Dan-E-O - Dear Hip Hop: 20 Years Later + Interview

CD - 2017 - Urbnet 

1 - Dear Hip Hop

2 - Constipated

3 - Mental Mirage

4 - Son Daze

5 - Mic Surgery

6 - Dear Hip-Hop (The 2nd Letter) feat Choclair, Grimace Love & Frankenstein

7 - Incarceration

8 - So Deep

9 - Danish feat Nish Rawks

10 - Dear Hip-Hop Remix

11 - League of Legends feat Maestro Fresh Wes, Moka Only, Thrust, Eternia & Big Kish

12 - Rap Essentials feat Deuce Deuce & Mathematik

13 - Spit feat Illa J
14 - 20 Years Later feat Fraction & Cable

"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. "

The album is now available for Pre-Orders on CD + Digital format.
Release Date :  October 6th 2017 

If you want more information about Dan-E-O and the Toronto's Hip-Hop scene history, you can also check the  new episode of Views Before The 6 hosted by Big Tweeze and Thrust. "In this episode they sit down with Dan-E-O and talk about a ton of stuff from how he found hip hop, getting discovered by Lindo P, battling on Electric Circus when he was 13, his classic 'Dear Hip Hop', the Mighty Monolith crew and much much more...."