Introduction
Dana McLeese (born 1965) better known by his stage name Dana Dane, is an American hip hop recording artist known for performance of humorous lyrics and for his fashion sense.
Early life
McLeese was born in the Walt Whitman housing project in Fort Greene, Brooklyn, New York City, New York.
Career
Recording artist
Dana Dane's career began as part of the Kangol Crew with fellow rapper Slick Rick, to whom he sounded markedly similar, although Slick Rick's English lilt was actually genuine. After graduating from high school, he signed with Profile record label in 1985.
Dana Dane's debut album, Dana Dane with Fame, peaked at #46 on the Billboard album chart and was certified gold. His debut single was "Nightmare". His biggest hit in the United States was "Cinderfella Dana Dane", which peaked at #11 on Billboard magazine's R&B charts in 1987. Cheryl Green from Queens, NY sang backup. He was among Profile Records’s core artists, then recorded briefly for Rap-A-Lot Records but did not release anything on that label. He released his last album in 1995 on Maverick Records.
Beyond rapping
Dane operated a clothing boutique in New York City in the late 1980s and early 1990s.
He is an on-air host for Sirius/XM Satellite Radio on its classic hip-hop channel BackSpin.
In 2009, he released his first novel, Numbers (One World/Ballantine/Random House ISBN 978-0-345-50605-4).
Discography
Albums
- Dana Dane with Fame (1987)
- Dana Dane 4 Ever (1990)
- Rollin' Wit Dana Dane (1995)
- Best of Dana Dane (2002)