Born and raised in London, with ties to both the west and east, Dan Dannah’s inner city life has been a mixed man bag of hard knocks, learnings, surprises and – thankfully – some memorable musical moments. Meet Dan Dannah…
Dan’s love for music included a spell in the studio back in 2016 with legendary Ruff Sqwad producer, Prince Rapid, the results of which saw Dan enjoy support from 1Xtra, appearing on Sian Anderson and DJ Target’s shows with Rapid and co. With performance his favourite pastime, Dan soon became a regular on the Open Mic circuit. Having long enjoyed music as a form of expression, he became known especially on the battle rap circuit – a well-known face among Link Up TV’s Pen Game fans in particular – for his tenacity, ferocity with the delivery and hard-slapping bars. But it’s over the last 18 months that Dan’s made the shift to a more professional outlook and vision for his output.
Like so many things in his life, this change can be traced back to a defining moment in 2022; a gut feeling that he should attend UD’s new Open Mic night in Stratford. Despite numerous travel setbacks, a train and three bus rides later, his performance would seal his fate. Having wowed with his gun finger worthy cut ‘Dangerous’, Dan received an invitation to perform for UD’s larger Open Mic night, in collaboration with Timberland, at Village Underground in London. Impressing again, Dan was subsequently offered a place on UD’s Incubator Programme, a six-month talent and career development opportunity for exceptional independent artists making Black music.
Enhancing his existing skills with intensive songwriting workshops, performance bootcamps and industry knowledge, collaborating with a wealth of multi-genre artists, Dan has come into his own. With aspirations to fulfil his potential, having spent this time properly building a firm body of work and putting a structure in place, new releases are set for 2023.
Delving into new pockets of his artistry and looking to elevate his performances more so, prepare to bear witness to a new chapter for Dan Dannah.
Follow @dan_dannah.
Words: Chantelle Fiddy
Photography: Vincent Dolman, Saadiq T
Videography: Hyabel
