CHICAGO– The genre of hip hop is evolving. As of recent, more rappers have been experimenting with the genre, touching on subject matter not typically associated with hip hop, and calling on producers who usually never produce for rappers.
The genre of “experimental hip hop” has been experiencing a rise in popularity, with rappers and rap groups such as JPEGMAFIA, clipping., Armand Hammer, Cities Aviv, By Storm, and Backxwash all making their rise to prominence within the late 2010s. However, there’s a specific rapper who’s been in the game longer than all listed. His style has always been difficult to pin down, as it seems with every album, he takes on a new sound, a new look or a new personality.
This rapper has always been considered an oddball in the scene, but that hasn’t stopped him from ignoring the critics and defying the odds considering his circumstances in life. That rapper is Danny Brown.
On Nov.16, Danny Brown took the stage at Vic Theatre, the 5th stop for his “Stardust Tour.” His latest record, “Stardust,” marks a new era for Danny Brown.
As to be expected, the album sounds significantly different from his previous works, incorporating strong electronic production typically associated with “internet music.” Even more wild, the album features a list of artists entirely on the opposite side of the genre spectrum. Some of these artists include Jane Remover, Frost Children, Quadeca, 8485, and Cynthoni. Artists typically associated with hyperpop, digicore, electropop, and even drum & bass sprinkle their dust throughout the record.
Besides the overall sound of the album, “Stardust” marks a new era thematically for Danny Brown. This is his first record he has created entirely sober. Danny Brown has always battled alcoholism and substance abuse throughout his life. It wasn’t until 2023, after he left rehab, where he took the bold step and became 100% clean.
“Stardust” reflects his growth and development over time as both an artist and a person, and how even with all the odds stacked against him, he is still with us today, better than he ever has been. Even with the album’s harsh electronic sound and typical comedic wordplay, “Stardust” serves as a beautiful reflection on how perseverance can change your life for the better.
With an artist so diverse in sound and a list of collaborators unusual for a hip hop record, the demographic of people who showed up for the concert captured the essence of Danny Brown’s fanbase perfectly.
While standing in line waiting for doors to open, you could immediately see the queer fanbase Danny Brown has garnered with his new album. Same-sex couples, transgender men and women, crossdressing, and even pupmaskers could be seen in attendance. It’s unique to see how a list of features on the album could influence a whole new demographic of fans.
New fans were clearly not the only ones in attendance, as older fans were also sprinkled into the mix. A group of fans for every Danny Brown album could be spotted, whether it be older men who witnessed him release his breakout mixtape, “XXX,” in 2011, or college students sporting merchandise for Danny Brown’s previous tour with JPEGMAFIA.
Danny Brown’s show at Vic Theatre perfectly encapsulated his beautiful fanbase, while also growing a new set of fans in the process. The attendance matches the themes of “Stardust” as well, an album all about new beginnings and changes while still not losing touch of the people who got you to where you are now.
Vic Theatre is a relatively small venue in Chicago. The pit, only large enough to fit around five rows of people, was fitting for our two openers. Considering their prominence in the internet music scene. The first opener was femtanyl, a digital hardcore artist made popular for her viral EP, “CHASER,” as well as collaborations with Danny Brown including “M3 N MIN3” and “1l0v3myl1f3!”
Right off the bat, we were met with the rowdiest portion of the show, and this was only the first opener! Constant assaults of rave stabs, bitcrushed drums, distorted wails of guitar, and the sound of Noelle Mansbridge’s brutal screams shook Vic Theatre to its core, allowing for an incredible 30 minute set infused with non-stop moshing.
At the climax of the set where Mansbridge performed arguably her most intense song, “GIRL HELL 1999,” Mansbridge chucked a plastic water bottle into the pit, spilling all over the audience. femtanyl’s set made it clear that the audience wasn’t only here for Danny Brown, and that the openers clearly mean just as much to them as the headliner.
