“This ain’t a motherf***ing rap show … it’s a party with all my friends. We’re singing songs we like. We out here on a weekday partying like it’s a weekend.” Sure enough, Danny Brown stayed true to his word and brought a dizzying energy to his sold-out show at The New Parish in Oakland on May 21.
When the Detroit rapper played a daytime concert on Sproul Plaza last spring, he showed us quite the good time. If that show were like grabbing a chilled beer and hot dog at a barbecue, this one would be like doing a keg stand, pulling handle shots and feasting on pizza, Cheetos and Takis at a house party downtown. While the venue was a hazy, substance-fueled delight filled up to the corners with a crowd that was high on life, the show was notably down-to-earth and intimate. The night became an impromptu celebration of adult life with a kid’s attitude — an embracing of the “play as hard as you work” mindset.
The openers for the night were Los Angeles-based hip-hop group OverDoz., who got the crowd pumped with a rowdy 40-minute set of their own work. Notable was their performance of the track “FSWSAD,” an acronym referencing the memorable lyric, “I wish I could f***, smoke weed and sleep all day, but I gotta get this money.” Each of the four members had his own approach when it came to dress and rap style, but collectively, the group played with funky, Outkast-esque influences and delivered an impressive and refreshingly high-spirited show.
Soon afterward, Brown bounded on stage with his afro flopping and donning a candy bright patterned zip-up, and the opening bars of “Jealousy,” a track he collaborated on with U.K. producer The Purist, started to play. Air horns were ablaze, and clouds of smoke billowed up to the balcony level as the audience welcomed him with open arms and bouncing limbs. After a crowd-pleasing performance of “Witit,” a track from 2011’s stellar album XXX, Brown introduced himself in a drawl with a sarcastic “My name is Daniel” and let out a signature hyena cackle. The show was finally in full motion.
What makes Brown such a memorable performer is his infectious nature. He’s the dude who knows exactly what it takes to “turn up” — the one you just can’t seem to peel your eyes or ears away from; the cackling troublemaker with a fetish for getting freaky and a wardrobe to match; the stranger you might want to dabble in some drugs with — or at least be in the room to watch. His outward persona is the perfect embodiment of his rap ability. When he broke out into a brief freestyle segment in the latter half of the show, we were treated with an example of the raw talent that got Brown where he is now. His delivery is aggressive, fervent and commanding; his lyrics are crafty, intelligent and ridiculously fun to yell out.
Whether he’s got the crowd chanting about smoking “blunt after blunt after blunt” or making a quip about rappers who pretend to be able to afford their lavish lifestyles while he embraces “that income tax swag,” the message in Brown’s music is at once incredibly honest and all his own. What’s more to appreciate is his open love for the female body — “I Will” is probably the most explicit demonstration. Although we (thankfully) did not get an encore of the Minneapolis debacle — where he received nonconsensual oral sex onstage from a female audience member — this time around, Brown proved once again why he’s such an endearing act to follow. Stay tuned for the release of his new album, Old, and catch him at the upcoming Rock the Bells music festival.
Contact Ashley Chen at [email protected].