Bruiser Brigade’s very own dropped his fourth studio album, Atrocity Exhibition, in late September, adding to his arsenal of experimental hip hop bangers.
The ominously aggressive rapping style that Danny Brown is known for translates impeccably over production from the Alchemist, Paul White, and Black Milk, paired with features by BADBADNOTGOOD, Ab-Soul, and Kelela, among others. His distinctively nasally voice, which stays boldly correlated with the mood and belligerence of the album, is matched with eerie, jazz-tinged beats. The tracks range from approachable to violently upbeat to balladic as the album plays out, never depleting in waviness or playability. Danny keeps the album edgy, yet still idiosyncratic and commendable.
Brown has succeeded in releasing consistently unique rap, always flexing his boisterous personality and imposing rock star antics. Respectably so, the Detroit wildcard lyricizes about his crippling depression and drug abuse throughout Atrocity Exhibition, as has been the case for his past three records. This revelatory style raises question of whether Danny’s bars are a cry for help or just a side effect of him taking grand advantage of the musician lifestyle. Brown is undeniably one of the harder, more emotionally authentic rappers in the game right now.
It's something like an amalgamation of Gang Starr, Young Thug, and Robert Smith, and Danny has separated himself from the pack by dropping dance-worthy hits that combine angst with tight production and endearing crudeness. Atrocity Exhibition is fully deserving of the praise and attention that it has received.
Bump the album and cop a ticket to see Danny play at Republic NOLA on October 25th.