Ty Listens to "U Know What I'm Saying?"

I know that I am a bit late to the party, but today I finally listened to Danny Brown's new record, "uknowwhatimsayin?", and it is absolutely dynamite. I didn't really know what to expect. I am a late convert to Brown's music. I have heard him on Run the Jewels stuff, his song on the latest Gorillaz record is my favorite one, he has a very funny TV show and his older music is intense, at least what I have heard.

Yet this new record feels different. It starts out, not slower, but not as intense. It has a bit of a lighter feel to it. It is almost as if Brown is doing a newer character, a la what Tyler, the Creator did on "IGOR". Brown, much like Tyler, the Creator, seems to like performance art, and I feel like "uknowwhatimsayin?" is a new choice from him, and I love it. Like I said, it starts out lighter, and I was immediately intrigued. Brown seems almost subdued on this record, and I mean that in the best way possible. He is such a great emcee, and to hear him like this, where he is almost totally understandable, is awesome. I have listened to the record twice since this morning, and with each listen, I get more and more into the album. This record is right up there with "IGOR", or the new Black Keys or the new Avett Brothers record which I will be writing about tomorrow. Hell, I like it as much as "Cuz I love You", and that record might be the record of the year so far.

What Brown is doing on this album is so cool and different from what he has done in the past. His rhyming is so in sync with the beats on the record. And the beats, they are fantastic. They aren't bass thumping, near head banging like on previous records. But, they work so well with his new approach. He has some of the best producers and beat makers working with him on this album as well. Featured on a song is Run the Jewels, and I am sure, since they are very good friends, Brown and El-P made some beats together. Also, that song with RTJ is so god damn good. Even El-P is a bit subdued on the song, but then Killer Mike comes in at the end to close it out, and he crushes, as usual. He also has jpegmafia credited on a few tracks, and while I don't know too much about jpegmafia, I've been told, and read, that that is a good thing. The songs that feature jpegmafia are pretty awesome as well. This whole record is totally unique and totally different from anything Brown has done before, and I am all here for it. I am totally in. I want more and more music like this from Brown. This is a new direction for him, and I love it.

I cannot recommend this record enough. I'm sure I am going to listen to it a few more times today, and probably on repeat for a few weeks. Brown is fast becoming one of my favorite rappers, and I want more and more music from him, especially if it is going to sound like the songs on "uknowwhatimsayin?". Well done Mr. Brown. My hat is off to you and your new album.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast.

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