F.O.O.D.

Infobox Album
Name = F.O.O.D.
Type = Album
Artist = Danny!


Released = May 17, 2005 (U.S.)
Recorded = February 2005 - April 2005
Genre = Hip-Hop
Length = 72:00
Label = Badenov Records/1911 Music
Producer = Danny!
Reviews =
*Allmusic Rating|3.5|5 [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:wpfqxqrdld0e link]
Last album = "The College Kicked-Out"
(2004)
This album = "F.O.O.D."
(2005)
Next album = "Charm"
(2006)|

"F.O.O.D.", released under Danny!'s 1911 Music/Badenov Records imprint in 2005 (see 2005 in music), is the second full-length studio album from the American rapper/producer. The acronym "F.O.O.D." stands for ""F"inding "O"ut "O"ur "D"estination" and, despite the depiction in the cover art, the album's content has nothing to do with any actual food or food-related themes (unlike MF Doom's second album, "MM..Food").

The album, which was pressed up in limited quantities, was significant for officially introducing the wise-ass/sarcastic and cynical persona of Danny, now known by the alternative moniker and alter ego D. Swain. This was largely in part due to the mixed criticism Danny received for his debut album, "The College Kicked-Out". The jaded producer/MC took the feedback personally, openly lashing out on his critics throughout "F.O.O.D." It was this, along with constant usage of self-deprecating lyrics that bordered on autophobia and smacked of depression, that made "F.O.O.D." a far more darker and emotionally-charged LP than its predecessor.

The restaurant shown on the cover of "F.O.O.D." is Bobbie's Diner, a 1950s-themed cafe owned by the Savannah College of Art & Design where Danny is a student.

Overview

Conception

The lukewarm response that Danny received for "The College Kicked-Out" coincided with his departure from South Carolina; having recently been accepted to the Savannah College of Art & Design, Danny moved to Georgia in January 2005 to enroll in classes and, at the same time, attempt to jump-start his music career.

Now a full-time student, employee and musician, Danny's uncertainty regarding his future inspired both the title of the album and much of its content. According to Danny his love for music superseded any traditional career goals, but if his music didn't take off the way he planned he wasn't sure if he'd have anything tangible to fall back on, despite having a job and taking classes.

Lyrics & production

"F.O.O.D." saw a swift progression from the sound and style predominant on "The College Kicked-Out". Though still heavily relying on samples Danny experimented with different methods this time, even going as far as to scratch vocals into his songs with a turntable in a style reminiscent of DJ Premier. Employing new techniques to further disguise his sample usage (e.g. "chopping", filtering) signaled his maturation as a producer and gave him more acclaim within the hip-hop community.

Again, Danny assumes the role of sole producer but, unlike "The College Kicked-Out" before it, "F.O.O.D." features appearances from two guest vocalists (Ms. Lisha and 'Drea on "I Only Wanna Be With You" and "Fullaschidt", respectively). In addition to the darker material prevalent on the album, "F.O.O.D." also marked a departure in Danny's on-wax persona from reluctant yet monogamous father to unabashed womanizer. Several of the tracks on "F.O.O.D." chronicled graphic recounts of Danny's sexual exploits.

Danny's lyrics -- which balanced topics from his indecisiveness and pseudoskepticism to social commentary about black America -- were seen as an improvement over those found on his previous album. Presumably, the extra insight offered in his rhymes as well as the manner in which they were delivered was an effort to appease critics who deemed his prior efforts as "amateurish" compared to Danny's peers. However, many of Danny's lyrics on "F.O.O.D." contained a substantial amount of profanity, making "The College Kicked-Out" relatively inoffensive in comparison.

Reception

"F.O.O.D." was released in May 2005 to little fanfare, in contrast to the widespread attention given to Danny's previous LP. Though the initial response was mostly positive, feelings were undoubtedly mixed. While many agreed that the record was a sonic improvement, both lyrically and musically, over "The College Kicked-Out", listeners were turned off by the amount of cursing and explicit sexual content. Critics believed Danny was trying to "wear a suit that [doesn't] fit", implying that the role of foulmouthed cynic was not in context with the persona initially displayed on Danny's debut album.

Supporters of Danny appreciated the new direction but overall everyone, including Danny himself, felt that he took past criticism to heart and devoted far too much time addressing detractors and naysayers. In any event, "F.O.O.D." helped Danny finally distinguish himself as an artist in his own right and escape the "Kanye shadow" that had been cast on him as a result of the negative response received from "The College Kicked-Out". Aside from the retaliatory songs, the record was praised for its vivid, sometimes satirical narratives, more personal glimpses into the rapper's life, and even the brief optimism Danny showed toward the end of the record. Allmusic recognized Danny as "a storyteller...and a pretty good one, too" [cite news | first = Marisa | last = Brown | title = ,F.O.O.D.' album review | url = http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:wpfqxqrdld0e~T1 | publisher = "Allmusic" | date = 2005-05-25 | accessdate = 2006-10-25] .

Unfortunately, "F.O.O.D." didn't do much to help Danny make a significant dent in the underground hip-hop community, and buzz for the album subsided shortly after its release.

Track listing

Credits

*Danny! - Executive Producer, Producer, Composer, Featured Vocals
*Steve Slavich - Engineer
*Andrea Boutte - Featured Vocals
*Shalisha North - Featured Vocals

Trivia

*"Zoe", the running gag Danny first introduced on "The College Kicked-Out", is again referenced on "Mind's Made Up".
*In the vocal scratches found on "The Lesson", one of the artists scratched into the chorus is Danny himself. Members of the underground hip-hop community have interpreted this as an indication that at least several copies of Danny's "The College Kicked-Out", which was originally distributed only on compact disc and is the source of the vocals, exist in vinyl format.
*The ticket number shown in the image on "F.O.O.D."'s tray card ("08241985") is the birthdate of one of Danny's former love interests, who can be heard venting her frustration toward Danny on a voicemail clip near the end of "So Tired (remix)".
*As homage to rapper Eminem, Danny raps the third verse of "V.I.P." in the same cadence as the final verse of the Detroit MC's "Cum On Everybody". Danny is a known Eminem fan, and has credited the rapper for influencing his early rap style.
*Unlike "The College Kicked-Out", which allegedly took a mere two days to record, "F.O.O.D." was completed over a two-month span, delayed by frequent trips taken by Danny back and forth to South Carolina from Georgia.
*Addressing the critical and commercial failure of "The College Kicked-Out" on "F.O.O.D."'s "Intro", Danny borrows from a line originally rapped by Canibus on "2000 B.C." and quips, "you mad at the last album, I apologize for it / Yo, I can't call it / Motherfucking Wyclef spoiled it!"

Notes

External links

* [http://www.mp3.com/albums/20096203/summary.html "F.O.O.D." audio snippets] courtesy of MP3.com
* [http://www.ohhla.com/anonymous/danny/FOOD "F.O.O.D." lyrics] courtesy of the Original Hip-Hop Lyrics Archive (OHHLA.com)