XXX (Danny Brown album)

XXX
Studio album by Danny Brown
Released August 15, 2011 (2011-08-15)
Recorded 2010–11
Genre Alternative hip hop
Length 58:10
Label Fool's Gold
Producer
Danny Brown chronology
The Hybrid
(2010)		 XXX
(2011)		 Black and Brown!
(2011)

XXX (pronounced "triple x" or "30") is the second studio album by American hip hop recording artist Danny Brown, released August 15, 2011, under Fool's Gold Records. The album's production was handled by Frank Dukes, Brandun DeShay, Skywlkr, Nick Speed, Quelle, Paul White, Squadda Bambino and DJ House Shoes. The album's only guest appearances come from Brown's Bruiser Brigade cohorts Chips and Dopehead.

XXX received widespread acclaim from critics. On March 13, 2012, the album was re-released on iTunes with 3 new tracks and a digital booklet included.[1]

Background

On XXX Brown raps about the decline of Detroit and the dilemma caused by its abandoned houses and buildings.

XXX was released as a free download by Brooklyn, New York-based record label Fool's Gold Records. Brown cited XXX as his attempt at "experimenting and seeing how far [he] could push listeners" with his music. Brown explains that XXX is an effort at a serious concept album with a storyline, citing track 13 "DNA" as the start of Side B: "The cover looked like a vinyl to me, so I was going with that whole vibe". He explained that "the first side is all having fun" before the album takes a serious turn from "DNA" onward.[2]

While recording the album, Brown was listening to a lot of Joy Division.[3] He has also stated he recorded XXX with the intent of having it critically acclaimed: "I made XXX with the aim of getting great reviews."[3]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic83/100[4]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[5]
Fact4.5/5[6]
Pitchfork8.2/10[7]
PopMatters7/10[8]
Q[4]
RapReviews.com8/10[9]
Sputnikmusic4.5/5[10]
URB[4]

XXX received widespread acclaim from critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream publications, the album received an average score of 83, based on 9 reviews.[4] Vincent Thomas of AllMusic wrote, "XXX -- named for his gutter-filthy mouth and his 30th birthday -- is an accomplishment."[5] Jack Law of Fact noted, "It's Brown's embracing of contradictions that makes him such a fascinating rapper, and XXX is given depth and longevity by a tension, or collision between hardcore rap's reality fix and the avant-garde's desire for creative and expressive freedom from reality."[6] Patrick Taylor of RapReviews.com said, "XXX is another excellent release from the man who is one of the best rappers out there, proving that you can be lyrical and street at the same time, and that hip-hop doesn't have to be one dimensional."[9]

David Amidon of PopMatters said, "Beyond its confrontational veneer lies a 19 track collection of a good number of 2011's hardest, freshest, most concrete bars imaginable."[8] Pitchfork wrote positively, "His gleeful love of words not only elevates some pretty heavy subject matter; it also helps distinguish XXX as one of the most compelling indie rap releases in an already strong year."[7] Will Robinson of Sputnikmusic also wrote "XXX is an absolutely essential hip-hop release in the age of Internet distribution and excess, and as the extreme of the lyrical tameness spectrum it's necessary for anyone who claims to be at all knowledgeable about hip-hop."[10]

Accolades

Pitchfork placed the album at number 19 on its list of the "Top 50 albums of 2011",[11] while Spin named it the top hip-hop album of 2011.[12] In October 2013, Complex named XXX the eighth best hip hop album of the last five years.[13] In June 2016, Pitchfork placed the album at number 3 on its list of the "50 Best Rap Mixtapes of the Millennium".[14]

Track listing

No.TitleProducer(s)Length
1."XXX"  Frank Dukes1:51
2."Die Like a Rockstar"  Skywlkr2:26
3."Pac Blood"  Brandun DeShay2:32
4."Radio Song"  Brandun DeShay2:22
5."Lie4"  Skywlkr3:12
6."I Will"  Squadda Bambino3:16
7."Bruiser Brigade" (featuring Dopehead)Skywlkr3:45
8."Detroit 187" (featuring Chips)Nick Speed3:05
9."Monopoly"  Quelle2:45
10."Blunt After Blunt"  Skywlkr3:26
11."Outer Space"  Skywlkr2:44
12."Adderall Admiral"  Paul White1:43
13."DNA"  Frank Dukes2:57
14."Nosebleeds"  DJ House Shoes1:37
15."Party All the Time"  Brandun DeShay3:28
16."EWNESW"  Quelle2:23
17."Fields"  Paul White2:33
18."Scrap or Die"  Paul White3:56
19."30"  Skywlkr3:18

Personnel

References

  1. ↑ "iTunes – Music – XXX (Deluxe Version) by Danny Brown". iTunes. Retrieved 22 March 2012.
  2. ↑ "Step Inside The Mind That Revolves Around Rhyme: The Making of Danny Brown's XXX". January 11, 2012. Retrieved March 9, 2012.
  3. 1 2 Larry Fitzmaurice (January 28, 2013). "Update: Danny Brown". Pitchfork. Retrieved March 11, 2013.
  4. 1 2 3 4 "XXX [EP] Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved December 16, 2015.
  5. 1 2 Thomas, Vincent (2011). "Review: XXX". AllMusic. Retrieved 30 June 2012.
  6. 1 2 "Danny Brown: XXX – FACT Magazine: Music News, New Music". Fact. Retrieved December 16, 2015.
  7. 1 2 Greene, Jayson (August 26, 2011). "Danny Brown: XXX | Album Reviews". Pitchfork. Retrieved 23 January 2012.
  8. 1 2 Amidon, David (2011). "Danny Brown: XXX". PopMatters. Retrieved 17 July 2014.
  9. 1 2 Taylor, Patrick (2011). "Danny Brown :: XXX :: Fool's Gold". RapReviews.com. Retrieved August 7, 2015.
  10. 1 2 Robinson, Will. "Review: Danny Brown – XXX". Retrieved 28 May 2015.
  11. ↑ "Staff Lists: The Top 50 Albums of 2011". Pitchfork. December 15, 2011. Retrieved January 8, 2012.
  12. ↑ "SPIN's 40 Best Rap Albums of 2011". Spin. December 8, 2011. Retrieved January 16, 2012.
  13. ↑ "8. Danny Brown, XXX (2011) – The 10 Best Rap Albums of The Last 5 Years". Complex. October 7, 2013. Retrieved July 12, 2014.
  14. ↑ "The 50 Best Rap Mixtapes of the Millennium". Pitchfork. June 29, 2016. Retrieved July 1, 2016.
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