I first saw Danny Brown at Toad’s back in 2013. The show was $20, and though he only played three to four songs, it was an untouchable highlight in my adolescent years.
Brown returned to Toad’s Sunday night. This time I was enthralled by his outlandish, cartoon-like imagery coupled with his daunting content and reality-stricken lyrics.
The show started off with two gripping acts: ZelooperZ and Ashnikko. Both set the tone perfectly for Brown’s experimental performance in noticeably different ways. ZelooperZ set fluctuated from gripping to pacifying, with ZelooperZ showing off the skills that have acquired him underground status. Ashnikko’s progressive set combined elements of electronic, dance and experimental music, leaving the crowd involved and intrigued.
Danny Brown has continued dominating in the field of underground hip hop because he is a constant state of transformation. Since his record “XXX”, Danny Brown’s sound has never stayed stagnant. Whether he was inaudibly shrieking on a pulsating electronic beat or slowly and methodically flowing over a boom bap instrumental, Brown has always found a way to vary without becoming stale.
Brown delivered a show that had no limits. At times the performance had the aura of an EDM show, with young, sweaty Gen Z kids crowd surfing into a sea of Juul smoke. At others the crowd was completely in tune with the classic hip-hop he was presenting.
This diversity of sound is the crux of why Brown is so revered in the hip-hop community. He has spearheaded the underground hip-hop scene with his ever-changing sound and his infectious personality, all of which were on complete display on Sunday. His set was a mixed bag of throwbacks like “Grown Up” to cuts from his newest release like “Best Life.”
In comparison to his show back in 2013, it is obvious that Brown has become more comfortable in his role in hip-hop. Back then his energy was chaotic; his two front teeth were missing and his hair was cut in a distinctive way, and he was most notable for his high-pitched inflection and raunchy lyrics. Now, as he has settled into being the face of today’s underground hip-hop scene, he is more poised for long-term success than ever before. He’s pushing the envelope — which is his key to longevity.
Here we go with That N and B word.
We are the only people on this entire planet who have been taught to sing and
praise our demeanment.I'm a Bitch.I'm a Hoe. I'm a Gangster.I'm a Thug.I'm a DOG.
If you can train people to demean and degrade themselves.You can oppress them forever.
You can even program them to kill themselves and they won't even understand what happened.
Dr. Francis Cress Welsing
Now this is Universal Music that young Black youth need to hear.
Blue World · John Coltrane
https://youtu.be/1lM5Uu1vgmc