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ALBUM REVIEW: uknowhatimsayin? by Danny Brown

Danny Brown is one of the most unique and interesting musicians working today in the rap scene. The combination of his look, his strange and enigmatic style of delivery, and the forward thinking production on his music combine to manifest something greater than the sum of their parts. 2016's Atrocity Exhibition is a shining example of this, an album that manages to be impenetrable, catchy, uncomfortable, disgusting, profound, profane and exciting all at once. It's an album that you will likely need to acclimate to before you are able to really sink into, but once you are in it you will not be able to shake yourself free of its atmosphere.

But it's been three years since Atrocity Exhibition, so what's changed in that time? Well, seemingly not much, but at the same time uknowhatimsayin? is worlds away from Atrocity Exhibition. Let's get this straight immediately, though; this is an awesome album. The most noticeable thing about this album is that it is substantially more accessible that its predecessor. That's not to say that Danny Brown has stated writing pop rap hits, though, he is still operating in that exciting area of hip hop that engages in genre standards while pushing things in new directions. But uknowhatimsain? has a tendency to lean towards more classic hip-hop sounds, and by extension has a very nostalgic sound to it despite its commitment to continue pushing forwards. And it's important to remember that Danny Brown is coming up on 40, so perhaps this shift in sound makes more sense than you might think.


There are a string of exciting features that all add to the experience of the album, effectively shifting the spotlight to themselves and making the most of it before handing it off again to Brown. There is a particularly great feature spot for JPEGMAFIA on 'Negro Spiritual', a track driven by a wonky guitar loop and a venomous delivery from Brown, and Run The Jewels leave their mark on '3 Tearz', a track with some real swagger and killer organ stabs. A real highlight of the album is 'Theme Song'. The production is slick but weirdly creepy, something perpetuated by the off-sounding string loop and unsettling whispers in the middle of the mix.

Compared to Atrocity Exhibition I think this album flows much more freely, and at only 33 minutes gets in and out before you have time to get bored. In this sense I think uknowhatimean? is a step up for Danny Brown. There is a perfect mix of bangers ('Dirty Laundry', 'Savage Nomad' and 'Negro Spiritual' in particular) and moodier cuts, and they are dispersed across the tracklist in a way that keeps the album engaging and exciting.

Danny Brown proves that he is one of the most important voices in hip hop currently with uknowhatimsayin?, and at nearly 40 shows no sign of slowing down or compromising. This is Brown at his most palatable, concise, sharp and witty, and is the latest in a string of excellent hip hip albums under his name. Don't sleep on it.

Rating: A

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