And I Love H.E.R.: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack

And I Love H.E.R.: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
Studio album by Danny!
Released June 24, 2008
Length 72:00
Label Badenov Records/1911 Music
Producer Danny!
Danny! chronology
Dream, Extinguished
(2008)Dream, Extinguished2008		 And I Love H.E.R.: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
(2008)		 Where Is Danny?
(2011)Where Is Danny?2011

And I Love H.E.R.: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack, also referred to as simply And I Love H.E.R., is MC/producer Danny!'s full-length follow-up to 2006's Charm and the second in a series of concept albums (succeeded by 2012's Payback). The record was released to universal acclaim, cited by ABC News[1] and L.A. Weekly[2] as one of the best releases of 2008 (see 2008 in music). And I Love H.E.R. was expected to be released on January 22, but was postponed until June 24 for various reasons. Around the time of its original projected release date a promotional poster surfaced on URB Magazine's website,[3] revealing Tanya Morgan's Von Pea, Brooklyn MC Che Grand and Kidz in the Hall's Naledge as the "film"'s "co-stars".

And I Love H.E.R. was notable for introducing yet another musical direction for Danny!, who was experimenting with hip house, downtempo and electronica during the record's inception to produce a sort of "lounge-hop" hybrid that has since become his definitive style. Tracks such as "Not The One", "At What Price" and "Do You" were cited by critics as stand-out songs and are examples of Danny!'s new sound.

Overview

Originally assumed to be Danny!'s debut release under new recording home Definitive Jux Records, it appears as if And I Love H.E.R. is, like Danny Is Dead before it, yet another independent release,[4] making the album Danny!'s fifth studio album and eleventh release under his vanity 1911 Music/Badenov Records imprint. It is unknown why the album, nor its successor Where Is Danny?, was not an official Def Jux release, considering that Danny! had not yet released an album through the label nor publicly defected from them at the time. As such, much speculation has risen regarding the release of this album.

Contrary to the album's subtitle, And I Love H.E.R. is not actually a "soundtrack" but rather a concept album chronicling the story of Danny!'s love affair with hip-hop music. Both And I Love H.E.R.'s title and cover art was inspired by the Beatles' 1964 feature film A Hard Day's Night, with "And I Love Her" being one of the signature songs from the film's soundtrack. Other songs, such as "I Want H.E.R. (She's So Heavy)" and "Yoko Ono", also make reference to the Beatles. Meanwhile, the usage of "H.E.R." as an acronym is an allusion to "I Used to Love H.E.R." by fellow rapper Common, the 1994 song which personified hip-hop as a woman and former love interest.

Reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
ABC Newsfavorable[5]
Allmusic[6]
Cokemachineglow(74/100)[7]
Okayplayer[8]
Performer Magazinefavorable[9]
Pitchfork(7.3/10)[10]
RapReviews[11]

And I Love H.E.R. was met with generally positive reviews, ultimately earning an 81% rating from review aggregator Metacritic.[12] Pitchfork described the record as an "engaging, thoroughly promising album", citing the song "Wanderland" as And I Love H.E.R.'s "most compelling moment" and "The Groove" as having an aesthetic similar to André 3000's "Hey Ya!". And I Love H.E.R. also received praises from Allmusic, Okayplayer, and Performer Magazine, who featured Danny! on its front cover only months prior.[13] The record was met with year-end recognition toward 2008's closing, landing on numerous "best of" lists compiled by ABC News, Coke Machine Glow and Allmusic.[14]

