By the time age 30 comes around, many people have deferred their dream careers, love interests, and lifestyle choices for what three decades have shown them. Fortunately, Danny Brown spent his ’20s marching to his now tune. When Roc-A-Fella A&Rs urged him to adopt a southern image and sound, he used soulful and/or gritty Detroit sounds to gain fans with his acclaimed Hot Soup and The Hybrid. When G-Unit boss 50 Cent refused to sign him because he wore skinny jeans, he adopted a weird, Japanese-inspired haircut and signed with Fool’s Gold, the powerhouse indie label run by DJ A-Trak and Nick Catchdubs. So though his latest project XXX may seem like a departure from his usual sound, it’s what Danny has done all along. Listeners get that entire experience, for better or for worse.
On his previous albums, Danny Brown saw firsthand how the drugs he sold affected his customers. On XXX, he rhymes from the other side of the handoff, with new career pressures and experimental nature as the catalyst. “I used to turn these drugs, now these drugs turn my life,” he admits over Frank Dukes’ spacey, horn-driven title track. When he’s not enjoying the escapism on “Blunt After Blunt” or “Aderall Admiral,” he uses “DNA” to reflect on how his family’s drug dependences affected his own. The addictions aren’t limited to substances, either: elsewhere, he confides in sex (“I Will”) or a fast lifestyle (“Die Like A Rockstar”). The changes in Danny’s world are also personified in his production choices—he diverts from his previous mix of soul and knock for an experimental palette of electronic minimalism. Just in case listeners get too infatuated with his own admissions, Danny’s sure to point out that he’s not the only one with issues: “Nosebleeds” and “Party All The Time” candidly narrate the woes of women who use cocaine and nightlife to deal with their problems. Danny’s candid laments of “laughing at the world ‘cause her life is a joke” in the latter seem more than observant from an outside perspective.
Thankfully, there’s still enough of the familiar Danny Brown for original fans to enjoy if the new him becomes too much. Songs like “Bruiser Brigade” and “Detroit 187” remind listeners of Danny’s hardnosed, street origins, while “Pac Blood” sees Danny dismantling a gritty Brandun Deshay soundbed with hilarious, punchline-heavy bars like, “rhymes that would make the Pope want to get his dick sucked, have Virgin Mary doing lines in the pickup/make Sarah Palin deep throat till she hiccup, have T.D Jakes in this bitch doing stick-ups.” He also continues to find the smiles and cries with poverty in Detroit: “Lie4” comically celebrates the temporary pleasure of income tax refunds, while “Scrap or Die” recounts scouring through junk yards and abandoned buildings to scrap metal to survive. Also, the satirical “Radio Song” conveys the message of mainstream rap’s formulaic nature too well, as its simplistic beat and singsongy chorus are tough to look past.
To some, Danny Brown’s new beat selection or various voice changes (he switches between somber mumbles and twangy yells) on XXX will be too foreign to enjoy. Regardless, Danny will do what he wants; and if history repeats itself, someone’s going to feel it.
DX Consensus: “Free Album”
There was a few bangers,but alot of that shit had me scrathing ny head. He’s a unique individual none the less.
Even though there are some tracks that sound a bit strange at the first listen, his shit is really unique. And listening to an album thinkin “I never heard something like this before” is something really rare in hip hop.
Danny Brown killin it for free as usual! If you don’t know, you’re behind the times!
Not afraid to be weird or different, and that’s commendable.
yea hes unique alright its called drugged the fuck out
Faggot rap.
Faggot rap? Did you even listen to this you judgmental hoe? He raps about fucking girls, eating pussy, and getting his dick sucked alot? How is that faggot?
I guarantee Danny Brown is getting a lot more pussy than you right now!
Try listening to something before you criticize it. That’s just ignorant.
It’s Iight
shit was dope hybrid still better though
I can’t get with this shit…
Defo a unique artist, but i think this mixtape went in. Shudv got Tyrael Sterling on the feature, shit wudv been crazy
The album is everything he wanted it to be. Has your funny lines, too many quotables, and songs with substance. And the beats are insane.
I somewhat like it
yall nikkas gotta love this. danny brown is the 2nd best rapper outta detroit behind Elzhi.
