Danny Brown, uknowhatimsayin?, Album Review
Danny Brown
uknowhatimsayin?
Album Review
uknowhatimsayin? is the fifth studio album by experimental American rap artist Danny Brown, and the first since me made a big impact with his 2016 masterpiece Atrocity Exhibition, which truly pushed the boundaries of what rap could be with its heavily psychedelic and distorted sound, along with its intense and aggressive party energy.
It seemed apparent from the get go that Danny Brown wanted to take this album in a different direction than its predecessor; towards a more accessible and cohesive sound, which was something I could certainly appreciate.
Furthermore, this albums first teaser track "Dirty Laundry" displayed a masterfully subtle production, in which the slightest shift would be enough for listeners to pick up on and enjoy. Two more teaser tracks followed; the amazing "Best Life", which conveyed a soulful 90's rap aesthetic and has really grown on me since the full album released, and finally, "3 Tearz", featuring the talent of Run The Jewels.
While i'm on the topic of featured artists, I was very impressed with the line-up of collaborating artists. While this album doesn't enter the territory of being a "feature culture" album in my mind, all of the artists involved are ones whose music I have enjoyed at one point or another.
These artists include the likes of JPEGMAFIA and Blood Orange, but one that really surprised me (in the best way), was London based Nigerian artist Obongjayar. While this artist has only released the occasional single as of late, I still love Obongjayar's unique and earthy sound. And it was wonderful to see this artist get so much love and recognition on the album. He really adds quite a unique element to both of the tracks he features on.
All three of the album's teaser tracks were at least enjoyable, and the majority of the full album seemed to follow suit. Despite uknowhatimsayin? in its completion having a brief runtime of roughly 33 minutes, there were very few duds found on the album.
The only criticism-worthy part of the album in my mind was the very start of it. The first two tracks were ultimately the only two that i didn't continue to enjoy after a few more listens. "Change Up" had the purpose of "sort of" setting the tone for the rest of the album. But it did so in such a bog-standard and uninspired way, that I found myself finding it very forgettable. As for "Theme Song", I just didn't like the rhythm or instrumentation of the production. The shrill violin strings and invasive sampled whispering made this track quite sickly for the ears.
Other than this, I don't really have much more of a quarry to make about this album. I do personally prefer the aesthetic and themes explored on Atrocity Exhibition far more, but this album does still stand on its own for sure.
One of the most enjoyed parts of uknowhatimsayin? would have to be the creative, and often hilarious bars put out by Danny Brown. With lyrics such as "I eat so many shrimp I god iodine poison, ho*s on my d*ick 'cause I look like Roy Orbison" amongst many others, you ultimately have an album whose bars had me grinning in disbelief on multiple occasions.
While uknowhatimsayin? doesn't quite surpass the album that came before it, I am certainly ready to give this album the benefit of the doubt. It was a near-impossible task to top Atrocity Exhibition. Nevertheless, uknowhatimsayin? comes very, very close.
Thank you for reading,
Booth Boy
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