of new mp3 technology, and now paid mp3 downloads because of the Zshare, Rapidshare and sites alike where people can share their music and other files. What is an artist and label to do? Strategize and press on …

At any rate, this album bangs. When I saw Danny! on the list to get reviewed, I knew the sample selection and drum sounds would be sweet, and I wasn’t let down. Relying heavily on ‘70s jazz and disco-style rhythms along with brief interludes, “And I Love H.E.R.” blends like a musical.

Lyrically, Danny! is a witty dude, talking about everything from life’s frustrations, his love for hip-hop and how he is a different artist from the rest. His creative style meshes well with the other artists in my iTouch rotation. Break out tracks include I Want H.E.R., Wanderland and Never Change.

- ScholarMan

Album Track Listing:

1. Intro
2. Guess Who’s Back (feat. Naledge)
3. I Want H.E.R. (She’s So Heavy) (feat. Brittany Bosco)
4. At What Price (feat. Maria)
5. Jet Set
6. The Groove
7. Not The One (feat. Kid Syc)
8. Misery (feat. Collette)
9. Intermission (interlude)
10. Wanderland
11. Where You Goin’ (feat. Maria)
12. Never Change (feat. Kid Syc and Branden M. Collins)
13. I Don’t Know (feat. Von Pea and Stephanie Mae)
14. Yoko Ono (feat. Che Grand)
15. Do You
16. After The Love Has Gone
17. Keep Dreamin’

This is that second list – our favorite hip-hop albums from cats you’ve probably never heard of. The list below represents the best albums underground hip-hop had to offer in the year 2007 from what we consider minor independent record labels and unsigned artists. We highly recommend checking them all out!

The Best Underground Hip-Hop Albums of 2007:

1. ScholarMan – Candy Medicine
2. Ohene – Inner City Soul
3. Bisc 1 – The Stay Up Project Mixtape
4. Danny! – Danny Is Dead
5. Andromeda – Blue Collar Music
6. Y Society – Travel At Your Own Pace
7. Panacea – The Scenic Route
8. TrueBless – Mission IsPossible
9. Domer – Work With Me
10. C.O.N.C.E.P.T. – In the Moment
11. Random – Mega Ran
12. Core Rhythm – Nat Turner Reloaded
13. Sirah – Clean Windows Dirty Floors
14. Symmetry – Dusty Pickup
15. Super Chron Flight Brothers – Emergency Powers: The World Tour
16. Amsuno – Animated Stagnation
17. Propaganda Anonymous – Todo Corazon
18. Creature – Hustle To Be Free
19. brokeMC – Make It Better
20. Beyond Reality – A Souls Journey

If you haven’t done so already, pick up each album on this list. They are all examples of dope conscious underground hip-hop! Click here to view our list of the top 10 albums from artists you probably have heard of. Happy new year and PEACE!

Danny! “Danny Is Dead” Album Review
What would you do if you won a nationwide MTV rap contest, signed a record deal with one of hip-hop’s most respected and highest quality labels, and had a couple months to kill before beginning work on your soon-to-be-world-famous album? I know what I’d do homie. I’d jump a flight to Hawaii, get me a nice tan, sip Mai Tais on the beach during the day, and spend the evenings entertaining ladies who I would make sure knew I was on my way to becoming a star. Shit, who wouldn’t?  

Well, Danny Swain wouldn’t. After winning MTVu’s Best Music On Campus Contest, signing a deal with Def Jux, and being listed under seven categories on the Grammy Awards short list, Danny! the producer-emcee went right back to the studio. No celebration. No vacation. Not even a single Mai Tai. Because of this, I was feeling “Danny Is Dead” before I even listened to it. The fact that this album even exists proves not only that Danny remains unfazed by his newfound stardom, but also that his work ethic, which we so observantly wrote about in our review for “Charm,” is intact and stronger than ever.

