This is the 6th full-length LP from Detroit emcee Danny Brown. Emerging as a member of the Rese’vor Dogs in the mid-2000s, he would go onto form the Bruiser Brigade at the start of the previous decade & put out his debut album The Hybrid shortly after. This resulted in him signing with Fool’s Gold Records & delivering a near perfect sophomore effort XXX the next year, which was followed up with Old in 2013 as well as his 2016 magnum opus & Warp Records debut albeit Fool’s Gold’s last Atrocity Exhibition. But coming off the uknowhatimsayin¿ & more recently Scaring the Hoes with JPEGMAFIA this past spring, Danny’s finally releasing Quaranta as his final Warp album.
The title track is a cavernously dark opener with Danny talking about turning 40 a couple years ago whereas “Tantor” fuses elements of hardcore, abstract & experimental hip hop with elements of rock & even punk music thanks to The Alchemist looking to dock in the low tide & that it’s time for him to spit. Quelle Chris & Chris Keys both whip up a shimmery boom bap vibe for “Ain’t My Concern” reminding that “when it’s time, it’s time” that is until “Dark Sword Angel” talks down on the Bruiser Brigade leader’s competition over a dusty rap rock hybrid.
“Y.B.P. (Young, Black & Poor)” featuring Bruiser Wolf finds the 2 discussing the way they both came up over an uncanny trap instrumental from Skywlkr leading into “Jenn’s Terrific Vacation” brilliantly tackling the themes of gentrification fusing glitch hop, nu jazz & broken beat. Paul White provides groovier aesthetic to “Down wit It” detailing the lifestyle of this music shit just before the spacious “Celibate” featuring MIKE admits that they used to sell a bit and they don’t fuck around with the streets no more at this point in their careers.
The song “Shakedown” gives off a cloudier tone instrumentally provided by Kaelin Ellis advising to get your head out of the clouds & get yours now while the crushing “Hanami” talks about age catching up to him so he’s running from death as a result. “Bass Jam” fulfills Danny’s deal with Warp & ends Quaranta by atmospherically looking back on the days where it was hard for him to sleep as his mother played many classic bops.
“Cheaters” featuring Bruiser Wolf starts the deluxe run with both of them over this funky Black Milk beat pointing out the fact that those who cheat never win in the end & the final bonus track “Keep It to Me” was actually supposed to be the original closer, grimly linking up with Black Noi$e for this incredibly depressing cut revolving around drinking the pain away hoping things’ll change & smoking until he’s free from being trapped within his own thoughts.
For him to sign off on Warp Records by reflecting on the past 4 decades of his life is actually an album that’s more darker & personal in comparison to uknowhatimsayin¿ is exactly why he’s one of the illest to come out of this reviewer’s hometown in recent memory because this is his best since Atrocity Exhibition. It’s more predominantly conscious & experimental with some additional elements hardcore & abstract lyricism.
Score: 4.5/5
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