Detroit emcee Danny Brown has had an interesting career since its inception. In 2012, he exploded onto the scene with his debut solo album XXX (however don’t sleep on the collaborative EP he did with Detroit producer Black Milk), the album was something different for hip-hop. Danny Brown was a lovable, hilarious person in interviews and features, but when you dive deep into the music, this man has been through more than most of us. And although Brown can be extremely personal, he’s better than your favorite rapper at channeling lyrics that don’t hold back. So far in his career, I think he has dropped classic (yes, classic) after classic. Now here with his third LP, Atrocity Exhibition, the approach refined once again, leaves us with one of the darkest projects of this year and easily the darkest we’ve heard from the Detroit native.

I’m actually going to start this one off talking about the production. UK producer Paul White produced all but five tracks on Atrocity Exhibition (those not hip to Paul White, he produced the entirety of Open Mike Eagles LP Hella Personal Film Festival). Which means he set the sonic tone for this album, and let me tell you, you’re in for one of the craziest rides hip-hop has seen. But Paul White and Danny Brown are a match made in heaven, and White’s zany, multi-genre influenced production fits Brown’s rockstar personality.

The album starts off not with a banger but with the melancholy “Downward Spiral,” the thesis statement before Brown pushes us into the rabbit hole. Entering in with a desolate old school Western vibe, Danny wastes no time telling you where his mind’s at. Danny Brown expresses his depression from the jump. We’ve seen Danny Brown like this before, but this time something’s different. Danny is at his wit’s end, he has secluded himself from everyone, he realizes his successes yet still questions his own self-worth. “Downward Spiral” minces no words telling you where this album is going.

Danny Brown is a master at the balancing act. In XXX & Old, he mixed party anthems with heart-on-your-sleeve music expressing his pains. Atrocity is no different, but Danny’s approach is. We have tracks such as “Downward Spiral” & “Today,” where Danny drags us through his dark opus, but we also still have bangers that serve as interludes to the otherwise heavy listening. “Really Doe” is probably the best posse track of the year. We get home-run verses from Danny Brown, Ab-Soul, Kendrick Lamar AND Earl Sweatshirt. All of this was constructed over the hard classic drums of Black Milk. Cypress Hill’s B-Real joins our Bruiser on the anthem “Get Hi.” These tracks give us a chance to exhale and breathe on the emotional rollercoaster ride that Atrocity Exhibition takes us on.

Brown conveys desperation throughout this and talks on how his days are numbered, but he’s on a mission. He’s trying to support his family, and even in “Downward Spiral” he says he needs to figure it out. “Tell Me What I Don’t Know” has Danny using his more soft-spoken voice, showing his self-awareness. Other tracks such as “Hell For It” continue to show his self-awareness, and Brown pushes himself to the limit in order to provide and survive. However, even with this being the last track, no resolution is given. The looming thought of death messes with Brown, whether by the hand of drugs, poor decisions and the like.

Atrocity Exhibition doesn’t sugarcoat anything for the listener. Long-time fans of Danny Brown will eat this up like hot cakes — and rightfully so. This is the most Danny Brown album we’ve gotten. For those who are new or a bigger fan of his rave, club music, Atrocity might be too jarring and open for the listener looking to turn up. That being said, I think this is Brown’s best work and is an album of the year contender.

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