Daniel Swain, better known by his mononymous stage name Danny!, is an Ameri… Read Full Bio ↴Daniel Swain, better known by his mononymous stage name Danny!, is an American rap performer and record producer from Columbia, South Carolina.

Danny! is a former student of the Savannah College of Art & Design. He often wears an oxford shirt and pinstriped necktie, and has gained notoriety for prank-calling celebrities. In 2012 Danny! rose to prominence shortly following the proclamation by The Roots drummer Questlove that there was strong interest from Jay-Z; he was subsequently signed as the flagship artist to Questlove's re-launched Okayplayer Records after years of being loosely affiliated with the company. In support of the new venture Danny! made his television debut on "Late Night With Jimmy Fallon" in September 2012, premiering his song "Evil" alongside The Roots.

Prior to this Danny! was most notable for his efficacious DIY approach to his music career, producing virtually every aspect of his albums—from the production to the cover art and even promotion—by himself to varying degrees of acclaim. He would field praise for his self-released concept records "Charm" and "And I Love H.E.R.", the latter named by ABC News as one of the best 50 albums of 2008, before releasing the "anti-album" "Where Is Danny?" in early 2011. After signing to Okayplayer Records the following year, Danny! completed his trilogy of conceptual albums with "Payback".

Rhyme Writer Crime Fighter
Danny! Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

You know?
When I ain't spittin'
I'm out fightin' crime
'Cause I'm bad like that, uh

[Verse 1:]
Caped crusader
Stay souped with lasers

A gray deuce-deuce that I used to blaze
I slayed spooked troops in my youthful days
And flew away in the Spruce Goose, ruthless ways
Now you could say my style was aloof but hey
I gotta stay elusive
And that's why I moonlight as a producer, slash rapper
Slash ass-kicker, ridiculous rat bastards
Face down on the gravel, have gun will travel
Out the blue steel barrel, get ya crew killed
Harold from Peru filled the streets with pills for weeks
Had his operation based in Brazilian suites
Women swimmin' in counterfeit bills with grills for teeth
And had a half a mil' concealed beneath Building B
Ugh...received word they on the block
I got the call on my two-way radio watch
It was a Tuesday, shoes laced, gazed at my clock
Hope I can ruin their clientele in time to catch Seinfeld
Crime prevails daily, it's a hundred fanatics
That's why my hip's equipped with guns and gadgets
That's why my lip is stiff, no one can match it
That's why I dip whenever the sun comes, had it
With Harold and his shenanigans, everyone's frantic
When they peep the piece and the heat I brandish
Shut 'em down son, took 'em to police then vanished
I made it home but I just missed Costanza's antics, dammit!
Such a job is selfless
But the mayor feeds me eggs, corn cobs and shellfish
Rebellious for the hell of it, villains audacious
I'm still in my spaceship, I know that I can fly with my cape
But that's some lame shit, I'm cooler than that
Preservin' justice, just show me where the hooligans at
And this is my hooligan r-r-r-rap

[Danny!: talking]
And you know they don't give a brotha no superpowers
So I gotta keep more gats than a Papoose verse
You feel me?

[Chorus x2: scratches by Danny!]
[Danny!:] "D-D-D. Swain..."
[Street Life:] "...r-r-rhyme Writer..."
[Will Smith:] "The best...best...the best looking crime fighter..."

[Verse 2:]
In the daytime he's meek and mild-mannered
But the D. Swainmobile is sleek and piled with hammers
I got a slick pistol that I nicknamed Crystal
Her thick frame bristles when I exchange missiles
For some quick pain, whistle at her, see if she don't snub you
I keep the broad around but I don't ever say "I love you"
I stay between gats and my laser beam hats
George Bush the button to thwart a crook, it's nothin'
I got a fly chick as a sidekick
Always on her Sidekick, tryin to find some Jordan-signed kicks
I try to give her leeway; lost my utility belt
Assed-out for three days, she copped a new one from eBay
Heesheeeay! Blowticious, villains so vicious
Mutated goldfishes, magicians and old witches, and
Islamic crooks with atomic hooks
I done battled all of these cats, and still ain't no comic book!
Look! ("we don't believe you!") I know you hear my flows and doubt it
Don't believe me? Ask Edna Mode, she's the broad that sews my outfits
The sensational, back is the +Incredible+
D. Swain the Vigilante, back-handin' criminals
..but don't tell nobody

[Chorus]

Overall Meaning

The song "Rhyme Writer Crime Fighter" by Danny! talks about the rapper's dual identity as a musician and a vigilante fighting crime on the streets. The lyrics describe his alter ego as a caped crusader who carries a gray deuce-deuce and uses it to slay spooked troops while flying away in the Spruce Goose. He emphasizes his aloof style and keeps himself elusive to the authorities while moonlighting as a producer, rapper, and ass-kicker.

Danny!'s alter ego is a selfless crime fighter who risks his life to shut down the city's vicious criminals. He describes how Harold from Peru filled the streets with pills for weeks and hid half a mil' concealed beneath Building B. When Danny! received word they were on the block, he got a call on his two-way radio watch and set out to ruin their clientele in time to catch Seinfeld. He's equipped with guns, gadgets, and a stiff lip that no one can match. He takes pride in preserving justice and always shows up where the hooligans at.

The lyrics of "Rhyme Writer Crime Fighter" are a metaphor for Danny!'s pursuit of a music career while battling the odds and the system. He relates to the caped crusader as his alter ego who fights against the villains and injustice that represent obstacles in his life. By blending this superhero theme with his rap music, Danny! creates a unique identity that reflects his bold and rebellious style.

Line by Line Meaning

You know?
Do you understand what I'm saying?

