Dana Dane
Encyclopedia
Dana McLeese, better known by his stage name
Dana Dane, is an American hip hop
recording artist known for performance of humorous lyrics (imitating a British
accent) and for his fashion sense.
housing project in Fort Greene
, Brooklyn
, New York City
, New York
.
, to whom he sounded markedly similar, although Slick Rick's English lilt was actually genuine.
Dana Dane's debut album, Dana Dane with Fame
, peaked at #46 on the Billboard album chart
and was certified gold
. His biggest hit in the United States
was "Cinderfella Dana Dane", which peaked at #11 on Billboard magazine's R&B charts in 1987. He was among at Profile Records
’s core artists, then recorded briefly for Rap-A-Lot Records
but did not release anything. He released his last album in 1995 on Maverick Records
.
He is an on-air host for Sirius/XM Satellite Radio on its old school hip-hop channel BackSpin
.
In 2009, he released his first novel, Numbers (One World/Ballantine/Random House
ISBN 9780345506054).
Stage name
A stage name, also called a showbiz name or screen name, is a pseudonym used by performers and entertainers such as actors, wrestlers, comedians, and musicians.-Motivation to use a stage name:...
Dana Dane, is an American hip hop
Hip hop music
Hip hop music, also called hip-hop, rap music or hip-hop music, is a musical genre consisting of a stylized rhythmic music that commonly accompanies rapping, a rhythmic and rhyming speech that is chanted...
recording artist known for performance of humorous lyrics (imitating a British
British English
British English, or English , is the broad term used to distinguish the forms of the English language used in the United Kingdom from forms used elsewhere...
accent) and for his fashion sense.
Early life
McLeese was born in the Walt WhitmanWalt Whitman
Walter "Walt" Whitman was an American poet, essayist and journalist. A humanist, he was a part of the transition between transcendentalism and realism, incorporating both views in his works. Whitman is among the most influential poets in the American canon, often called the father of free verse...
housing project in Fort Greene
Fort Greene, Brooklyn
Fort Greene is a neighborhood in the New York City borough of Brooklyn. Part of Brooklyn Community Board 2, Fort Greene is listed on the New York State Registry and on the National Register of Historic Places, and is a New York City-designated Historic District...
, Brooklyn
Brooklyn
Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
, New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
.
Recording artist
Dana Dane's career began as part of the Kangol Crew with fellow MC Slick RickSlick Rick
Richard Walters , better known by his stage name Slick Rick is a Grammy-nominated English-American rapper...
, to whom he sounded markedly similar, although Slick Rick's English lilt was actually genuine.
Dana Dane's debut album, Dana Dane with Fame
Dana Dane with Fame
Dana Dane with Fame is the debut album by American rapper Dana Dane, which was released in 1987 on Profile Records and was produced by legendary producer Hurby Luv Bug. Dana Dane with Fame achieved great success, peaking at #46 on the Billboard 200 and #2 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums...
, peaked at #46 on the Billboard album chart
Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
and was certified gold
Music recording sales certification
Music recording sales certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped or sold a certain number of copies, where the threshold quantity varies by type and by nation or territory .Almost all countries follow variations of the RIAA certification categories,...
. His biggest hit in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
was "Cinderfella Dana Dane", which peaked at #11 on Billboard magazine's R&B charts in 1987. He was among at Profile Records
Profile Records
Profile Records was a record label that specialized in many types of urban-oriented music, such as hip hop, active until 1996..- History :In 1980, at 23 years old, after working briefly for MCA, Cory Robbins was looking to start a record label. He invited his songwriter friend Steve Plotnicki to be...
’s core artists, then recorded briefly for Rap-A-Lot Records
Rap-A-Lot Records
Rap-a-Lot Records is a Houston hip hop record label. Rap-a-Lot was created in 1986. Sublabels include Smoke-a-Lot Records. The label was founded by James Prince in the mid-1980s and, with its most famous act the Geto Boys, put the South on the hip hop map. Since then, it has maintained its success...
but did not release anything. He released his last album in 1995 on Maverick Records
Maverick Records
Maverick Recording Company is an American record label owned and operated by Warner Music Group, and distributed through Warner Bros. Records.-Company history:...
.
Beyond rapping
Dane operated a clothing boutique in New York City in the late 1980s and early 1990s.He is an on-air host for Sirius/XM Satellite Radio on its old school hip-hop channel BackSpin
BackSpin
BackSpin is a classic Hip-Hop radio station on Sirius XM Radio. On 2008-11-12 this channel went on hiatus, however, on 2008-12-16, due to subscriber demand, Sirius XM Radio announced that this channel and The Strobe would return to the service on 2009-01-15.The channel features the best of old...
.
In 2009, he released his first novel, Numbers (One World/Ballantine/Random House
Random House
Random House, Inc. is the largest general-interest trade book publisher in the world. It has been owned since 1998 by the German private media corporation Bertelsmann and has become the umbrella brand for Bertelsmann book publishing. Random House also has a movie production arm, Random House Films,...
ISBN 9780345506054).
Albums
- Dana Dane with FameDana Dane with FameDana Dane with Fame is the debut album by American rapper Dana Dane, which was released in 1987 on Profile Records and was produced by legendary producer Hurby Luv Bug. Dana Dane with Fame achieved great success, peaking at #46 on the Billboard 200 and #2 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums...
(1987) - Dana Dane 4 EverDana Dane 4 EverDana Dane 4 Ever is the second album released by rapper Dana Dane, which was released on October 11, 1990, on Profile Records and featured production from Hurby Luv Bug, the Invincibles, and Stevie "O" the Boy Wonda...
(1990) - Rollin' wit Dana DaneRollin' Wit Dana DaneRollin' Wit Dana Dane is the third and final studio album released by Dana Dane. It was released on March 28, 1995, on Maverick Records and was produced by DJ Battlecat, along with Smash Money and 3rd Rail...
(1995) - Best of Dana DaneBest of Dana DaneBest of Dana Dane is a compilation, the fourth and final album released by Dana Dane. It was released on March 26, 2002, on BMG Special Products and was produced by Hurby Luv Bug and the Invincibles...
(2002)