Rating:
  Review Date: July 17, 2007
  Website:Danny! Website
  Label: 1911 Music / Badenov Records

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…?)