Danny! facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Danny!
Background information
Birth name	Daniel Keith Swain
Born	(1983-08-18) August 18, 1983 (age 41) Killeen, Texas, U.S.
Genres	Alternative hip hop underground hip hop
Occupation(s)	Rapper record producer singer composer voice actor
Years active	2004–present
Labels	Interscope, Definitive Jux

Daniel Keith Swain (born August 18, 1983), known as Danny!, is an American rapper, music producer, singer, and composer. He creates music for himself and for TV shows and movies.

Danny! became well-known after performing his song "Evil" on the TV show Late Night with Jimmy Fallon. His album Payback was called one of the best hip-hop albums of the year by AllMusic. In 2013, Ebony magazine featured him as one of the "Leaders of the New School," calling him an "innovator."

Swain has also written background music for many movies and TV shows. He is most famous for his work on the animated series Bob's Burgers on FOX. He even won an Emmy plaque in 2017 for his music on an episode of Bob's Burgers that won "Outstanding Animated Program."

Early Life

Daniel Swain was born in Killeen, Texas. He was the only child of parents who were in the military. As a teenager, he moved to Columbia, South Carolina.

He went to Richland Northeast High School. During his second year, he started making music as a fun hobby. Swain began writing his own song lyrics. He also recorded songs to show off his music production skills.

Music Career

Starting Out: 2004–2006

After spending almost a year meeting other local artists, Danny! released his first mixtape, The College Kicked-Out. A mixtape is like an album, but often released independently. The record got mixed reviews. Some people, like radio host Charlamagne tha God, didn't like it. Danny! would later mention these early criticisms in his songs.

Soon after Kicked-Out came out, Swain was accepted into the Savannah College of Art & Design. He moved to Savannah, Georgia. There, he started working on his next project, F.O.O.D.. The next year, he released his third mixtape, Charm. This album was special because it had a theme of escapism. It told the story of a musician who wanted success to help him escape his daily life.

During this time, Swain also put together an album of instrumental music called Dream, Interrupted. He did this to show off his production skills. Later, he released two more instrumental albums: Dream, Fulfilled and Dream, Extinguished.

MTV and Major Albums: 2007–2011

After Charm, Danny! got his first big break. MTV helped him get a record deal with Definitive Jux, an independent music label. This deal allowed him to release an album. He put out a single called "Just Friends" which even appeared on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. Even though a full album wasn't released through the label, this deal started a relationship with MTV. MTV began using his music a lot in their different TV shows.

Swain then released his own album, And I Love H.E.R.. This album was praised by many music publications. They called it one of the best releases of the year. And I Love H.E.R. also showed a new musical style for Swain. He mixed hip hop with other styles like downtempo and lounge music. This created a unique "lounge-hop" sound.

After And I Love H.E.R. was successful, Swain finished the album Where Is Danny?. Interscope Records helped distribute a new version of this album on iTunes.

Big Success and TV Music: 2012–Present

After his third album, Payback, a song from his earlier album Where Is Danny? was used in a commercial for Sonos speakers. Danny! also started working as a composer for MTV's music label. This meant he would create instrumental music for TV shows and commercials.

He started getting his music placed in many Viacom TV shows. His music was also used in commercials for Nordstrom and McDonald's. Most notably, he began composing background music for the animated show Bob's Burgers. He also contributed to The Bob's Burgers Music Album.

In 2014, Swain started working on a new album called The Book Of Daniel. During this time, he appeared in a Sesame Street video called "Party Bus." He created a new version of "The Wheels on the Bus" for it. He also started doing voiceover work. In 2016, he narrated a season of Hey Rookie, Welcome to the NFL for ESPN. The next year, he won an Emmy plaque for his music on the Bob's Burgers episode "Bob Actually."

A tracklist for The Book of Daniel was shared in 2015. The album was planned for release in 2016 and then 2018, but it has not been released yet.

Even without new studio albums, Swain continues to work on Bob's Burgers. He also creates library music and other background music for Extreme Music under different names.

Albums

Studio Albums

• And I Love H.E.R.: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
• Where Is Danny?
• Payback
• The Book Of Daniel

Instrumental Albums

• Dream, Interrupted
• Dream, Fulfilled
• Dream, Extinguished

Music in Film and TV

Danny!'s music has been featured in many TV shows and commercials. Here are some examples:

See also

• Alternative hip hop

Images for kids

• 

  Danny! performing live.