Danny! - And I Love H.E.R. - @@@@ 1/2

While most acts leave their career’s fate in the hands of others, (producers they’ll work with, management, label reps, etc.) the idea of a completely self-contained solo act within Hip-Hop has primarily gone unexplored. For the past few years South Carolina’s Danny! has impressively juggled the creative process of making music with business logistics on his own, going everywhere from The Grammys to receiving major press on the strength of sheer work ethic and drive. While legend has it D Swain was ready to quit Hip-Hop after 2006’s critically acclaimed Charm, the album scored him a EP deal with underground powerhouse Definitive Jux, and after returning to form with last year’s Danny Is Dead he is back with his fourth full-length LP, the conceptual piece And I Love H.E.R.

Danny is to be heralded for shirking all convention and sticking to his figurative guns, making the music that sounds good to him in hopes that traditionalists latch on. And I Love H.E.R. doubles as the soundtrack to what could be considered a boy meets girl a love story and the tale of an artist’s ups and downs trying to etch a path in an industry plagued by fickle fans, questionable politics, and media driven by popular style over actual substance. Danny’s work remains a bastion of creativity as he manages to convey the full range of human feeling from frustration on the album’s intro (Snippet) to going lighthearted on “The Groove” (Snippet) and expressing self-determination on the thematic “Never Change” (Snippet). While always mindful of maintaining a strong lyrical acumen, Danny covers all bases of Hip-Hop artistry from an advanced flow on “At What Price” (Snippet) to boom-bap on “Yoko Ono” (Snippet) and the introspective “Misery” (Snippet), clearly demonstrating he has mastered the aesthetics of our culture.

In a climate where the most successful artists cash in on the radio’s trends and casual listeners follow in tow, Danny’s brave endeavors find him footing the road less traveled. He has grown to be a symbol of quality work that comes from talent, passion and dedication to one’s craft, as And I Love H.E.R. is sure to resonate strongly with the everyday person using a discerning ear that has honed an affinity for Hip-Hop of the highest caliber.

Purchase And I Love H.E.R.