Link: Danny!’s HomePage and Danny!’s MySpace Page.
The Inside Pulse: It’s not easy for an underground MC to get noticed nowadays. Hip-Hop has become so corporate that it can be difficult, if not impossible, for a new artist to get noticed without major label backing. Such is the dilemma of South Carolina MC/producer Danny Swain, who works under the moniker Danny!. For those who’ve never heard of Danny, they might be surprised to know that the South Carolina MC ‘s released two previous albums. Now, just as he’s released his third joint, Charm, Danny has announced his retirement from the rap game. Is the album strong enough to spark up an outcry for Danny to stay in the game?
Positives: Danny has put together something almost unheard of in the rap industry: a concept album. Charm tells the story of a young man trying to break into the world of Hip-Hop and finally achieving success, only to find out that success may not be all it’s cracked up to be. From “Give Me A Chance”, where Danny describes his frustrations at trying to get his demos heard by anyone in the industry, to “The Last Laugh” which finds Danny celebrating his success, to “My Problem”, where he ponders if he found success too quickly, Danny takes us on a fascinating journey through the highs and lows of trying to make a name for yourself in Hip-Hop, and how easy it can be to lose yourself if you don’t stay grounded. It’s an ambitious outing and it succeeds in spades. And Danny the producer is able to give Danny the rapper some solid beats to rhyme over, from the R&B-fused “Charm” to the jazzy flutes that underscore “It’s Okay”. It’s a potent combination.
Negatives: Danny pokes fun at himself for sounding like Kanye West just a bit too much. It almost gets to the point that you may find it difficult to give his tracks an unbiased listen.
Cross-breed: Kanye West mixed with The Justus League.
Reason to buy: Because something this good and ambitious should be rewarded. Buy this album and tell your friends about it, or else Danny may just follow through on his retirement talks and we’d lose one of Hip-Hop’s brightest minds.
