Music Star Dan-e-o On The Five Things You Need To Shine In The Music Industry
An Interview With Guernslye Honoré
Be patient. Don’t assume that each one of your efforts will automatically turn out as you anticipate. There can’t be ups without downs. Learn from your mistakes and know that each step you take is getting you closer to accomplishing your goals. It takes time. Just keep moving forward.
As a part of our interview series with leaders, stars, and rising stars in the music industry, we had the distinct pleasure of interviewing Dan-e-o.
Veteran Toronto lyricist, Dan-e-o (Daniel Faraldo) won a Rap-Off Contest on the city’s “Electric Circus” dance show as a 13 year-old. Five years later, in 1996, his first single “Dear Hip Hop” was featured on Beat Factory’s Rap Essentials Volume One compilation. It is now considered a Canadian Hip-Hop classic.
As one of the 12 members of the Scarborough collective, Monolith, Dan-e-o co-founded One Rock Records in 1997 and independently released the EP, The Long Awaited… the following year. The crew is widely regarded as one of Canada’s greatest crews of emcees, as was acknowledged at the 2023 Juno Awards by Kardinal Offishall.
Dan-e-o’s debut album, The Book of Daniel in 2000 and follow-up LP, See No Evil, Hear No Evil in 2004 cemented his reputation as an elite bar-spitting lyricist. His 2009 mixtape, Dilla Pickles (a tribute to J Dilla), the 2012 album, Series Premiere (as one-half of the duo, Perfeck Strangers with fellow rap veteran, Promise) and his long overdue third solo LP, Inevitable in 2013 all highlighted his growth as a songwriter, vocalist and potent wordsmith.
As an actor, Dan-e-o has appeared in the A&E series, “Breakout Kings” and the feature-length films Anything Goes, Tapped Out, Lifechanger and the Disney + feature, World’s Best.
In 2014, Dan-e-o went back to his roots by releasing the seminal album, Dear Hip Hop, exclusively on vinyl through France’s Sergent Records. Comprised of tracks written and recorded during the “boom bap” heyday of the 90’s, the project was re-released by URBNET as a 20th Anniversary deluxe edition album entitled Dear Hip Hop: 20 Years Later in 2017.
In spite of all his accolades and achievements, Dan-e-o’s greatest accomplishment took place on April 23, 2014, when he welcomed his wonderful daughter, Melina to the world. His fifth solo album, The Day It All Changed is a soulful and bouncy ode to his new fatherhood journey.
Dan-e-o’s hard-hitting 6th solo album, Vigilante is equal parts lyricism clinic and seething social commentary. The LP harshly critiques social media misuse, gun violence, anti-black racism, self-hatred, jealousy and self-doubt. He also finds time to address a past toxic relationship while not missing a beat tearing into talentless rappers.
The soundscape of “Vigilante” can best be described as “heavy neck-snapping boom bap”. The head-nodders are supplied by Toronto’s Big Sproxx (Freedom Writers) and frequent collaborator Charisma a.k.a. Skizzz (Monolith) as well as Japan’s S-KY THE COOKINJAX. In addition to an impressive list of featured guests which includes such legendary artists as Masta Ace, Saukrates and even comedy superstar, Russell Peters, Dan-e-o has created a recipe for hip-hop perfection. “These are the best 12 songs in the history of my catalogue,” insists Dan-e-o, “Period.”
Vigilante is set for release in May of 2024.
Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series! Before we dive in, our readers would love to learn a bit about your “origin story”. Can you tell us the story of how you grew up?
I grew up in Scarborough, Ontario, which is Toronto, Canada’s east side. I love it for its diversity. Everyone from everywhere lives in Scarborough. I was raised by a Jamaican mother and a Spanish father, so diversity lived in my household. Ironically, it was Spanish music (Julio Iglesias) that was my mom’s favourite and Jamaican music (Byron Lee & The Dragonaires) that was my dad’s favourite. Like most young boys, I loved sports and toys, but music was definitely my first love.
What inspired you to pursue a career in music, and how did your journey begin?
Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” was released when I was five years old. After listening to it, I knew what I wanted…no, NEEDED to do with my life. I immediately tried my hand at writing songs and aspired to be a successful singer. Thanks to the Beastie Boys’ “Licensed To Ill” album, I discovered hip-hop when I was ten and that permanently changed my trajectory. I began writing raps right away and never looked back.
Can you tell us the most interesting story that happened to you since you began your career?
I don’t know that it’s the most interesting story, but it’s definitely the most important one to me. I tragically lost my father in September of 2017 and I was scheduled to perform at my “Dear Hip Hop: 20 Years Later” album release party about a month later. My first instinct was to cancel the show as I was in no emotional space to think about music. However, I gathered the strength to not just perform, but make it the best show of my career.
