Grant JonesFirst things first, this is my favorite album from 2024, so if you’re one of those readers that scrolls down to the score – it’s an easy 9/10. Regular readers will be very familiar with the best rapper from Toronto whose name starts with a D, as we’ve covered 2000’s “The Book of Daniel”, 2004’s “See No Evil, Hear No Evil” and 2013’s “Inevitable”. Spoiler alert – they’re all good. His latest effort feels like another entry in the long line of geriatric gems that we’ve seen from rappers pushing fifty. There’s a reason they all have bad backs – from continuing to carry the rap game! Fortunately, Dan-e-o has better lines than that one, and “Vigilante” is a constantly interesting selection of songs that I find myself nodding my head to, both in agreement with what he’s saying, and with his choice in beats. I can understand why he’s not a household name like some of his Canadian compatriots, but I can’t help but smile listening to him rap. His voice and flow are precise, articulate and he never talks down to the listener. Maybe he’s not “rap star” material, but he tears apart microphones with a blend of thoughtful opinions and short stories that are packaged in a way albums used to be.
Much like his peer across the border, Masta Ace, he knows how to make songs. You’d think that would be essential criteria for any rapper, but many still spout rhymes with no coherence, and each song on “Vigilante” feels carefully crafted, and the flow of the album is also something you simply wouldn’t get from having a bunch of these songs shoehorned into a playlist. Masta Ace actually appears on “Cleanse My Soul”, but hearing Dan-e-o lay into Kanye West is something fellow rappers simply aren’t doing enough (especially after his latest shenanigans).
“Kanye West was born two days before me
Two different paths in life, one infected by evil sorcery
He’s known the planet over whilst most of the world ignores me
But arguably I’m richer ‘cause self-hatred is costly
Don’t forget your history, Bob told us in Rat Race
I love Nazis blasts Ye, covering up his black face
View in his mirror, a reflection it seems his ass hates
From Throne to alone, the change happened at a fast pace
What inspired sickos to kill Tyree Nichols
The mistake of taking Ye’s words as highly fickle
Loathing of self, causes more damage than wildin’ pitbulls
A nuisance/new sense/cents doesn’t cover it, this ain’t a shiny nickel
His death on layaway, his bound to happen on any day
Whether with badges or mics a brother’s life they take away
Caught out in the game that all those evil racists play
Our skinfolk ain’t kinfolk I hate to say”
Political and social commentary is prevalent on songs such as “Like We” and “Turn It Around”, but it’s an approach that is light-touch and open to replays in a way that a record like Locksmith’s last album probably wasn’t. The latter song tackles gun crime, specifically white supremacists airing out their grievances with machine guns. Again, there simply aren’t enough young rappers emphasising how f***ed up this continues to be.
Relationships and infidelity are covered in “Past Away” and “Psychokinetic” where Dan-e-o repeatedly mentions that he’s over his exes, which clearly implies that he isn’t. They are both strong efforts, produced by Big Sproxxx (who splits production duties with Charisma). Speaking of which, Charisma impressed me with his beats, specifically when the emcees are trying to outdo each other. “Supreme” with Nish is as fun as it gets, with a suitably silly video successfully showing Dan-e-o’s sense of humor:
Heads will appreciate the posse cut “Barsmen” which features D-Sisive, Quake Matthews and J Shiltz. Let’s take a minute to appreciate the D-Sisive verse:
“Top 5, Shakespeare, the guy who wrote Hamilton
Taboo, Apl.de.ap, then me
I’m an icon in this cesspool of wack emcees
I make Dizasters out of Canibuses with ease
My moves make water ripple like Jurassic scenes
When I tell my story to drums like VladTV
I blab with the full clip like when Guru back with Preem
And shoot ’til the clips empty like 50 Cent and ‘Preme
I made half of Canada want to rap like me
But you’re the diet me like caffeine and aspartame
I raise the bar to heights only giraffes can see
That don’t make sense like when Snoop signed to Master P”
I can’t really find fault in a specific song. “Ya Bad Self” takes aim at the youth enraptured by the gangsta rap lifestyle instead of Hip-Hop culture, which isn’t the most original idea for a song, but this is me trying to find issues with songs I like. When I see 20-year-olds playing trash music that’s clearly devoid of any nourishment, I also roll my eyes like The Undertaker. By the time “Sober Sunday” with Saukrates comes in to close out the album, the only real issue I could find is that there are a few cheesy lines that the purest of purists might turn their heads up at. That’s the price you pay with lyrical rap, there’ll always be one or two clangers.
“Vigilante” is an excellent effort that benefits from thirty years of expertise. All those scribbled-out bars. All those hours spent in the studio. Dan-e-o has built his best, most enjoyable album yet. I like to classify this brand of rap as “jaded dad rap”, mostly because I’m a jaded dad still obsessed with rap, and this music speaks to me, but there’s an energy on “Vigilante” that is anything but jaded. Sure, there’s some bleak themes that mirror the reality of the world right now, but if you’re after an album that reminds you what rap albums can be, you’ll do far worse than this.