Even in a crowded field of hip-hop megastars, there’s no denying Danny Brown is a straight-up original. Recording since his teens, the dynamic young rapper burst out of Detroit’s underground hip-hop scene — first with his self-released 2010 record The Hybrid, and again with the highly-praised XXX in 2011, an album that pushed Brown to hip-hop’s top shelf thanks to his skillfully concise lyrical voice, a hypnotic flow, and sharp humor.
Now with Old — his just-released new record named because people kept asking for “that old Danny Brown sound — Brown continues his upward trajectory. His songs are raw and grimy, detailing painful childhood memories, family struggle, and jail time. But with songs like “Clean Up” and “25 Bucks,” — which features melodic hooks from Purity Ring — there’s richer electronic music production sense. Then there’s “Dip,” a hard banger punctuated with choppy beats, gyrating synths, and heavy rumbling bass.
Simply put, Old is another bold statement proving why Danny Brown is one of the most exciting emerging stars of hip-hop: There’s no one out there who sounds quite like him.
Hear and watch Danny Brown perform in the Soundcheck studio at WNYC.