Released: 2011

Genres: Hardcore Hip-Hop, Conscious Hip-Hop, Experimental Hip-Hop

The Musiquarium’s XXX Review Score: 10 out of 10

Danny Brown’s breakout mixtape (or album, depending on who you ask), XXX (also pronounced as Thirty), sees Danny Brown breaking out as one of the hottest rappers in the genre, although at a considerably older age than most of his peers. Though he entered the professional game late, he brought wisdom and real world experience from his Detroit upbringing and crafted one of the finest rap projects in a long time. After years of dealing drugs and landing himself in jail, Danny Brown decided to get serious and focus on his music. It may have taken a while to lift himself off the ground, but sometimes great things do take time to happen.

Following a fairly run of the mill debut The Hybrid, XXX is a night and day difference in artistry and impact. Danny Brown said that he had set out to make XXX with the intention of it receiving critical acclaim, and he absolutely achieved that with this fantastic sophomore release. Unfortunately, his record label, Fool’s Gold, didn’t think that it was good enough to be released as an album, so it was released as a free mixtape.

The title track (the briefest track on the album) acts like an intro, setting the tone of the album, painting the scene with guitars, piano keys and a slick beat. Danny Brown both celebrates and laments the rockstar life of partying on Die Like a Rockstar, which name-checks famous substance abusers (most of whom OD’d), like Chris Farley, Keith Moon, Jimi Hendrix, River Phoenix and Kurt Cobain.

The Tupac Shakur-referencing Pac Blood (“rhymes so real, thought I wrote it in Pac blood”) is so addictive, despite having such a simple, two note synth riff. Radio Song sees Danny Brown preserving his dignity by not giving into commercial pressures of a radio-ready hit and releasing a catchy satire instead. The exotic Lie4 has a defiant Danny Brown keeping it real and grounded. I Will is absolutely filthy, with some truly shocking moments, but it’s also got a sexy beat that keeps it at least somewhat classy.

Bruiser Brigade sounds like a mix between football chants and video game boss music, but it’s just the theme for one of Detroit’s most eccentric characters. Detroit187 is like something from the 1987 film, Robocop (which took place in a then future Detroit). Monopoly has such a killer beat, with this synth line that wiggles like a worm. The menacing Blunt After Blunt is probably what Snoop Dogg must have sounded like roughly twenty years prior, before he became a caricature of himself. Outer Space is one of the more psychedelic and bizarre songs here.

I’ve never taken Adderall, though I wonder if it feels like how Adderall Admiral sounds like. DNA has Danny Brown blaming his parents for passing their susbtance abuse down to him, though this self-awareness and admission of truth may be enough to eventually break the cycle. Continuing the themes of drug abuse, Nosebleeds is about exactly what you think it is. Party All the Time is rather deflated and tired, contrasting with its lyrics, like Brown is trying to convince himself not to let the night end, despite his body telling him that it’s time for sleep. The closer, 30, bookends the album thematically, saving one of the strangest beats for last.

XXX is one of the best hip-hop albums I’ve ever stumbled upon, offering an impressively consistent and cohesive collection of a whopping 19 tracks, where every song brings something different to the table.

For credit breakdowns and historic release details, view Danny Brown on Discogs.

Back to the 2011 Album Guide or the Danny Brown Reviews page.

Written by Brett Nippard