Dana Dane
{{short description|American rapper (born 1965)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2022}}
{{Infobox musical artist
| name = Dana Dane
| image = DanaDaneSept05.jpg
| caption = Dane in September 2005
| birth_name = Dana McCleese
| alias =
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1965|09|06}}{{cite web|url=https://familysearch.org/search/record/results?count=20&query=%2Bgivenname%3ADana~%20%2Bsurname%3AMcCleese~|title=Birth information for Dana McCleese|work=FamilySearch.org|access-date=June 16, 2017}}
| birth_place = Brooklyn, New York City, U.S.
| death_date = {{Death date and age|YYYY|MM|DD|YYYY|MM|DD}}
| origin =
| instrument = Rapping
| genre = Hip hop
| occupation =
| years_active = 1985–present
| label = {{hlist|Profile|Arista|BMG|Maverick|Warner Bros.
}}
| associated_acts = Slick Rick
Hurby Luv Bug|
}}
Dana McCleese (born September 6, 1965), better known by his stage name Dana Dane, is an American rapper known for performance of humorous lyrics and for his fashion sense.
Early life
Dana was born in the Walt Whitman housing project in Fort Greene, Brooklyn, New York City, New York.{{cite web |url=http://www.billboard.com/artist/300157/dana-dane/biography |last=Dane Dane mixes light-hearted rap with love of fashion |date= |title=Dana Dane - Biography |website=Billboard.com |access-date=August 16, 2016}}
Career
=Recording artist=
Dana Dane's career began as part of the Kangol Crew with fellow rapper Slick Rick, to whom he sounded markedly similar, although Slick Rick's English lilt was actually genuine, while Dana Dane's was an affectation.{{cite news |last1=Simon |first1=Scott |title=Dana Dane: From Hip-Hop To The Printed Page |url=https://www.npr.org/transcripts/103217488 |access-date=August 16, 2021 |publisher=NPR |date=April 18, 2009}} Dana Dane appeared in the video for Slick Rick's 1988 single "Teenage Love".{{cite news |last1=Hernandez |first1=Victoria |title=DANA DANE NAMES SLICK RICK'S "THE GREAT ADVENTURES OF SLICK RICK" ONE OF GOAT ALBUMS |url=https://hiphopdx.com/news/id.41149/title.dana-dane-names-slick-ricks-the-great-adventures-of-slick-rick-one-of-goat-albums# |access-date=August 16, 2021 |publisher=Hip Hop DX |date=November 5, 2016}} After graduating from high school, he signed with Profile Records in 1985.
Dana Dane's debut album, Dana Dane with Fame, peaked at #46 on the Billboard album chart and was certified gold. His debut single was "Nightmares". His biggest hit in the United States was "Cinderfella Dana Dane", which peaked at #11 on Billboard magazine's R&B charts in 1987. Cheryl Green from Queens, NY sang backup.[{{BillboardURLbyName|artist=dana dane|chart=all}} Chart history] at billboard.com He was among Profile Records's core artists, then recorded briefly for Rap-A-Lot Records but did not release anything on that label. He released his last album, Rollin' Wit Dana Dane, in 1995 on Maverick Records.
=Other activities=
Dane operated a clothing boutique in New York City in the late 1980s and early 1990s. For six years, he was an on-air host for Sirius/XM Satellite Radio on its classic hip-hop channel LL Cool J's Rock the Bells radio (formerly BackSpin).{{cite web |title=Dana Dane |url=https://hiphopgoldenage.com/artists/dana-dane/ |website=Hip Hop Golden Age |access-date=August 16, 2021}}
He makes a cameo appearance as himself in the 2002 film Brown Sugar.{{cite news |title='Brown Sugar' Soundtrack Packed Tight |url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/74677/brown-sugar-soundtrack-packed-tight |access-date=August 16, 2021 |publisher=Billboard |date=August 6, 2002}}
In 2009, he released his first novel, Numbers (One World/Ballantine/Random House).
