Endangered by Dan Johns
One of the greatest aspects of hip hop culture has always been its versatility and ability to adapt: Today's DJ might have been yesterday's graffiti artist, and your favorite emcee could also be a dope b-boy, or beat maker.
Dan Johns embraces that versatility on his latest album, “Endangered.” A renowned wordsmith, Dan places as much emphasis on his production and engineering as he does on his songwriting. “Endangered,” an 11-track opus, illustrates the sense of urgency felt by both artists and fans of true school hip hop. We no longer live in a time where music is consumed, then digested, for months at a time. More frequent release schedules have translated to a shorter shelf life. KRS-1 warned us a long time ago that “rappers are in DANGER.” Dan Johns (also known as Dan Danger) is echoing that sentiment, while taking it a step further, to say that HIP HOP is Endangered.
It should be no surprise the artists that Dan affectionately call his brethren (Mag-O's Akshun, and fellow Divine Suns Plex Long, ANON The Griot, The HunchPunch Champ, Trice Be Phantom Magnetiq, Detroit's own Finale, Black Box ENT's FACE The Truth & SK The K.I.D.) lend their voices to the message of “Endangered.” While Danger is the project's primary producer, treats from Encore, jonyfraze, and MadSci help define the distinct sound of the album. (Special thanks to WLPWR of Supahotbeats and Chris Hanebutt)
DJ Stylz and the aforementioned jonyfraze represent for the DJ's, skillfully adding cuts to several tracks.
Whether he's putting an end to any doubts about his lyrical prowess on “No Debatin That”, or giving you an inside peek into the unofficial sanctuary of men on “Barbershop Brothers,” Dan Johns is a reminder that there is a vast difference between being extinct and being endangered.