At a jam-packed Revival Event Venue in Toronto, I rocked the stage alongside some of the most talented and well-respected hip-hop artists Canada has ever produced. I’m indebted to legends like Maestro Fresh Wes, Thrust, Choclair, Eternia, Mathematik, Concrete Mob, DJ MelBoogie and DJ Grouch because of that night. Even Master T and King Lou of Dream Warriors hit the stage to show love. I’ll never forget that night. It uplifted me in ways that are hard to describe.
It has been said that sometimes our mistakes can be our greatest teachers. Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?
I’m not sure how funny it is, but I was once encouraged to change my stage name to Don Faraldo. Because it’s my legit last name and the moniker carried a “boss” vibe to it, I thought it was cool. The issue is that I was told to change my flow, voice and songwriting style. I wrote a couple of songs under the name and only one ever saw a little light of day.
That phase didn’t last long because I simply wasn’t being my authentic self. I learned that nothing is more important than being truthful and honest about who and what I am. It’s made me proud to stand for what I believe in while never giving up my dedication to my craft.
None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story about that?
There are many people I’m extremely grateful towards. But I have to acknowledge my daughter Melina here. When she was born in 2014, it changed my life completely. Firstly, as a result, I recorded and released the album, “The Day It All Changed” in her honour. But, also, it helped me to view life with a new perspective.
My wants and needs are not my top priority. There is more to this life than self-gratification and personal success. My daughter’s happiness and well-being matter more to me than anything. So, I have a completely new and invigorated energy towards being great. It’s all to lead by example, do her proud and give her the foundation she needs to be successful in life.
What are some of the most interesting or exciting projects you are working on now?
Unquestionably, the best project of my career is on the way. Over the past few years, I’ve been writing and recording material for my forthcoming album, “Vigilante”. It’s my sixth solo album and easily my most powerful and provocative record. It tackles a number of societal issues including social media misuse, gun violence, anti-black racism, self-hate, retroactive jealousy and personal mental health issues. I’m incredibly proud of its message and its sound.
Its first single “Cleanse My Soul” (which tackles the self-hate concept) is streaming everywhere now. The song also marks a bucket list check off for me as it features one of my all-time favourite MCs in the Brooklyn legend, Masta Ace. I’m definitely looking to shake up the music world with “Vigilante”. But, more importantly, I’m looking to spark new energy in the conversation about social injustice.
We are very interested in diversity in the entertainment industry. Can you share three reasons with our readers about why you think it’s important to have diversity represented in music, film, and television? How can that potentially affect our culture?
1. The world is diverse. There’s no reason that the entertainment world shouldn’t be reflective of real life. Especially because I’m so transparent and vulnerable in my music, I’m a huge supporter of showcasing realism in the art that entertains us.
2. Diversity destroys monotony. Without diversity, we’re consuming the same old, same old time and time again. It only enriches the landscape of art in general for it to be created by people from different walks of life. In music, there are so many different sounds emanating from various places in the world that when we get the privilege of hearing them all, we’re opened up to new auditory experiences.
3. Diversity offers us life lessons. We should all be showing each other love and respect. With more diversity, we learn more about people and cultures we’d otherwise be unfamiliar with. Ignorance too often breeds contempt. Get to know each other and you’ll have an easier time loving those who don’t look and act like you.
As a successful music star, you’ve likely faced challenges along the way. How do you stay motivated? How do you overcome obstacles in your career?
I appreciate being referred to as a “successful music star” lol. I’m motivated by an undying love for making music. As mentioned, this has been my life since the age of five — arguably, since birth. I’d much rather try and fail than not try at all, so it’s impossible to give up on what I’m so passionate about. It’s scarier to me to not make music than it is to make music and have no one love it.
Also as mentioned, I have Melina to be a role model for. The last thing I ever want to do is let her down in any way. I overcome a lot of obstacles by drowning out the frivolous nonsense that usually escapes the mouths (and keyboard typing fingers) of haters with far less talent than I have. I’m the only one who can stop me from being successful. And I won’t let that happen.
What are your “5 things I wish someone told me when I first started” and why?
1 . Define success for yourself. Don’t allow people to tell you that “you haven’t made it” because their definition of success involves money and fame. If you wake up every day and do what you love doing, you’re winning.
2 . Be patient. Don’t assume that each one of your efforts will automatically turn out as you anticipate. There can’t be ups without downs. Learn from your mistakes and know that each step you take is getting you closer to accomplishing your goals. It takes time. Just keep moving forward.
3 . It’s business, don’t make it personal. You love your friends and always will. That doesn’t make them the perfect choices for business partners. Let go of the idea that your dream is the exact one shared by those closest to you.