Discography
=Studio albums=
| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;" border="1"
|+ List of albums, with selected chart positions ! scope="col" rowspan="2" style="width:10em;" | Title ! scope="col" rowspan="2" style="width:23em;" | Album details ! scope="col" colspan="2" | Peak chart positions ! scope="col" rowspan="2" style="width:12em;"| Certifications |
| scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:90%;"| US {{Cite news|url=https://www.billboard.com/artist/dana-dane/chart-history/tlp/|title=Dana Dane Chart History|work=Billboard 200|access-date=July 23, 2021}} ! scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:90%;"| US |
|---|
| scope="row" | Dana Dane with Fame
| | style="text-align:center;"|46 | style="text-align:center;"|2 | |
| scope="row" | Dana Dane 4 Ever
|
| style="text-align:center;"|150 | style="text-align:center;"|23 | |
| scope="row" | Rollin' wit Dana Dane
|
| style="text-align:center;"|— | style="text-align:center;"|42 | |
| colspan="15" style="font-size:90%"| "—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory. |
=Compilation albums=
| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;"
|+ List of compilation albums ! scope="col" rowspan="1" style="width:11em;" | Title ! scope="col" rowspan="1" style="width:16em;" | Album details |
| scope="row" | Best of Dana Dane
|
|
|---|
| scope="row" | Profile Singles{{cite web|url=https://music.apple.com/us/album/profile-singles/1555752686?l=en|title=Profile Singles - Sweet Tee - Release Info|website=Apple Music|access-date=April 25, 2021}}
| |
=Singles=
| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;" border="1"
|+ List of singles, with selected chart positions ! scope="col" rowspan="2" style="width:18em;"| Title ! scope="col" rowspan="2"| Year ! scope="col" colspan="3"| Peak chart positions ! scope="col" rowspan="2"| Album |
| width="30"| US Bub. {{cite web|url=https://www.billboard.com/artist/special-ed/chart-history/hbu/ |title=Bubbling Under Hot 100|website=Billboard.com |access-date=January 25, 2021}} !width="30"| US R&B !width="30"| US Rap |
|---|
| scope="row"| "Nightmares"
| 1985 | style="text-align:center;"|— | style="text-align:center;"|21 | style="text-align:center;"|— | style="text-align:left;" rowspan="6"|Dana Dane with Fame |
| scope="row"| "Delancey Street"
| 1986 | style="text-align:center;"|— | style="text-align:center;"|44 | style="text-align:center;"|— |
| scope="row"| "This be the Def Beat"
|rowspan="3" | 1987 | style="text-align:center;"|— | style="text-align:center;"|30 | style="text-align:center;"|— |
| scope="row"| "Cinderfella Dana Dane"
| style="text-align:center;"|— | style="text-align:center;"|11 | style="text-align:center;"|— |
| scope="row"| "Dana Dane with Fame"
| style="text-align:center;"|— | style="text-align:center;"|— | style="text-align:center;"|— |
| scope="row"| "Love at First Sight"
| 1988 | style="text-align:center;"|— | style="text-align:center;"|— | style="text-align:center;"|— |
| scope="row"| "Little Bit of Dane Tonight"
| 1990 | style="text-align:center;"|— | style="text-align:center;"|53 | style="text-align:center;"|17 | style="text-align:left;" rowspan="2"|Dana Dane 4 Ever |
| scope="row"| "Tales from the Dane Side"
| 1991 | style="text-align:center;"|— | style="text-align:center;"|— | style="text-align:center;"|— |
| scope="row"| "Record Jock"
| 1994 | style="text-align:center;"|15 | style="text-align:center;"|61 | style="text-align:center;"|11 | style="text-align:left;" rowspan="3"|Rollin' wit Dana Dane |
| scope="row"| "Rollin' wit Dana Dane"
|rowspan="2" | 1995 | style="text-align:center;"|18 | style="text-align:center;"|77 | style="text-align:center;"|25 |
| scope="row"| "Chester"
| style="text-align:center;"|— | style="text-align:center;"|— | style="text-align:center;"|— |
| scope="row"| "Think Twice"
| 1997 | style="text-align:center;"|— | style="text-align:center;"|— | style="text-align:center;"|— | rowspan="2" {{N/A|Non-album singles}} |
| scope="row"| "What Up Love?"
| 1999 | style="text-align:center;"|— | style="text-align:center;"|— | style="text-align:center;"|— |
| colspan="15" style="font-size:90%"| "—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory. |
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- {{AllMusic|class=artist|id=p25}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Dane, Dana}}
Category:Rappers from Brooklyn
Category:Maverick Records artists
Category:Profile Records artists
Category:Rap-A-Lot Records artists
Category:21st-century American rappers