HomeDanny BrownOld
Old
Hip-Hop · 2013 · 19 tracks · 56m

Old

A brilliant, bipolar double-feature splitting raw, trauma-scarred street memoirs from hyperactive, drug-fueled EDM-rap club anthems.

October 8, 2013 · Fool's Gold Records

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A cold, metallic snare snaps against the smell of damp basement concrete before the floor drops out into a neon-lit rave. This record splits itself clean down the middle, trapping you first in the claustrophobic anxiety of a Detroit winter, then throwing you headfirst into a sweaty, strobe-lit crowd. The bass rattles your teeth while the vocals shift from a desperate, raspy whisper to a manic, high-pitched squeal. It feels like a long night that refuses to end.

Tracklist · 19 Tracks · 56m
01
Side A (Old)
2:23
02
The Return
3:10
03
25 Bucks
3:30
04
Wonderbread
1:58
05
Gremlins
2:06
06
Dope Fiend Rental
2:55
07
Torture
3:46
08
Lonely
2:19
09
Clean Up
3:01
10
Red 2 Go
3:18
11
Side B (Dope Song)
2:36
12
Dubstep
2:16
13
Dip
3:31
14
Smokin & Drinkin
2:53
15
Break It (Go)
3:12
16
Handstand
2:55
17
Way Up Here
2:36
18
Kush Coma
4:41
19
Float On
3:31
Moments Worth Waiting For
Reviews
Spin8/ 10
“It isn’t traditionally enjoyable, and it isn’t supposed to be. But for Danny Brown, the pill-popping, pussy-eating squawk-box, it’s the most daring record he could’ve made”
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The Line of Best Fit
“The popular perception of Brown as a lewd-yet-talented harlequin fails to take into account his most important asset, the one Old makes abundantly clear; his acute understanding of the environment such bromides are born from. It is there, in that seminal muck, where Brown’s true artistry lies”
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Sputnik Music
“Old certainly is focused on production, showcasing disparate elements of electronic and rap music into one all-encompassing journey”
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PopMatters
“What’s most striking here is Brown’s deep, consistent sense of song structure and pop sensibility”
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AllMusic5/ 5 stars
“Crafted and paced, split down the middle like a great LP with a sure start and a freeing finish”
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Pitchfork8.7/ 10
“The best and most resonant album of Brown’s career”
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Under the Radar
“Old doesn’t sound like anything approaching a conventional hip-hop record—and in a year when the majority of rap’s big hitters failed to deliver, it couldn’t feel more indispensable”
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Paste
“An album that transcends much of the typical hype bullshit and seems destined to stand as a unifying record”
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Rolling Stone3.5/ 5 stars
“This is Brown at war with himself, proud of success but tired of the persona it required”
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NME8/ 10
“A perfect example of why 2013 is a very exciting time for hip-hop”
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Consequence of Sound
“You get the feeling that Brown’s knowledge of his medium is key to his ability to produce a well-rounded listen, as the 32-year-old has done with Old, his biggest release yet”
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Clash
“A free-wheeling, Molly-popping collection of dizzying trap-rap set atop an equally unnerving soundtrack”
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How does Old sound next to the rest of Danny Brown's catalogue?

Maximalist+2.7σ

This record introduces a signature shift toward maximalist production, colliding dusty, melancholic beats with hyperactive grime basslines and neon-lit electronic frenzy.

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