Beat Don't Fail Me Now

posted in: Artist Features • Urban

To get to Danya and the Fail, you have to go by way of Animate Objects, a venerated hip hop group from Chicago. That band began on the campus of the University of Illinois back in 2003 and expanded their presence in the Midwest scene beat by beat with their positive, organic hip-hopology. A side project of Animate Objects, Danya and the Fail features AO founding members Steven Dobias (guitar) and Prashant Vallury (bass) along with former drummer Danya Thompson. Minimalist beats and soothing riffs permeate their debut mixtape, aptly titled The Shit. That’s not to say that Danya and the Fail are too mellow to come correct. Midnight Blue is a dark and menacing invective against the wannabes who never move weight but they claim that they hustling. Lyrical provocateurs, MCs spit rhymes that name-check anyone from Shakespeare to Tupac to Hurley from Lost, and have you smirking while you dance. In Phoenix, shuddering strains and moody keys set the stage for Danya and the Fail’s introduction as contenders for Chicago’s hip hop crown: I’m blessed to be a king in this game of chess / I can only hope that y’alls impressed. Mission accomplished.