4 . Be happy being you. You have your own style, influences and inspirations. Don’t listen to those who try to convince you to sound and think like other artists who may be making noise. No one can be a better you than you — and you’re dope!
5 . Stay focused and you’ll be fine. This is a special one because it was advice that was actually given to me by Lauryn Hill. I was blessed to have met her during the time she was touring with the Fugees. I explained that I was entering university and knew she was a university student at the time. She offered her support and wrote those words of wisdom in an autograph.
Can you share some insights into your creative process? How do you approach songwriting? How do you approach musical collaborations?
It all starts with the music. It may sound weird, but the music I write to tells me the story I should be creating the words for. I like a lot of beats that are sent to me, but they don’t all make me feel something emotionally. Once I’m connected to the music, I sit down in front of a computer (I used to take pen to paper) and start typing away.
I usually have a bunch of ideas I’ve already written down to inspire the bars I write. As well, I always have the alphabet in front of me. It’s an age-old technique that I’ve made a habit out of. It’s simply used as a rhyming template. Although I often don’t need it, I know that having it there gives me easy access to rhyme options. Looking at letters helps for words to jump out at me.
With musical collaborations, I usually hit up a guest artist with the music and my song concept. When approached by other artists, I always request the same. I believe lyrics and beats should be married, meaning I can’t stick the same verses on different beats that they weren’t meant for. Each song deserves its own flow, cadence, energy etc.
Your music has resonated with so many fans worldwide. What do you believe sets your music apart?
I’m not afraid to be vulnerable. I can even be self-deprecating in some of my lyrics. For example, on “Cleanse My Soul” I point out that Kanye West and I were born two days apart. However, “he’s known the planet over while most of the world ignores me”. I’m more than okay with the reality that he has a far bigger fan base than I do.
However, I think that helps to drive home the point that I’m proud to be in my own shoes. I follow up that bar with “but arguably I’m richer ’cause self-hatred is costly”. I think my unabashed honestly helps connect me with down to earth everyday people.
How do you connect with your audience?
I insist upon making genuine connections with my audience members during my live shows. I’ll talk with them, joke with them and show them they’re in for a good time. I firmly believe in that Rakim line “to me, MC means move the crowd”. Hip-hop has long had a call and response tradition. I utilize it in every performance and keep things high energy.
With your busy schedule and demanding performances, how do you prioritize self-care and maintain a balance between your personal life and career in the music industry?
You have to schedule everything. I literally set alarms on my phone for my meal times. I pencil in “workout” on my daily to-do lists. I also live by the to-do list lol. Scratching off things I’ve completed — even if it’s laundry or grocery shopping — always helps me to feel a sense of accomplishment.
By prioritizing everything I have to do, I often (but not always) get in as much personal care as I do business priorities. It definitely isn’t easy and doesn’t always pan out, but I do my best to stay focused.
You are a person of enormous influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. :-)
There’s so much I’d like to do. One that I often think about is feeding the world. I vehemently hate seeing wasted food. It deeply bothers me when food is thrown out as I know how many people on Earth are starving. If there was some way I could re-purpose meals or simply spread the food amongst those who needed it, I’d be happy.
Is there a person in the world, or in the US whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch with, and why? He or she might just see this, especially if we tag them. :-)
So many! I’d want to sit down with Big Daddy Kane (although we’ve met) and explain how he was the biggest lyrical influence on me when I first started cutting my teeth as an MC. I’d want to sit down with The Rock and congratulate him on his massive success and pick his brain on how to overcome failures to become one of the world’s biggest success stories. I’d want to sit down with Christina Milian and ask if she would consider leaving her current relationship for one with me. Lol. I’m joking. Kinda.
How can our readers continue to follow your work online?
Log on to my website www.dan-e-o.com for all things Dan-e-o. My social handles are @daneo1010 (Instagram, Facebook and TikTok) and @daneo10 (X formerly Twitter). Punch my name in anywhere you stream music (Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube) and you’ll find me!
This was very meaningful, thank you so much! We wish you continued success!
About the interviewer: Guernslye Honoré, affectionately known as “Gee-Gee”, is an amalgamation of creativity, vision, and endless enthusiasm. She has elegantly twined the worlds of writing, acting, and digital marketing into an inspiring tapestry of achievement. As the creative genius at the heart of Esma Marketing & Publishing, she leads her team to unprecedented heights with her comprehensive understanding of the industry and her innate flair for innovation. Her boundless passion and sense of purpose radiate from every endeavor she undertakes, turning ideas into reality and creating a realm of infinite possibilities. A true dynamo, Gee-Gee’s name has become synonymous with inspirational leadership and the art of creating success.