A solid 4 stars, nothing more nothing less.
This album is DOPE
I’m really falling in love with this album. I just keep putting it on again and again. Thanks Brown, for making something really fresh.
a lot of people won’t give danny a chance, just cus he dress different…smh, but aside of that i give this mixtape a 5
Aspiring rappers need to listen to this. It’s not going to change your life…it’s not the best album of the year…I’m not going to hype it like that. However, this guy is fucking distinct and original. You could listen to two songs off of this album and immediately be able to pick him out on any other joint. That means something these days. There are thousand…fuck it, MILLIONS of rappers, and most sound alike, which is boring as hell.
I really like his delivery, sense of humor, and ability to write quotables. You have no idea what is about to come out of his mouth next, and I see value in that. 4/5
Co-muthafcukin SIGN!
Word!
One of the most original and best albums of there.
The beats are super dope, and he rocks many different flow styles. Essential!
‘XXX’ is BANGING!
I can’t stop listen to this.
Danny can out rap almost anybody in the game right now.
And those that ‘ain’t feeling these beats’, you watch- next year all kindsa producers are gonna go for this style and you’re gonna jock it.
Recognize!
not ma style
man, i dont know about this production…it’s kinda retarded, not in a good way. Some of it is decent though.
Not feelin’ it.
Great work
http://soundcloud.com/ess500/kill-in-um-soundwav-tag
Yuck, not feelin this at all.
hey listen here u little shit cant u tell this shit is dope af like everyone else has been sayin stop trillin my niga
From the back burner to the front burner, this shit is hot.
Perfect 5, that shit is amazing.
Hip hop album of the year.
Danny Brown is a fairly unconventional rapper in many senses. He uniquely portrays two distinct personas on this album. The first 2/3 of the album consists of his wacky rapper mentality that doesn’t care, loves to make tons of metaphors and cultural references, and boasts Danny Browns distinguishably sharp and almost nasally sounding flow. From my first impressions, it seems he uses this “I don’t care†mentality to an extreme for some of his songs in the first 2/3 of the album to make fun of the “ignorant gucci and gold loving†genre of rappers. I think you can think of quite a few off the top of your head.
This type of music is similar to Tyler, The Creator’s new song Come Threw Looking Clean, which is clearly a clever joke to make fun of every dumbass rapper that makes songs which sound similar. Even though it’s an intelligent message delivered in a unique fashion, its not quality music…and should not be played as such. This is also the same for Danny’s songs like this…I cannot give them a good rating simply because of the implied message. It isn’t quality stuff that will be played for many years to come.
I know he can successfully utilize his wacky flow to make AMAZING music, like from the song I posted earlier Ray Ban Vision (Remix). His part on it blew me away. If he made more songs on this level, his XXX album would have been a true classic.
I would give the first 2/3 of the songs on the album a rating between 4.3-7.3 out of 10 (Bruiser Brigade being my favorite song from this selection).
The last 1/3 of his album instantly starts off on the right foot with DNA, and drops his wacky flow for a more toned down emotionally driven spitting. These songs are almost the oposite in sound from the first 2/3, and honestly are the highlight of the album. These have meaning that can be felt, such as Party All the Time. However, they aren’t stong enough to save the album. They are good, but not mind blowing.
I would give the last 1/3 of the album’s songs ratings between 7.4-8.6.
Overall Album Rating: 6.5 out of 10
respect
great album.. especially for free
DOPEE
Easily one of the best hip-hop albums of the year. Shows a true master’s craft and range. More hilarious and disturbing than the cats who are supposedly wild. More heartfelt and cinematic than the cats that are supposedly deep. Danny Brown will run circles around 90% of the rappers that are supposedly talented. The grimy off-kilter beats fit the vibe and are crazy original.
so dope
dark, personal, original.
5
Ima give this a 5 maaan I was sleepin fareallydoe! This dude is gutter af and dope af. I was hooked off the first track all day long. This is fuckin awesome lol. This is 5 for real. Wow now I gotta checkout that Black & Brown!
ILL
This is dope and unique. If you want something diffirent from the norm,this is it.
this is some unique crazy dope
Some dope next level shit
dafuck
sick tape