Dan-e-o – Five Questions With

Dan-e-o Drops New Single, “Cleanse My Soul”

Dan-e-o (Daniel Faraldo) is an award-winning Canadian hip-hop artist, songwriter, and actor of Jamaican and Spanish descent. 

Earlier this month, Dan-e-o unveiled his single, “Clease My Soul.”

On the new song, the veteran Scarborough lyricist joins forces with legendary Brooklyn emcee, Masta Ace and Toronto soulstress, Xentury. “Cleanse My Soul” condemns the presence of self-hate in the black community. The single, produced by Charisma a.k.a. Skizzz, takes aim at outspoken artists such as Kanye West and the controversial killing of Tyre Nichols. Never afraid of the reaction to his lyrics, Dan-e-o’s scathing commentary makes “Cleanse My Soul” his most provocative single to date. Believe it! Respected as an accomplished wordsmith whose lyrics always speak his truth, Dan has stayed the course for more than three decades. His raw passion is evident in “Cleanse My Soul”.   It’s clear why Dan-e-o continues to have a seat at the Canadian hip-hop table. 

Dan-e-o’s fan base is strong, incorporating both fellow artists and concertgoers across the world. Writing and performing without fear and with honesty has long made Dan-e-o one of Canada’s most sought-after and highly touted hip-hop artists and lyricists. “Cleanse My Soul” provides a new reason why. His sixth solo album, Vigilante is due out this April.

First off care to introduce yourself to our readers?

I’m Dan-e-o – MC, actor, songwriter, and most importantly, Melina’s dad. I discovered music as a baby – my mom claims I sang in the crib – but truly knew what I wanted to do with my career when Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” album was released.

It dropped when I was five and remains my favourite record to this day. I’ve known what I’ve wanted to do with my life ever since. Thanks to the Beastie Boys, I discovered hip-hop at ten and realized I’d be much better off rapping than I would trying to sing and dance like MJ.

I caught my first break winning a rap-off contest on television at the age of 13. By 19, my first single “Dear Hip Hop” was released. It put me on the map and still gets a lot of love across the world today.

These days, I’m considered a veteran of the game, on the verge of releasing my sixth solo album “Vigilante” – my strongest and most important album to date.

Tell us a bit about your recent release.

“Cleanse My Soul” attacks the disease of self-hatred in the black community. Triggered by a former hero in Kanye West who had the audacity to publicly state that there were a lot of things he loved about Adolf Hitler, I had to comment on one of the worst results of anti-black racism. The song also targets the murderous black policemen who took the life of another black man, Tyre Nichols. I tie-in the self-hate-induced rhetoric of Kanye West to warn listeners of the impact words can have.

The track is produced by one of my closest brothers, Charisma a.k.a. Skizzz who I came up with in the game as we’re both members of the crew, Monolith. The song also checks off a bucket list experience for me as it features Brooklyn legend, Masta Ace who I’ve been a fan of since his appearance in Marley Marl’s “The Symphony” in 1988. “Cleanse My Soul” is also blessed by the beautiful voice of Toronto soulstress, Xentury who beautifully brings the track together and amazingly delivers our message.

How do you typically go about the songwriting process? Do you have a specific method or creative routine that you follow?

This is something I actually teach. I neglected to mention earlier that I’ve been teaching hip-hop songwriting throughout the Greater Toronto Area since 2006. My songwriting process always starts with the music. Each beat I choose tells me the story that I end up writing the words for. I like a lot of beats I hear but not all of them inspire me to write on a specific topic.

I used to take pen to pad, but these days, I sit in front of my computer, music blaring and begin typing away my thoughts. I always have the alphabet written in front of me (a technique I teach) to help remind me of the many different words and phrases I can create with each letter.

Looking ahead, what are your plans for supporting this new release? Are there any upcoming tours, music videos, or additional content that fans can look forward to in connection with this project?

I’m currently at the beginning of my marketing campaign for my forthcoming album. “Cleanse My Soul” is just the first of several singles to be released in the months to come. Touring and music videos are definitely part of the plan. I anticipate that shooting will begin in February. My social media will be filled with content surrounding the project going forward.

Looking back on your musical career, is there a particular moment or accomplishment that you consider a turning point or a highlight?

For me, the biggest and most important night of my career was in November of 2017 when I performed at my release party for my “Dear Hip Hop: 20 Years Later” album. Not only was the album and event commemorating the special milestone of my first release, but it also took place about a month after my father’s tragic passing.

Initially, I was thinking of cancelling the event. But something in me gave me the strength to not just perform, but honour my dad in the process. The show featured several notable Toronto legends like Maestro Fresh Wes, Choclair, Thrust, Eternia, Mathematik, Concrete Mob, and even Master T. The place was packed and I performed my heart out. I couldn’t have asked for a better experience after having endured such heartache.

Last but not least, it’s time to pay it forward, what upcoming band or artist would you recommend your fans check out?

Check out Xentury, of course. She’s one of the dopest artists from my city. Also, look out for my brother, HART who’s an amazing soul singer out of Calgary. My dude, J Shiltz from Mississauga comes with bar-heavy joints for everyone who’s into lyricism. They’re all on my forthcoming album and not to be slept on.

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