Danny Brown has been playing the role of hip-hop’s “weirdo” for years — a title bestowed on him in large part for his party-hard persona and drug-addled lifestyle. 2011’s “XXX” and 2016’s “Atrocity Exhibition” launched him into the stratosphere for his punchline wizardry and shell-shocked storytelling — his work eventually became known for its left-field abrasiveness that bordered on self-harm. “Stardust,”his newest release, sees him leaving that life behind.
Brown has spent the past decade building his persona by collaborating with fellow weirdos — BROCKHAMPTON on “Buzzcut” and a 14-track JPEGMAFIA-collaboration lovingly titled “SCARING THE HOES.” The latter saw him suffering from extreme alcoholism. Brown voluntarily entered in-patient rehab for alcoholism shortly after its release — leading to personal fears about losing his own artistry.
“I’ve seen so many artists get sober,” Brown said in an interview for The Guardian, “and then their music sucks.”
“Stardust” is his first project out of rehab — and he’s back to reclaim his crown.
At its core, this new album is a who’s who of every corner of the chronically online music scene — from the “Sewerslvt”-esque breakcore scene to the digicore hyper-pop vanguard. “Starburst,” the lead single and title track, is a dizzying three-part, beat-switching smörgåsbord of hip-hop electronica madness. Brown launches onto the track with his signature punchline-packed style atop a shrill loop that digs itself into your eardrums before morphing into an acid house-fueled manic episode. He unveils his latest character in its music video — his take on a “90s-era pop star” — a ripped superhuman that dons futuristic boots and glasses.
The ensuing tracks include eurodance clubbing with 8485 on “Flowers,” hypno trap with ISSBROKIE on “Whatever The Case,” and demented electro-industrial rage with JOHNNASCUS on “1999.” Jane Remover — the hyperpop legend who teamed up with Brown earlier this year on “Psychoboost” — produces the ephemeral closer “All4U.” Frost Children’s Angel Prost offers spoken-word interludes throughout the album — culminating in a feature on “Green Light.” You name them, they’re on here.
Opener “Book of Daniel” recalls Brown’s past traumas and mistakes. “When I didn't have hope, I was turning to dope / drinking 'til I passed out 'cause I just couldn't cope”, Brown laments. Quadeca — the internet-rapper-turned-art-pop auteur — turns in a heart-wrenching vocal performance atop his sickly sweet production. “Don't be scared, it's alright / we're gonna make it by the end of the night”, he sings over a towering instrumental. Quadeca-produced “What You See” sees Brown reflecting on past relationships destroyed by his drug addiction — he remarks at the end, “through the ups and downs, stay by my side / now I got something to live for, I was dyin' inside.”
“Copycats,” which was produced by and featuring underscores, is the glimmering electropop dance centerpiece of the album. Brown firebombs the track with his most braggadocious bars over a wild collage of relentless bass and sweeping glitchcore synths. He boasts his triple-threat status as a “rap star, pop star, rock star” — a claim only bolstered by his ability to cut through a beat already overflowing with personality.
“1l0v3myl1f3!” sees femtanyl’s singular vision of digital hardcore and drum-and-bass form a wall of distorted drones and frenetic breaks that is near-apocalyptic — but still incredibly danceable. Brown cuts through the mix to impart a message of post-rehab positivity. Brown yelps, “loving it, made it from the bottom but still thugging it / up in it, still I kept it real while they on sucker s—t.”
The penultimate track, “The End,” floats in on a soft cloud of drone before exploding into a trainwreck of breakbeats and choppy synths. Cythoni — formerly Sewerslvt — conducts the chaos. The result is an ephemeral display of atmospheric drum-and-bass over which ta Ukrainka, Polish-Ukrainian indie pop artist, delivers a fast-paced chorus in her native language. Brown emerges from the dust to deliver a rapid-fire sermon on self-love. “I was so f—ked up, I was drinkin' drugs, I forgot who I was,” Brown raps. “Now I found myself and I got that help from everyone that I love / it's better days, my life got saved, I'm focused on the future,” he says towards the end.
The electronic experiments and slick production just scratch the surface — Brown’s boundless vision extends far beyond the sonic canvas. “Stardust” bursts with the energy of someone who has not only rediscovered a love for music — but a love for life. It’s hard not to fall in love too.
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