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Danny Brown, the near mythic symbol of debauchery and intoxication, a man whose work is defined by its manic, anxious energy as well as his technical skill, is getting old (at least by rap terms) as he approaches 40. For Brown, age seems to mean comfort. He seems calmer than ever before, more assured of himself and seemingly past the issues that plagued him on his previous albums. He is, for the first time, truly confident, possibly even happy, and it allows the album to carry a much lighter, more playful tone. For the first time since XXX (2011), Brown is making songs that never would have made it onto previous albums, delivering something completely new.

There is a stark difference between the production on Atrocity Exhibition (2016) and Brown’s latest project. The album is executively produced by Q-Tip and his influence is very clear throughout the record. The highlights of the project are arguably the beats produced by Q-Tip himself. Lead single ‘Dirty Laundry’ manages to find a middle ground between the pairs signature aesthetics, resulting in a strange, yet very groovy beat over which Brown recounts past sexual misadventures. ‘Best Life’ and ‘Combat’ on the other hand feel very distinctly ‘Tribe-ey’, with the latter even featuring a chorus from Q-Tip and a subtle Consequence feature towards the end. 

The rest of the album’s production is similarly retrospective. ‘Savage Nomad’ and ‘Theme Song’ are heavily Madlib influenced, and the brilliant ‘Negro Spiritual’ feels like some old abandoned N.E.R.D. project, complete which JPEGMAFIA doing a much better Pharrell impression than you’d expect. There are outliers, worst of all the title track, featuring Obongjayer, which sounds like a weird Anderson Paak B-side. Yet, even on the more contemporary sounding tracks, there is a clear move away from the harsh, noisy, industrial sounds of his previous work.

This change in sound is matched effortlessly by Brown who clearly displays his versatility. Brown has always been a ‘rapper’s rapper’, gifted with the ability to spit rock solid bars over any beat, no matter how alien it may be. Brown zones in on his love for classical form here, spitting flows that feel like they embody greats ranging from Slick Rick to Andre 3000. A lesser rapper would struggle to maintain an identity whilst doing this, yet Brown does it with ease. This should put to rest any doubts that his appeal is based on the ‘gimmick’ of his signature high pitched, squeaky voice, as it is nowhere to be seen for about half the project.

Brown’s truest achievement here is how he transcends his own past work. ‘Best Life’ sees him discuss achieving happiness despite his rough upbringing, and ‘Shine’ sees him speak of a determination never seen before. Brown comes into a kind of peace, without renouncing the party hard lifestyle he once embodied. He becomes a kind of embodiment of healing, a man who has been through hell and now wishes to exercise his craft at the highest level he can. Uknowhatimsayin has no grand artistic ambitions, but with the artistic back catalogue that Danny Brown has, I think he is entitled to make such an album at this point, one for himself and his craft.