Score: 8/10
Danny Brown is similar to many of the other Detroit MCs that came before him: balancing gritty retrospective rapping with hilariously clever punchlines/references and drugged-up crazy imagery. But he’s a bit off-tune, literally (see chorus of ‘Die of a Rockstar’ and pretty much all of ’30’).
Brown is a thirty-year old (the album title is a reference to his age last track on the mixtape is called ‘30,’) eccentric motherfucker, to say the least. His hair looks like a cross between Adam Lambert’s and Cassie’s (in the ‘Roll Up’ video). Brown sounds like a crackhead parrot that’s been punched in the neck. He often raps about being an unemployed hedonistic drug addict in the city – not a good combination. So XXX, in hindsight, can be as much of an urban fairytale as it is a journey into Danny Brown’s insane psyche.
XXX’s psychedelic left-field production is more reminiscent of OFWGKTA than any of the big name Detroit producers I’ve ever heard. The backdrop is mainly a collection of subtle effects, distorted crawling synths, and hard-hitting drums with the occasional sample flip or horn. It’s good, but it can get screechy and annoying at times. And it fits Danny Brown’s loud and boisterous delivery perfectly, allowing him to command attention. Not only is Danny a talented wordsmith (when he tries to be), but he has no dearth of charisma and cleverness (think André 3000, Eminem, OBD, and Lil Wayne).
None of the songs on XXX are longer than four minutes, and most tracks are about two and a half to three minutes long. With decent sequencing, each song sounds fresh and Danny Brown will keep you in your seat. However, Danny’s high-pitched squeal eventually gets tiring (especially if you listen to the album over and over again) and Danny smartly reverts to a deeper, slower voice for most of the end of the album. My main gripe, however, would definitely be the lack of replay value. Half the tracks aren’t really worth an individual listen.
Despite all this, I doubt any rapper this year can make a graphic storytelling ode to cunnilingus (‘I Will’), rap about scrap metal on a spaced-out steampunk beat (‘Scrap Metal’), and make one of the grittiest personal stories of the year (‘Pac Blood’) on the same mixtape. And Danny Brown does it well.
Best tracks: Die Like A Rockstar, Monopoly, Pac Blood, I Will, DNA
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