It’s a rarity seeing this nowadays in music, and a type of energy that should be kept at all concerts.
The second opener was underscores, a name you’d probably recognize if you’ve ever stepped foot onto the internet. underscores’ sound is hard to pin down. She is usually classified into the hyperpop sphere, but her recent albums have seen incorporations of indie rock, glitch pop, and even singer-songwriter. With the context of Danny Brown’s recent album, underscores kept up the electronic trend, performing her most danceable songs, and the audience was certainly pleased.
With all the hype generated from the openers, it was finally time for Danny Brown to take the stage. As the crowd rumbled with anticipation, a giant LED cube was unwrapped on stage. The cube was hollow on the inside, allowing for someone to easily step inside and perform, which is exactly what Danny Brown did.
Walking on stage wearing a flamboyant fur coat, Brown opened with “Starburst,” a five minute long futuristic rap song composed of three separate beat switches. Right away, we can notice a shift in Danny Brown’s performance style. He had a much more confident demeanor on stage, his signature “squeaky” voice was composed with perfect diction, and even with a brand new energy brought to the table compared to his previous album, “Quaranta,” Danny Brown still remained energetic and bright throughout the whole hour-long set.
Danny Brown continued to play favorites from the new record, including “Flowers,” “Lift You Up,” and “Green Light,” Then transitioned to playing older songs from his previous albums. Although it has been made apparent how widely different each Danny Brown album is, a cohesive setlist was put together that allowed for each song to blend together in an exceptional manner.
Danny Brown leaned heavily into the electronic sound of his new album, therefore playing songs from previous records that incorporated drum machines, deep 808s, and quirky synthesizers. Off of “XXX” and “Old,” Danny Brown performed party hits such as “I Will” and “Smokin & Drinkin,” which pleased the older fans considering those projects came out in the early 2010s.
Off of his most critically acclaimed album, “Atrocity Exhibition,” Brown leaned into the heavier cuts off the album such as “When It Rain” and “Ain’t It Funny,” capitalizing off the intense energy femtanyl established with her set. Closing off the first half of the show, Brown performed the title track off of his collaborative album with JPEGMAFIA, a surreal yet heartwarming moment considering the two collaborators recent drama, hopefully signifying amends being made.
The second half of the set highlighted the collaborative effort it took to make “Starburst,” presenting us with the biggest surprise of the night. As the lights began to turn red, a familiar face could be seen entering on stage: Jane Remover. A proud Chicago resident and frequent collaborator with Brown, Jane Remover performed her song “Psychoboost” with Danny Brown, creating the most electrifying moment of the night. The sounds of Jane’s auto-tuned vocals and Brown’s fast rap delivery on top of the heaviest hardstyle kicks ever created completely engulfed the audience.
After their performance together, Brown continued to play more collaborative efforts such as “Shake It Like A (with Frost Children),” and “Attak (with Rustie),” keeping the electronic and almost “rave-like” vibes going.
Afterwards, Danny Brown invited both openers to the stage to perform their songs from “Starburst,” with femtanyl performing ““1l0v3myl1f3!,” and underscores performing both “Copycats” and “Baby.” The joy felt while being in the pit could not be overstated, as the community of people established, whether it be through the collaborators on the album or the variety of people who showed up, made the night feel even more special.
Danny Brown closed the set with “All4U,” a song that perfectly captures his career and growth over time. The efforts Brown went through in order to better himself as a person finally paid off, and now he can take the time he spent to improve himself onto his audience, creating art for the world.
Danny Brown is well aware of his impact on the experimental hip hop scene. He knows he’s always been seen as an oddball, a complete diversion away from the mainstream, but instead of rejecting his criticism, he embraces it. In the opening track for the album, “Book of Daniel,” Danny Brown pushes himself to be considered in the conversation of the “Big 3 Rappers.” Considering his growth, development, and persistence over time, as well as his extreme technical ability and diverse sound, I think he deserves to be in that conversation as well.
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