When I ain't spittin', I'm out fightin' crime 'Cause I'm bad like that, uh
When I'm not rapping, I'm out stopping criminals because I'm tough and fearless like that.

Caped crusader Stay souped with lasers A gray deuce-deuce that I used to blaze
I wear a cape and use laser guns as weapons. I used to carry a small gun and shoot it.

I slayed spooked troops in my youthful days And flew away in the Spruce Goose, ruthless ways
When I was young, I defeated scared enemies and escaped in a large plane, using ruthless tactics.

Now you could say my style was aloof but hey I gotta stay elusive
Some might say I was distant, but it's necessary for me to be hard to find and capture.

And that's why I moonlight as a producer, slash rapper Slash ass-kicker, ridiculous rat bastards
That's why I also make music while also fighting crime and beating up bad guys.

Face down on the gravel, have gun will travel Out the blue steel barrel, get ya crew killed
I'll put your face in the dirt, and I'm always armed and ready to fight. I'll shoot to kill your entire gang without a warning.

Harold from Peru filled the streets with pills for weeks Had his operation based in Brazilian suites
A drug dealer named Harold from Peru sold drugs on the streets for weeks and operated out of fancy suites in Brazil.

Women swimmin' in counterfeit bills with grills for teeth And had a half a mil' concealed beneath Building B
Women had fake money and teeth enhancements and kept half a million dollars hidden in a building.

Ugh...received word they on the block I got the call on my two-way radio watch
I heard that the bad guys were on the block, and I received a call on my two-way radio watch.

It was a Tuesday, shoes laced, gazed at my clock Hope I can ruin their clientele in time to catch Seinfeld
It was a Tuesday, and I was ready with my shoes on, looking at my clock. I hoped to stop them before they watched Seinfeld and ruined people's lives more.

Crime prevails daily, it's a hundred fanatics That's why my hip's equipped with guns and gadgets That's why my lip is stiff, no one can match it
Crime happens every day because there are always people who are obsessed with it. That's why I have weapons and technology on my belt and why I'm determined to stop it. No one can resist me.

That's why I dip whenever the sun comes, had it With Harold and his shenanigans, everyone's frantic
That's why I disappear when the sun comes up because Harold is causing trouble, and everyone is scared and running around.

When they peep the piece and the heat I brandish Shut 'em down son, took 'em to police then vanished
When they saw that I was armed and dangerous, I took them down and handed them to the police before disappearing.

I made it home but I just missed Costanza's antics, dammit!
I returned home, but I wish I got to see Costanza's jokes and tricks.

Such a job is selfless But the mayor feeds me eggs, corn cobs and shellfish
Being a crime fighter is challenging but rewarding. The mayor gives me delicious food as a reward.

Rebellious for the hell of it, villains audacious I'm still in my spaceship, I know that I can fly with my cape
I'm always breaking rules for fun, and criminals are always bold. I still have a spaceship even though I can fly with my cape.

But that's some lame shit, I'm cooler than that Preservin' justice, just show me where the hooligans at
Flying with a cape is boring. I'm cooler than that. I'm always preserving justice, so tell me where the bad guys are.

And this is my hooligan r-r-r-rap
This is my rap about fighting crime.

[Danny!: talking] And you know they don't give a brotha no superpowers So I gotta keep more gats than a Papoose verse You feel me?
You know they won't give me superpowers, so I need to carry more guns than Papoose (a rapper) does. Do you understand me?

[Chorus x2: scratches by Danny!] [Danny!:] "D-D-D. Swain..." [Street Life:] "...r-r-rhyme Writer..." [Will Smith:] "The best...best...the best looking crime fighter..."
The chorus is about how great and cool I am as a crime fighter.

In the daytime he's meek and mild-mannered But the D. Swainmobile is sleek and piled with hammers
During the day, I'm meek and mild-mannered, but my car is always equipped with weapons.

I got a slick pistol that I nicknamed Crystal Her thick frame bristles when I exchange missiles
I have a powerful gun that I call Crystal, which makes loud noises when I shoot it.

For some quick pain, whistle at her, see if she don't snub you I keep the broad around but I don't ever say "I love you"
If you want to feel some pain, try using my gun. I always have it but never express love for it.

I stay between gats and my laser beam hats George Bush the button to thwart a crook, it's nothin'
I'm always armed with guns and laser guns. It's effortless for me to stop a crook by just pressing a button.

I got a fly chick as a sidekick Always on her Sidekick, tryin to find some Jordan-signed kicks
I have a cool female partner who is always on her Sidekick phone, trying to buy expensive shoes.

I try to give her leeway; lost my utility belt Assed-out for three days, she copped a new one from eBay Heesheeeay!
I give her space, but I lost my belt for three days. She bought a new one from eBay, which is okay with me. (Heesheeeay is an expression of excitement.)

Blowticious, villains so vicious Mutated goldfishes, magicians and old witches, and Islamic crooks with atomic hooks
The villains I fight are incredible, from mutated goldfish to magicians and old witches. I even battle Islamists who have atomic weapons.

I done battled all of these cats, and still ain't no comic book! Look! ("we don't believe you!")
I fought all these criminals, and my stories are not just in comic books. See for yourself! (Others don't believe me.)

I know you hear my flows and doubt it Don't believe me? Ask Edna Mode, she's the broad that sews my outfits
You might not think my stories are true, but ask Edna Mode, the woman who makes my costumes.

The sensational, back is the +Incredible+ D. Swain the Vigilante, back-handin' criminals ..but don't tell nobody
I'm incredible and amazing. I'm a crime fighter who uses physical force. But don't tell anyone.

Contributed by Jordan H. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

TRACKS