A fun, gritty mix of hood gone hipster
Have you heard the song “Monopoly” by Danny Brown? Maybe I’m getting ahead of myself… Have you heard of Danny Brown? I hadn’t until sometime this past summer when I read a piece about him in the Detroit Free Press. It wasn’t the headline that got me – I skim articles about Detroit rappers all the time on my way to the album reviews. It was the picture. More specifically, it was the hair: buzzed on one side, long and straightened on the other – the kind of style that would make any hipster look twice in approval or any rap battle opponent grateful for the easy source of material. Skinny jeans, loud tank tops and missing front teeth are other elements of his style. What does a rapper that looks like that sound like?
Turns out his delivery is even more unique than his fashion. Energetic, almost like he’s yelling into the mic, sly and self-assured, his is a voice that will hook some and repel others. But as long as it’s there, you can’t ignore it – and that’s saying a lot, considering there are dozens of new rappers each month being hailed as the next big thing. Danny Brown has an attitude that suggests he isn’t too worried about “making it” or about what’s trending in the industry. He’s more interested in rolling blunts, playing video games and crafting graphically-detailed raps about the dark corners of his hometown. The thirty-year-old emcee has serious raw talent and is clever to a fault.
Thankfully for Danny Brown, I’m not the only one who’s noticed. Last year he was signed by indie label Fool’s Gold through which he released the album “XXX,” which made the year-end best-of lists of Pitchfork and Spin – as well as iSPY. Throughout the album’s 19 hedonistic tracks – aggravated shocker “Monopoly” among them – he demonstrates a knack for combining twisted, abrasive and sincere into something relentlessly entertaining. Currently on tour with Childish Gambino and will be at the Fillmore in Detroit on March 27, Brown is slowly infecting the country with his distinct wordplay and manic yap. You’ll know him when you see him.