Album of the Week: Danny Brown's "uknowhatimsayin¿"

By Patrick McKenzie

Danny Brown isn’t like other rappers. For one, he’s about 5 or 10 years older than many other artists of his genre, having released his breakout record – 2011’s XXX – at age 30. He also livestreams frequently on Twitch, either talking directly to his fans, previewing unreleased music, or playing Team Fortress 2. He’s got a VICELAND web-series, Jonah Hill directed one of his music videos, and he has the best laugh known to humankind. Needless to say, he’s a unique personality. For many though, he’s also an acquired taste. 

The Detroit rapper’s signature style of vocal delivery could be best described as shrill, whiny, or like if nails scratching a chalkboard had a voice. I must admit that upon first discovering Brown through his earlier singles, I too found qualities of his music to be a little off-putting at face value. Only in the years and many curious re-listens since have I come to appreciate how his sound, thematic content, and off-kilter beats truly cement him as one of hip-hop’s contemporary greats. In that sense, I’m beyond pleased to say that U Know What I’m Sayin? – stylised as uknowhatimsayin¿ – is no exception. Brown continues to refine his sound alongside a diverse group of collaborators (read: Flying Lotus, Thundercat, JPEGMAFIA, and Blood Orange to name but a few) and some of his most compelling lyrical content to date.

Layered and reverb-heavy chords at the start of ‘Change Up’, the album’s opening track, paint an Ennio Morricone-esque panorama of bleakness yet intensity. A smoothly-syncopated drum groove and subdued bass line quickly follow. As on his 2016 album Atrocity Exhibiton, Brown deeply concerns himself with dissociation and recovery right from the outset: “Can’t even think, got my mind wrapped up/But I still bite down, clench my teeth, knuckle up”. ‘Theme Song’ then sees Brown return to rapping in his usual high-tone register, with an ethereal and heavenly piano and strings loop holding down most of the song. Innuendo-laden ‘Dirty Laundry’ follows as the album’s lead single, showcasing the production talents of A Tribe Called Quest frontman Q-Tip – shoutout to the wild robotic beep and kazoo-driven melody – as well as Brown’s uncanny lyrical ability to spin humorous bars with utter conviction; “Twenty-five a peep show when I enter the booth/Mop the floor when I leave, might slip if you do”. Sampling heavily from a Yoko Ono song from the ‘70s, ‘3 Tearz’ is the posse cut that every Danny Brown album both needs and deserves. Verses from Killer Mike and El-P of Run the Jewels showcase their reputation as a rapping duo to be reckoned with, building complex rhymes with syllabic virtuosity all leading to a punchy refrain yelled in unison: “Three tears in a bucket, fuck it/I don’t care about nothin’, nothin’”. A distant drone opens album highlight ‘Belly of The Beast’, with a plodding beat and a sample of what sounds like slowed-down breathing creating a transcendentally hellish vibe. Nigerian-British newcomer Obongjayar’s masterfully raspy tone carries the chorus, creating a deeply entrancing feel.

The latter half of uknowhatimsayin¿ follows much of an ‘if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it’ approach. Both the title track and penultimate song ‘Shine’ see Brown continue his longtime collaboration with producer Paul White, whose shiny and wavy chord arrangements do well to highlight Brown’s unique cadence as well as further features by Obongjayar and Blood Orange respectively. ‘Savage Nomad’ is conventional in the best of ways, with Danny in full borderline-indecipherable squawking mode; as is ‘Best Life’ both the best of a deep cut – sounding very Madlib inspired – and a club-friendly banger: “‘Cause ain’t no next life, so now I’m tryna live my best life”. Assuredly owing to Flying Lotus’ production, ‘Negro Spiritual’ has a distinctly moody-jazz atmosphere, making an appearance by JPEGMAFIA seem somewhat off-brand. That said, it works; JPEG’s raspy chorus makes for a smooth flow over mostly-acoustic instrumentation and an aptly-timed record scratch. Closing track ‘Combat’ brings the album consummately full circle, with lyrics assuring that to be so casual about experiences with drug dealing and street violence is a hard-won privilege coloured by harsh realities.

Brown has always had a talent for blending the best of absurd-yet-poignant lyrics with avant-garde beats; making heads bob as much as evoking looks of “How could anyone rap over this?”. Many tracks evoke the best of ‘90s underground and jazz rap – it’s no wonder that Q-Tip also served as the album’s executive producer. uknowhatimsayin¿ is ultimately a comforting reminder that even over a decade in, a Danny Brown album – inspired by tradition and driven to innovation – is just as insane-yet-uplifting an experience as ever.