Danny Brown is a Detroit based rapper best known for his 2011 release XXX, one of my favorite albums of the year. You know him for his insane fashion choices and over the top party/drug tracks. I guess it's not your fault, but if you actually listened to the damn album you'll find a pretty damn serious and dark side of Danny. I'm not sure why, but most listeners and media outlets seemed to only embrace the party-monster side. The whole theme of the new project is Danny fans wanting him to return to his old self, but I have no idea why. The concept is nothing new to our genre, but it's a consensus that his new material is a hell of a lot better than the "old". Lets be honest, did anyone actually like The Hybrid or Hawaiian Snow, his collaboration with Tony Yayo. (Seriously?) Oh well, I'm sure I'm missing something.
For an artist that's gained so much recognition, I"m stumped as to what demographic he's aiming for. I can't see him every fully breaking out into the mainstream, but I wouldn't call him a backpacker. I'm listening, which can only mean he's aiming for the internet nerds and bloggers of the world. Yeah, I'll settle with that. Whatever it may be, there's no denying his success. Old appeared on most "Anticipated Albums of 2013" list and has received glowing reviews upon it's release. I feel bad for getting reviewing it so damn late, but shit gets in the way.
In the months preceding the release of Old, Danny was adamant that his new project won't resemble the humor present on XXX. I still don't see what was so God damn funny about a man struggling with drugs and fighting for his life, but I'm obviously in the minority. He warned that there won't be any dick sucking jokes, which is odd coming from a guy infamous for getting head on stage. No, Old is supposedly an album that he considers to be more entertaining. (?) To translate, the introspective songs are featuring on the main chunk of the album, which is certainly a good thing. It's his way of making his audience digest his serious side before letting lose in side B. The beautiful irony of Old is that even the songs he considers mature still paint the picture of a pill popping drug victim addict with a particular liking towards molly. Sometimes contradictions work out for the best.
Let's just get this shit started, I've been waiting over two years for this...
1. Side A (Old)
A few weeks ago Danny released a track titled "O.D.B.", but it missed the final cut for sampling reasons. I enjoyed the song, but became leery that the whole album would flow along with a rapid and manic pace. My worries were quickly put to rest when the opener was released a few days later. This is the Danny Brown that I can sit with for an extended period of time without becoming bored. The album themes are obvious as he raps about brings his braids and AK's back. Again, it's a message that I don't quite get, but it's executed very nicely.
2. The Return (Feat. Freddie Gibbs)
Whats an album without some Outkast influence? Well, it could be a whole bunch of different things, but it appears here regardless. Especially in the hook, Danny and Freddie make specific references to "Return of the G", which features one of the best verses Andre ever recorded. Our hero is still rapping about returning to his own self, while threatening to squeeze a trigger on a hipster. The theme lingers from the opener, but the instrumental is what catches my attention. The dark, atmospheric vibe sounds great for both artists, but it gets even better once the hook drops. It just sounds so damn dope, for lack of a better wording.
3. 25 Bucks (Feat. Purity Ring)
The thing with a lot of contemporary rap songs is that every track seems to contain verses and a hook that only barely tie together. That happens on "25 Bucks", which transitions from an emotional Danny Brown to a lazy effort from guest Purity Ring. The writing seems uninterested and really contributes nothing positive to the track. While interesting, the beat still feels a little out of place, but it's not a huge issue. Danny's lyrics are so intriguing that it's hard to dwell on the frivolous missteps. Could have been better, but far from bad.
4. Wonderbread
The dark beat on the last track nicely transcends to the fairy tale feel on "Wonderbread", which is quite unique. The only song I can really compare it to is Ghostface's "The Forest". The song is actually a continuation of his trip to get bread, which was referenced towards the end of XXX. It amazes me how easily our host can take something as simple as a trip to the bread store into a full out story. My only wish is that the song was longer. That's a pretty damn good complaint to have, though.
5. Gremlins
"Wonderbread" rolls right into "Gremlins", a track focusing on the same mob mentality presented on the last track. The Detroit music scene has always fascinated me and I may have some small bias towards this artists,(Not you Big Sean) so I always welcome a nice little street tale. The production is heavily layered, but carefully avoids the possibility of being called "polished". The gritty feel works in perfect harmony with Danny's menacing lyrics, which results in the of the albums best tracks so far. Would have appreciated another verse, though.
6. Dope Fiend Rental (Feat. ScHoolboy Q)
Rumor has it that TDE, especially ScHoolboy Q, went all in on an attempt to sign Danny Brown. For whatever reasons, that never came to fruition, which is especially painful after hearing this track. It's not a standout or anything that'll make your head spin, but the chemistry on here is nothing short of flawless. I would love to see what these two could cook up when paired up for an extended period of time. It's great that Danny wants to do his own thing, but the Black Hippy connections could eventually result in his finest work. This was still entertaining, though.
7. Torture
The beat seems to have taken a page from A$AP Rocky's production team, but this songs was pretty damn nice. The before-mentioned instrumental sounds fitting for the dark subject Danny brings to the table. It's no secret that most rappers didn't grow up in the Hamptons, but few can paint a picture of the hood with such clarity. Danny's lyrics are nightmarish, but most of all, they cement his status as one of today's most talented story tellers.
8. Lonely
This shit gets weird right from the get-go. First of all, the instrumental is more peaceful than anything we've heard up to this point, but that was bound to happen sooner or later. The real kicker is when Danny brings the same dark lyrics on "Torture", but to an even higher degree. Running this site, I listen to a hell of a lot of albums each week, but this have gotta be the first time I've heard an artist say he's "stacking for abortion". The truth behind these lyrics make them all the more troublesome, but simultaneously entertaining. Really enjoyed this one.