And you know what else is ‘intact and stronger than ever’? Danny’s skills yo. Despite being just eight tracks and a short 30 minutes long, “Danny Is Dead” is in my opinion D. Swain’s best work to date, and clearly demonstrates not only his ability to improve as an emcee and producer, but also his intention to evolve in his craft and continuously redefine himself through his music. It was actually kind of ridiculous, because throughout the course of the album I found myself confusedly staring at my iPod screen after virtually every track, continuously thinking I had mistakenly put the setting on scramble and was listening to someone else – because the tracks were that much different from the Danny! I recalled.

Shoot For The Sky
Overall, the production on “Danny Is Dead” was much more instrumentally influenced and sample-inclusive than the production on “Charm” was. The beats boast several varieties of string, key and horn sounds while simultaneously incorporating impressive turtablist interludes, in-your-face scratching, and samples from classic Mos Def, Biggie and A Tribe Called Quest tracks. And lyrically, Danny seems to have tightened up his flow in a way that creates crisper and more-focused lyricism. He has completely developed his own voice, and now stands out as an easily distinguishable emcee on the mic. With just a little development, Danny has gone from dope underground emcee and producer to superstar material – just like that.

Now You’re Back challenges the notions of what fans and critics have painted Danny to be in light of who he really is, proclaiming that although “the media insists that I stay hood,” he “never was to begin with.” The World Is Yours is an inspirational track that allows Danny to reflect on the highs and lows of his career before coming to the following conclusion about what’s possible in life:

The world is yours baby and that’s the truth
Don’t never let nobody tell you what you can and what you can’t do
Cause in this life you only get a chance or two
Don’t take these dreams for granted make your plans and move
The world is yours baby all you have to do is try
You’re bound to reach the stars if you just shoot for the sky

Danny Definitely Ain’t Dead
And the rest of the album was no less impressive. Rhyme Writer Crime Fighter shows Danny on a straight lyricism / turntablism combination, switching from quick rhymes to quicker scratches. Press Conference is an entertaining lyrical back and forth that allows Danny to play both interviewer and interviewee in a musical press conference. Café Surreal, Pt. 2 and Fly, Pt. 2 are both remixes of two of the standout tracks on “Charm,” which demonstrate Danny’s versatility and ability to reinterpret and reinvent his old material. And Check It Out is a nostalgic remake of and tribute to A Tribe Called Quest’s Find A Way, and offers a moment of silence to the late, great J Dilla.

“Danny Is Dead” is an enjoyable listen and an exciting sign of what’s to come. Part reminiscent of his career thus far, and part tribute to historical hip-hop, the album should be just enough to hold Danny’s ever increasing fan base back until his Def Jux project drops later this year. In the meantime, the best advice I can give the kid is to take a much-deserved break and get some rest. Shit, drink a Mai Tai or two. Because if “Danny Is Dead” is any indication of what we can expect later this year, D. Swain can expect classic hip-hop status, as well as a nonstop onslaught of fame and notoriety in the near future. Peace.

Album Track Listing:

1. Now You’re Back
2. The World Is Yours
3. Rhyme Writer Crime Fighter
4. Press Conference
5. Cafe Surreal, Pt. 2
6. Fly, Pt. 2
7. Check It Out
8. Outro (Dead…?)

As winner, Danny has received a digital EP deal with Def Jux, a video premiere on mtvU, and a collaboration with Mr. Lif and other members of the Def Jux crew.

Danny couldn’t possibly have landed in a better spot than Def Jux, a label run by artists that should give him creative control of his upcoming digital release. Danny’s stellar production skills, mic skills and work ethic combined with the Def Jux influence should yield an impressive, perhaps groundbreaking, album.

If you haven’t already, now is definitely the time to check Danny out. Click on the links below to catch up on Def Jux’ newly signed artist:

• Danny! Website
• Def Jux
• HHL Review of “Charm”
• mtvU’s Best Music on Campus Contest

Danny! “Charm” Album Review
I saw the most amazing documentary a couple weeks ago. It was a Frontline special called “The Persuaders,” and it was all about the world of marketing and advertising. The part that really intrigued me was a segment filmed in Times Square, New York, mainly due to the fact that I had spent the previous week in NYC and made the crazy walk through the busy, crowded streets of Times Square. While there, I remember being annoyed at all the people crowding the streets, and overwhelmed by all the ads, posters and billboards competing for my attention.

