Dan Charnas

{{short description|American journalist}}

File:Kristin Hersh Dan Charnas 2010 BBF.jpg with Kristin Hersh.]]

Daniel Louis Charnas{{cite web|title=GRADUATION: 2007 Award Winners|url=http://deanstudents.blogsome.com/2007/05/15/2007awards/|website=The Daily Plan-it / Dean of Students Blog, Columbia J-school|publisher=Columbia University School of Journalism|access-date=April 30, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071016230539/http://deanstudents.blogsome.com/2007/05/15/2007awards/|archive-date=October 16, 2007|url-status=dead}} (born August 30, 1967){{cite tweet|number=108638130902532097|user=dancharnas|title=The bestest birthday present you can give this kid? Follow me! @dancharnas |date=30 August 2011}} is an American author, radio host and record company executive. He is considered to have played a role in the creation of hip-hop journalism.

A native of New York City, Charnas graduated with honors from Boston University in 1989 with a bachelor's degree in communications.{{cite web|url=http://www.bu.edu/comtalk/2012/10/24/bring-the-noise/|title=In the Early Days of Rap Music, One COM Student Fanned a Cultural Spark that Caught Fire Campus-wide|author=Faraone, Chris|publisher=Boston University|date=October 24, 2012|access-date=April 30, 2017}} In 2007, Charnas earned a master's degree from the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.{{cite web|url=http://www.dancharnas.com/bio/|title=About Dan Charnas|work=DanCharnas.com|date=22 October 2010 |access-date=April 30, 2017}} His master's thesis was titled Shocked: Birthright Unplugged challenges Birthright Israel in an epic battle for the hearts and minds of American Jews.{{cite web|url=http://library.columbia.edu/locations/journalism/masters/2007.html|title=Journalism Library: 2007 Master's Projects|publisher=Columbia University Library|access-date=April 30, 2017}}

As a radio personality, Charnas hosted a segment on KPWR in Los Angeles. As a journalist he was a writer for the hip-hop magazine The Source. He became a talent scout for Profile Records and later ran the rap division of American Recordings in a joint venture with Warner Bros. Records.

In 2010 he wrote the book The Big Payback about the history of the hip-hop business.{{cite news |title=Dan Charnas On The Biggest Deals In Hip-Hop History, & Why Drake Could've Done Better|url=http://globalgrind.com/channel/music/content/1899149/dan-charnas-on-the-biggest-deals-in-hiphop-history-why-drake-couldve-done-better/ |publisher= Global Grind |date=January 5, 2011| author =Global Grind staff}}{{cite news |title=The brains behind the bling-bling|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2011/01/14/AR2011011406910.html |newspaper=The Washington Post |date= January 16, 2011| author =Aaron Leitko }}

In 2022 his book Dilla Time, on the life and works of hip-hop producer J Dilla, was published.{{cite web |last1=Madrigal |first1=Alexis |title=The Genius of Hip-Hop Producer J Dilla Shines in New Book 'Dilla Time' by Dan Charna |url=https://www.kqed.org/forum/2010101887686/the-genius-of-hip-hop-producer-j-dilla-shines-in-new-book-dilla-time-by-dan-charna |website=KQED |access-date=5 March 2023 |date=4 February 2022}}

Charnas is an associate professor at the Tisch School of the Arts at New York University and has been a thesis advisor at the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.{{Cite web|url=https://tisch.nyu.edu/about/directory/clive-davis-institute/1329313918|title=Dan Charnas - Professor - Clive Davis Institute - NYU Tisch Music|website=tisch.nyu.edu}}{{Cite web|url=https://library.columbia.edu/libraries/journalism/masters/2013-masters-s-projects.html|title=2013 Masters's Projects | Columbia University Libraries|website=library.columbia.edu}}