9. Clean Up
The introspective side of our host reaches its peak on "Clean Up", a resounding message that it's time to stop the party animal and drug abusing image. This isn't really a groundbreaking topic for a hip hop artist and I don't know how much truth is behind these statements, but Danny impressively stirs away from the dreaded land of cliche. Hell, I'm actually really rooting for the guy to succeed. The beat could have been a little more engaging, but it serves its purpose well considering the topic.
10. Red 2 Go
The somber feel surrounding the last couple of tracks is thrown to the side, as Danny jumps right back into a more high tempo pace. I remember he performed the first verse as a radio freestyle, which I guess made me more excited for the release, but it sounds even better in song form. His voice and unorthodox flow make me forget how dope of a lyricist he can be when he's straight spitting. I don't know where this fits in context of Side A, but I enjoyed the track nonetheless.
11. Side B (Dope Song)
The second side of the album opens with a track more trap influenced than the rest of the work. This shit usually bores the hell out of me, and this still doesn't sound great, but the build up before the bass drops is nuts. Danny brings a pretty sick ass flow while exorcising some more demons. Similar to Side A, there more talk about him leaving his past behind, making this his last "dope song". The flow into this side of the LP could have been much smoother, but he does a good job of staying lyrical even over the trap instrumental.
12. Dubstep (Feat. Scrufizzer)
During the last couple of years in between XXX and Old, Danny spent a lot of time collaboration or making connections in the UK, which is my only explanation for this odd ass feature. I'd harm several people, including myself, if I ever tried to pronounce that damn name in public. I don't like British rappers, but there's nothing here that actually ruins the track. As the title may have hinted, there does seem to be some dubstep influences, which I'm sure you'll roll your eyes at. I enjoy the lyrics, but the hook left a hell of a lot to desire. The instrumental certainly wasn't helping things either. Oh well, I'll move on.
13. Dip
The experimental feel continues over to "Dip", a track with obvious trap and EDM influences. Everyone knows that Molly is the poster drug in today's hip hop and no one is more familiar than Danny Brown. Calling this a diss would be an over reaction, but he does throw a couple jabs at rappers claiming to pop Mollys. (Trinidad James) In the second verse especially, he puts himself into a situation of losing his shit while under the influence of the drug. He also throws in a few "Don't let me get in my zone"s, which I'm assuming is some sort of homage to Watch the Throne, an album that still disappoints me. The party vibe is all over the place, but I dug this one a lot.
14. Smokin' & Drinkin'
Easily the catchiest song on the album. The hook is undeniably fun to dance to, while Danny sounds confident as hell over another EDM influenced instrumental. There's more lyrics dealing with his depression, which seems very contradicting, but it works oddly well. The intensity the album has suddenly picked up is approaching overkill, but it still sounds fresh here. I can definitely see myself giving this a few more listens.
15. Break It (Go)
And here's he overkill. The inflection of Danny's voice resembles the same one of Flatbush Zombies' "Drug Ballad", a song I didn't enjoy very much. While an obvious departure from the rest on the album, the lyrical topic isn't what bothers me; it just seems so uninspired and forced. I can say with relative that this is one of the worst songs I've ever heard out of Danny.
16. Handstand
Not as bad as the previous track, but its in the same category. It actually reminds me a lot of "Dip", but this is nothing more than a glorified tribute to twerking and God knows we don't need another one of those. The air horn dominated instrumental is definitely a positive, but it's nothing that will even warrant repeated listens. It's a damn good this this album started off so strong, because its quickly heading in the wrong direction.
17. Way Up Here (Feat. Ab Soul)
I interpreted this as Danny attempt to join in on the noise-hop craze. You all know how much I love Death Grips and how much it irritates me when their music is poorly imitated. Thankfully, the instrumental on here is continuously entertaining and is another worthy entree into the expanding experimental hip hop category. Danny's verse is decent, but I can't seem to remember anything from it right now. On the other hand, Black Hippy member Ab Soul drops a flat out bad verse. There's no way around it. I've never completely seen why Soul gets so much acclaim in our genre and this sure as hell isn't changing my mind.
18. Kush Coma (Feat. A$AP Rocky & Zeloopers)
Here's another song that was released as a single, but this time A$AP Rocky is added to the mix. I'm really loving Danny's first verse and A$AP also has a nice contribution, but I just thought the instrumental sounded out of place. The hook is also pretty simple and leaves me no lasting memory. I'm not crazy about this track, but the atmospheric feel is a nice variation from the head spinning party tracks that have dominated the second half of this LP.
19. Float On (Feat. Charli XCX)
Old finally reaches it's conclusion with a guest feature from Charli XCX. Honestly, the collaboration scared me a little at first; not the biggest fan of our guest. Surprisingly, her vocals are very subtle, which complements the track nicely. This is a good song that wraps the project up, but it's not on the same level as "30", the breath taking closer from XXX. Still, it was a cool way for Danny to give closure to an album with so many changes of pace.
Rating: 3.5/5
On Old, Danny Brown attempts to cater to his day-one fans, and all the ones he picked up on the way. Surprisingly, it actually works for the most part. I'll be honest, I enjoy side A ten times more than side B, but I wouldn't call the s bad songs. In a world where artists depend so much on live performances, it's important to have party tracks. That's especially true for Danny, a guy billed as the crazy ass party rapper. So you all can have that, but I'm perfectly content with only listening to side A. It's more entertaining and they hold up much better with repeated listens. The last thing I want to praise is his decision to definitively separate the two, making it easier for fans to get what they want. At the end of the day, I don't like Old as much as XXX, but I'm satisfied. I'm also comfortable calling it the best mainstream(?) project of 2013.