Dan-e-o recently returned with fourth studio album (and milestone celebration project), Dear Hip Hop: 20 Years Later. The album features several dope guest appearances including a posse cut called “League of Legends” which features Thrust, Maestro Fresh Wes, Moka Only, Big Kish and Eternia. Click here to peep the XCON-directed video that came out a couple of days ago.
Other features on the album include Nish Raawks on “Danish,” while Choclair, Frankenstein and Grimace Love join Dan-e-o for the project’s title track (and follow up to the single that started it all), “Dear Hip Hop (The 2nd Letter).” Pure Toronto Rap Gods on this one…not to be missed! Mathematik and Deuce-Deuce slide in for dope contributions to “Rap Essentials” while Illa J does his thing on “Spit.” Last but not least, Fraction and Cable help Dan-e-o close out the project with contributions to the outro, “20 Years Later.”
Shouts to URBNET for continuing to provide a medium to release dope Canadian music. Stream Dear Hip Hop: 20 Years Later below or download it now on iTunes.
Dear Hip Hop: 20 Years Later
On November 5, 1996, Toronto-based label, Beat Factory released the seminal Canadian hip-hop compilation, Rap Essentials Volume One. Helping to further energize the already-established careers of such north-of-the-border lyrical heavyweights as Kardinal Offishall, Choclair, Ghetto Concept and Rascalz, the album is also credited for launching the career of Scarborough lyricist, Dan-e-o.
With his featured single, “Dear Hip Hop,” Dan-e-o immediately cemented himself as one of Canada’s premier MCs. A quasi-love letter to the music and culture he adores, the Scam-produced single has stood the test of time and has garnered itself “classic” status in the annals of Canadian hip-hop history.
With his fourth album, Dear Hip Hop: 20 Years Later, Dan-e-o both commemorates the two decade milestone of the release of his legendary debut and pays tribute to a long list of inspirations.
“The artists I pay tribute to on this album by including them as guests helped pave the way for me to become the artist I am,” says Dan-e-o.
“But they themselves have also enjoyed the last 20 years or so of invigorating hip-hop culture. So this new album is as much about celebrating Canadian hip-hop as a whole as it is about my first single. Really, I’m just a chapter in a much bigger story.”
Among the honoured guests on the album are URBNET label mate, Moka Only, “Northern Touch” legend, Thrust and the Godfather of Canadian hip-hop himself, Maestro Fresh Wes. They all appear on the posse cut and lead single, “League Of Legends,” which is produced by Scam – reuniting Dan-e-o with the producer of “Dear Hip Hop” 20 years after its release.
Dear Hip Hop: 20 Years Later is a unique combination of re-mastered gems recorded during the mid-90’s and brand new golden era-esque bangers, which include “Rap Essentials,” an ode to the compilation that started it all with alumni, Mathematik and Deuce Deuce of Concrete Mob and a symbolic tribute to J Dilla entitled “Spit” featuring the late legend’s brother, Illa J.
