Better Late
Than Never
By
It has been a while since I last had the Nottingham based
emcee, singer, song writer and drummer, Danny on the blog. In fact, I was
introduced to him via Pandamonium when they collaborated on the EP TimesChange, which I reviewed back in December of 2024.
Danny is now back with his debut album release which he has
been writing since 2022. When I wrote the review back in 2024, I felt then that
Danny was one of those to watch on the UK scene, so to have him back with a
full album, it will be interesting to see how far he has come in the last year
or so.
Better Late Than Naver is a big fifteen track album and
see’s Danny flying solo on most of this one. The features come from 1st
Blood, Kenny Cadence and the legendary Scorzayzee, plus Angelface. There is
also big line up of producers providing the beats, and these include Danny
himself alongside NEO Hannan, XavrPryme, Tom Hodson, KPrymetheJaegar, Wigz,
MaugzMade, and Zar!
With that said, let’s not hang around and get straight into
it…
The album kicks off with JD’s Intro coming from my
good friend John Dugan aka JD Hip Hop Reviews (Who also gave me the heads up on
this album the same day as Danny), here we find JD hitting up Danny about the
album and bringing a focus to the appearance of one Angelface, do we have a
biter here or something else?
Step By Step is produced by NEO Hannan and brings a
trap style beat with a sparce beat, synth sound and that high paced cymbal
sound that gives this one a vibe that does get you focused. Here we have Danny
giving us the lowdown on who he is and how he approaches life, giving us a
step-by-step guide to how he got where he is now and how it is going to take
him further. Now we have a bit more of an insight into Danny as an artist, Movin’
sees XavrPryme take on production duties with a more head nod beat that is
backed with guitar vibes that give this an upbeat feel. This on has a far more
personal feel to it as Danny details the hurdles he has faces and overcome as
he has walked the path of life. This gives us more of a look at who he is
behind the mic and the foundations he builds on as an artist focusing on his
dreams.
No Extinguisher features 1st Blood and is
produced by Tom Hodson. The heavy beat and keys give this one a fresh sound
that seems to tweak at your nerves with each keynote while also tempting you to
bounce to the beat. This one is two emcees giving you a demonstration of their
lyrical prowess and wordplay, one of those you just need to sit back and enjoy.
KPrymetheJaegar brings production on Sunshine with a sound that has a
laid-back, but heavy sound that will get you moving to this one and definitely
puts you in mind of the fresh summer days to come. There is an uplifting air
about this one that seems to fit with being sat alone ruminating over things as
you watch the sun go down. Just thinking over things and how the music has
helped you through the bad times. Rhythm & The Rhyme is produced by
Wigz and brings us a sound that has synth notes as the main sound mixed with
bass and laid-back percussion, giving this one a sound that has a strangely
infectious sound. There is also a comedic use of a zipper to bring a scratch
sound. Here we get the sense that Danny encompassing many aspects of his life,
from his relationship with music and his family to looking at the world and
society around him. Fitting so much into just over four minutes is a tall order
but, he does it perfectly here. Far From Friends is produced by Tom
Hodson and has a head nod beat backed by horns that has a heavier sound overall
that gives you the sense this one has a stronger more emotive edge. This one
has an edge that seems to hint at mental health and those times you wrestle
with your own thoughts about what is really most important, who is a friend and
who is a foe, and much more. There is also a bit of a comedic edge to this one
two which allows Danny to speak on this without getting too deep and making too
emotive.
Next up is the Angelface Interlude, a little skit
that seems to hint at an alter ego for Danny? Angelface features on The
Beast Within, produced by KPrymetheJaegar, this one has a solid head nod
sound that will get you bouncing from the get-go. This one has a light-hearted
vibe to it as Angelface makes his debut, as the alter-ego of Danny Riggs. These
guys show the yin and yang of one man’s character but done in a way that has
that tongue-in-cheek aspect that you can just enjoy with a smile, especially
that comedic scratch sound.
