Danny Swain 3,210

Daniel Swain, better known by his mononymous stage name Danny!, is an American recording artist and record producer from Columbia, South Carolina.

Danny! is a former student of the Savannah College of Art & Design; he often wears an oxford shirt and pinstriped necktie, and has gained notoriety for prank-calling celebrities. In 2012 Danny! rose to prominence shortly following the proclamation by The Roots drummer Questlove that there was strong interest from Jay-Z; he was subsequently signed as the flagship artist to Questlove’s re-launched Okayplayer Records after years of being loosely affiliated with the company. In support of the new venture Danny! made his television debut on Late Night With Jimmy Fallon in September 2012, premiering his song “Evil” alongside The Roots.

Prior to this Danny! was most notable for his efficacious DIY approach to his music career, handling virtually every aspect all by himself—from music production to web design and even promotion—without the aid of a management team to varying degrees of acclaim. He would field praise for his self-released concept records Charm and And I Love H.E.R., the latter named by ABC News as one of the best 50 albums of 2008, before releasing the “anti-album” Where Is Danny? in early 2011. After signing to Okayplayer Records the following year Danny! completed his trilogy of conceptual albums with Payback, cited by Allmusic as one of the best hip-hop releases of 2012. In 2013 EBONY listed Danny! among other rising artists in their “Leaders of the New School” piece, predicting that Danny! would have a “breakout year”.