Danny Brown is the punk rock of hip-hop. He’s the counterculture to what was once the counterculture. He’s unique; in his flow, his delivery, and overall presentation. He always seems to pop back up when hip-hop’s needing a shake up from the status quo and this time around he returns with Atrocity Exhibition, the follow up to the exceptional Old. Almost exactly three years to the date.
The production on Atrocity Exhibition is dark, psychedelic fair; almost manic in its intention, and it’s phenomenal. “Rolling Stone” is a slow ride, with a dope guitar loop playing throughout “Really Doe” is pure mean mug with dark, haunting chimes lacing the background, and “Golddust” has mean guitar riffs that could be right at home in the recent Mad Max movie. It’s all trippy shit and lays the groundwork perfectly for the overall theme of the album.
“Life took a tail spin
Hid behind designer shades
Life of sin
Lost control
Don’t have a soul
Myself I don’t know no more
Numbing up with drugs
To suppress these feelings”
If there’s one word that came to mind while listening to Atrocity Exhibition, it’s paranoid. Brown’s off-kilter flows about anxiety, drugs, and isolation will have your skin crawling. He’s known for his “shock” raps and that’s on full display throughout as he takes you through the deepest, darkest corners of his mind. Guest verses are at a minimum, but Kendrick Lamar and Ab-Soul deliver some of the best verses off the whole album.
“Upcoming heavy traffic
Say ya need to slow down
Cause you feel yourself crashing
Staring in the devil face
But ya can’t stop laughing”
What’d you think about Atrocious Exhibition? Was it a refreshing change from the ‘mainstream’? What was your favorite track off the album? Let me know in the comments below and leave a rating for the album.
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