Crazy Daily is produced by Wigz alongside Danny Riggs
and brings a sound that has this big bass and drum sound with a background vibe
that has this electronic sampled vibe. Altogether the sound might appear to be
too much but, it gets you nodding for sure. On the face of it this one might
just appear to be one of those rap braggadocio tracks but, while there is some
of that mixed in with some jus for fun wordplay, there are also more that a few
references to more of those hurdles he has overcome in life. So, this one gives
a great overall look at Danny and where he sees himself going and the energy,
he has inside to get there. MaugzMade brings production on Pleasure 2 The
Max with a sound that has this mix of heavy drum beat mixed with electronic
elements and a guitar sound that gives you this wicked sound you can’t help but
move to. Here Danny gives us his own version of track that is dedicated to that
special someone in his life. Not a love song but, more of tale of how two
people’s energies can work in tandem. MaugzMade continues with production on What’s
Up, where the sound has a different guitar vibe alongside a heavy beat,
giving this one a deeper sound with a reflective edge. The message here is one
of making a change in the world; a world that is full of darkness, power
struggles, control and death. The people in power are the ones doing this to
the world and its peoples, and the key is to keep yourself safe and not listen
to the fake news and lies being perpetrated by those in power.
The penultimate full track of the album is Roads,
which features Kenny Cadence and is produced by Tom Hodson. This one has cuts
and wicked funky beat that will have you moving while this electronic siren
type sound will grip your awareness, even though I feel the track would still
work without it. There is a depth to the words within this one as main message
seems to focus on the fact that you should not get too far ahead of yourself in
this industry, but pace yourself and take you time getting where you need to
go, because the more time you take, will help you progress at the pace which is
right for you and allow to mature, and not burn out before your time. The final
full track of the album is Back 2 Back which features the legendary
Scorzayzee and production from ZAR! (Who also featured on the Times Change EP).
This one takes the sound back to a more grime sound; one that has a heavy beat
and electronic vibes that scratch at your nerves alongside that rapid ticking
sound. This one is all about two emcees bouncing off each other with the kind
of bars that would not be out of place on any stage.
The album is rounded off with Danny’s Outro. Where
Danny Riggs just gives us a quick personal message. He also touches on the
appearance on Angelface, perhaps hinting at the fact we have not heard the last
of that name…
Overall, I found Better Late Than Never to be a
highly enjoyable listen and one which was surprisingly easy to write to, which
is something that I noted when reviewing the Times Change EP too. I think this
comes down to the fact of how Danny writes his lyrics. He is very down to earth
and does not write in a way that makes what he says too complex in the
wordplay. That does not make his lyricism too basic either. It says that he has
taken time to write an album that says what he wants it to say, in a way that
anyone can understand. It is still cleaver in its construction and delivered in
a way that shows he is constantly leaning and developing his craft. I can see
that the future for Danny will show him to keep developing and honing his
craft, and with a lot more to give to the UK scene as he works towards his
dreams. There is also that little view of his alter ego, Angelface, who could
serve Danny Well and give him another avenue to express his craft in a slightly
different way.
When I heard the
first track, it took me buy surprise a little. I am not a huge fan of trap
style music and especially the high paced ticking sound, for me that takes the
focus from the vocals and overshadows the track somewhat. However, that said,
it is good to mix things up a bit and the album is book ended by those two
tracks that have a vastly different sound from the rest of the album. Better
Late Than Never is predominantly an album rooted in boom bap Hip Hop, but
using those elements of trap and grime, show that Danny is prepared to step
outside the box and into other genre’s, and there is nothing wrong in spreading
your wings and showing that you have what it takes to be a cross genre artist.
The production on this one is all top notch and gives Danny
the perfect platform to bring his long-awaited album into the limelight. I was
not familiar with many of these producers prior to the album but, have to say
that following this review, I am really impressed with what I have heard from
all involved and will be looking out for them in the future.
It was also refreshing to see Danny taking the forefront on
this album and filling it with too many features. Those that do feature fit
perfectly on the album and do not take anything away from or overshadow Danny
in any way; and only serve to compliment him on the album.
For me, as a debut album, this one ticks so many boxes.
Danny has taken the time to deliver an album that perfectly showcases him as an
emcee and also gives us a glimpse at his production. It shows that he has a lot
more to give us as time goes on. It also shows us he has many strings to his
bow and has many avenues to explore, especially where Angelface is concerned
and in production too.
Better Late Than Never is out today. So, give it a listen
and see what you think.
Huge thanks to both Danny Riggs and John Dugen (JD Hip Hop Reviews) for helping
me bring this one to you.
Be seeing you,
Steve.
LINKS
Here is the one link you need:
https://linktr.ee/dannyriggsuk
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