Daniel Marian Mocanu, better known as Dani Mocanu, is one of Romania's most popular manele singers. Born in Bradu on September 3, 1992, he planned a career as a footballer, before turning to music. Influenced by rap, he integrates its elements and gangsta rhetoric into his popular manele style. A controversial figure for his illicit activities, he was already known for releasing the album Nu Dau Înapoi in 2016, when he was arrested for pimping in 2017. After the unsolved case, the albums Azucat (2018) and Azucați-mă De Hituri (2019) were released under the Big Man label. Playing on his sulphurous notoriety, Dani Mocanu sets up his own label and records the album Artileria (2020), while other affairs pile up. Suspected of murder, he spent a year in prison until his release in October 2022. His return to music gave rise to a new series of hits, with "Hai Sa Ne lubim Ca Mentii" and "Spania" reaching No. 1 in 2024, followed by "Diss Music Romania" (No. 4), "Anglia " (No. 2) and "Vreau Bani", No. 8 in 2025.
