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  Release Date: March 14, 2006
  Website: Danny! Website
  Label: 1911 Music

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.