Track listing

No.TitleMusicSample(s)Length
1."Intro" (Swain, Bembo)Produced by Danny!Contains elements from "Got To Be There", by Michael Jackson.5:17
2."Guess Who's Back" (featuring Naledge) (Swain, Evans, Jacques)Produced by Danny! 3:14
3."I Want H.E.R. (She's So Heavy)" (featuring Brittany Bosco) (Goose, Swain, Benjamin, Ohno) Contains lyrics from "Prototype", by André 3000 of Outkast and "Electric Relaxation" by A Tribe Called Quest. Contains elements from "Rapper Dapper Snapper", by Edwin Birdsong.5:06
4."At What Price" (featuring Maria) (Swain, Kawata))Produced by Danny! 6:57
5."Jet Set" (Swain, Guaraldi)Produced by Danny! 3:20
6."The Groove" (Swain, Nilovic)Produced by Danny! 4:57
7."Not The One" (featuring Kid Syc) (Swain, Harold, Dragazis)Produced by Danny!Contains lyrics from "She Said", by The Pharcyde. Contains elements from "Tom's Diner", by Suzanne Vega.3:44
8."Misery" (featuring Collette) (Swain, Miranda, Timoney)Produced by Danny! 4:47
9."Intermission (interlude)" (Swain, Softley)Produced by Danny! 4:09
10."Wanderland" (Swain, Goose, Brown, Byrd) Contains elements from "Mysterious Vibes", by the Blackbyrds.4:21
11."Where You Goin'" (featuring Maria) (Swain, Kawata)Produced by Danny! 3:27
12."Never Change" (featuring Kid Syc and Branden M. Collins) (Swain, Goose, Harold, Bembo) Contains samples from "Tema Di Barbara", by Alberto Baldan Bembo.4:05
13."I Don't Know" (featuring Von Pea and Stephanie Mae) (Swain, Callender, Pettaway, Job)Produced by Danny!Contains elements from "Make It Right", by Marz.2:49
14."Yoko Ono" (featuring Che Grand) (Swain, Anosike, Berger)Produced by Danny!Contains samples from "Zoïzoï", by France Gall.3:49
15."Do You" (Swain, Hukkelberg)Produced by Danny! 3:00
16."After The Love Has Gone" (Swain, Dale, Richardson)Produced by Danny!Contains elements from "Brass But Lightly", by Neil Richardson and Syd Dale.4:00
17."Keep Dreamin'" (Swain, Garnegy, Maties)Produced by Danny! 4:20

References

  1. ↑ Raible, Allan (2009-01-02). "The 50 Best Albums of 2008: Nos. 25 to 1". ABC News. Retrieved 2009-01-11.
  2. ↑ Weiss, Jeff (2008-08-01). "The 10 Best Hip-Hop Albums Of The Half-Year". L.A. Weekly. Archived from the original on 2008-08-18. Retrieved 2008-08-17.
  3. ↑ Barber, Andrew (2008-02-20). "Def Jux Signee Danny! Preps Debut". URB. Retrieved 2008-03-02.
  4. ↑ "Danny! - 'And I Love Her: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack'". Billboard.com. 2007-11-10. Archived from the original on 2008-02-04. Retrieved 2008-03-24.
  5. ↑ News, A. B. C. (2 January 2009). "Ring in '09 With '08's Greatest Hits".
  6. ↑ Allmusic review
  7. ↑ Cokemachineglow review Archived August 20, 2008, at the Wayback Machine.
  8. ↑ Okayplayer review Archived August 22, 2008, at the Wayback Machine.
  9. ↑ Performer Magazine review Archived September 25, 2008, at the Wayback Machine.
  10. ↑ "Danny!: And I Love H.E.R.: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack Album Review - Pitchfork".
  11. ↑ "Danny! :: And I Love H.E.R. :: Badenov Records".
  12. ↑ "Danny!: And I Love H.E.R.: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack". Metacritic. 2008-11-30. Retrieved 2009-03-11.
  13. ↑ Brown, Amena (2008-03-20). "Bigger Than Buzz: Creating Your Own Mania". Performer Magazine. Archived from the original on 2011-04-10. Retrieved 2008-03-22.
  14. ↑ Westergaard, Sean (2008-12-16). "The AllMusic Pop Editors’ Favorites of 2008". Allmusic. Retrieved 2008-12-21.

Release history

Country Date
United Kingdom June 23, 2008
United States June 24, 2008
Japan July 21, 2008
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