the trick is to keep breathing

so i really love rap, but i feel like i'm an unconventional fan—it's about a 50/50 chance whether i actually pay attention to the lyrics much at all (though if i get really into an artist i'll naturally start memorizing eeeeverything), and mostly i'm into the timbre/energy/direction of the rapper's voice. flow, or whatever. something grabs me about how they say what they're saying, and then everything else follows.

so i first discovered Danny Brown like every other normie in the universe, when Purity Ring blew up like nuts (Purity Ring, "Bealispeak II" feat. Danny Brown), but his voice gripped me—like, wow, he's practically jumping out of my speakers in that one, wild and punchy and over-the-top with a steel-cool undercurrent of confidence underneath.

so then i got obsessed, and downloaded all of his stuff ever, and turns out he is just as wonderfully weird as first impressions may suggest, and somehow the dude's never broken mainstream even though he's well known among folks who care about rap and also makes amazing shit.

he's at his most accessible (and at some of his best) when he collaborates with electronic pop artists—turns out his wild style coordinates with sick, erratic dance beats in a way i've not heard any other rapper accomplish. would definitely recommend the Purity Ring song above, or Attak (feat. Danny Brown) by Rustie.

though i'll confess the reason he's on the brain this week is, his "Dope Song" came on one of my pop playlists this weekend, and i had to do a double-take to make sure the playlist hadn't switched to my "32-bit JRPG music playlist" by mistake, because the entire opening 30-second hook sounds exactly like you're approaching the final dungeon in Breath of Fire or some shit. that song in particular is, uh, strange, and probably less accessible unless you're already into rap, but hey, maybe give the first two a try, i loooove this artist lol