According to “The Persuaders,” the Times Square scene is a perfect representation of what marketing experts often refer to as “advertising clutter.” This clutter of ads and billboards often causes people to build defenses against advertising so that it all blends together and they don’t notice it anymore. The documentary followed the philosophy of many marketing experts, that a company’s ability to break through this advertising clutter would determine its success and growth in the future.

This made me think about the growth of Hip-Hop Linguistics. I mean, as the website has grown in traffic and popularity over the past year, it has become much more difficult to keep up with all the independent releases unsigned artists are sending us every week. Shit, man . a year ago, we were lucky to get an album a month in the mail. These days, we’re likely to get a new album every day.

Breaking Through .
Now although everybody is amped about the growth of the website, this increased visibility has made it much harder to give every album a good listen and fair chance at a review. And in turn, this makes it much harder for unsigned hip-hop artists to get their name out. More and more, rappers have got to “break through the clutter” somehow in order to get posted on the site.

I guess that’s why I immediately liked Danny!’s “Charm.” Danny seemed determined to break through the hip-hop clutter. While most cats just drop us an album and never holler back, Danny was in constant communication with me, giving all kinds of information about where his album and lyrics could be found. While most cats get upset if I tell them we’re not going to review their albums, Danny showed nothing but appreciation for us taking the time to listen and reply. The kid even threw me a couple ideas for review topics, something no one has ever even thought to do.

And to be honest with you, I couldn’t help but be impressed by this. What many underground artists don’t realize is that hip-hop is a business. In order to succeed, they have to work hard, invest a lot of time and energy, and promote themselves at all times. Danny Swain made all the right moves to make himself and his music stand out from all the CDs that come in the mail, and it’s that type of dedication and work ethic, combined with hot production and mic skills, that are likely to make him a star.

The Modern Artist’s Struggle
Danny!’s “Charm” was an exceptional release from an up-and-coming hip-hop star. Danny has great lyrical presence and storytelling ability, but this is often overshadowed by his ability to produce amazing beats. The entire album is laced with laid back production that makes it an interesting and chilled out listen. Yet what I liked most about the album was its reflection of the modern hip-hop artist’s struggle. The entire album revolved around Danny Swain’s dreams of hitting it big, coupled with real life stories about a modern rapper’s struggle to be heard. It was really representative of what I had just started to realize, that it ain’t easy coming up as an aspiring hip-hop artist.

Aspiring Rappers
Danny talks at length about the problems of aspiring rappers and the lack of opportunities among big-time hip-hop business. “Give Me a Chance” explains the mental anguish associated with being rejected by producers and record companies. And “Charm” tells the story of being overlooked by big time labels that make a practice of signing wack rappers.

Relationships
Danny also talks about how his need to stay on the grind has affected his relationships. “The Last Laugh” is a song about all the people who have dogged Danny throughout his career, and how he is determined to succeed regardless. “Strange Fruit” is a metaphoric introspection into the hatred and lack of support people have for each other. “What Now” tells stories about how being on the grind can effect one’s relationships with their friends and loved ones. And “You Owe Me” talks about all the free beats Danny gave out to people and how as he gets more popular, people try to act like he owes them something.

The Stress of the Dream
And finally, Danny talks about how his dream has affected him personally. “My Problem” is a clever explanation of how all of Danny’s small problems seem to be pushing him into a larger alcohol problem. “Carousel” talks about how a fast paced life can leave your world spinning and round and round. And “Fly” explains how this stress often makes Danny wish he could fly away and leave it all behind.

Overall, I would highly recommend “Charm.” Along with being an entertaining listen, the album gives great introspect into the life and struggles of a hip-hop artist trying to make it big. So support the struggle and pick up a copy of Danny’s “Charm.” Peace.