Reader Review: Danny Brown - The Hybrid (March 16, 2010)

(Hey! I have a Reader Review for you! Yeah, I still accept and publish Reader Reviews! I know, right? Today’s submission comes from Andrew, who elected to tackle the first proper album from Motown’s own Danny Brown, The Hybrid, and is presented with mild edits that mostly concern references from when this review was originally conceived back in 2014. Enjoy, and leave your thoughts below!)

Daniel Dewan Sewell, or Danny Brown (as most of you know him), is a rapper from Detroit who has absolutely lit up the Interweb in recent years for a variety of reasons (I got Max’s blessing for this review way back in 2014, so hopefully this sentence still makes sense today), the biggest being that the man is a fucking character, which can be confirmed by his countless hilarious interviews (which can be found on YouTube) and his “unique” sense of style (see: Google Image Search). I can certainly understand someone hating on Danny Brown after less than five seconds or most of his current songs due to his notoriously high-pitched voice, and I too could not appreciate his talents upon my first few listens. But like any good hip hop head, I gave him a few spins and I’m quite glad that I did. Danny Brown has a rather sprawling discography for someone who has really only been a known quantity for the past ten or eleven years. He has dropped a number of mixtapes and several albums since his debut, The Hybrid, all of which I enjoy quite a bit.  

The natural curiosity that plagues all of us humans has probably led you to wonder why he named this album after his self-imposed nickname, The Hybrid, especially when Toyota Priuses are little bitch cars. Thankfully, there’s a simple explanation: Brown considers himself a versatile MC, one who can employ a variety of flows and voices whenever he deems necessary. Just like the hybrid vehicles that switch between gasoline and electric power, Danny Brown can alternate between his high-pitched crazy flow and his low-key relaxed flow, which makes for an entertaining listen. That title also refers to his subject matter, which can range wildly from eating lots of poon to life on the streets of Detroit. It’s too bad he never combines those two topics, because going down on a lady friend while fearing for your life could make for a passionate tale.

Honestly, I’d be surprised if you’re a regular to this site and have never heard of Danny Brown. For one, he already has a couple of reviews in Max’s epic sidebar (and pops up every year due to my insistence at following up with XXL's Freshmen Class of 2012), and he’s been in the spotlight for a few years now. Heck, he even opened for fellow Motown giant Eminem in front of one hundred thousand people (thanks Wikipedia!). For those of you who are already familiar with the man’s work, you’ve likely already made up your mind about Danny Brown because he can be quite the polarizing figure - I implore you to give the man another chance, because there are plenty of songs in his discography that sound nothing like the ones you can’t stand.

The Hybrid is Danny Brown’s studio debut, and its production is handled largely by a lot of Detroit-area producers, most frequently Quelle Chris, another artist I’d recommend you check out if you’re bored in your mom’s basement and you’ve exhausted Pornhub’s library during quarantine. Will Danny Brown ever be ready for the mainstream (see: his theme song for the now-defunct sitcom Fresh off the Boat)? Should 50 Cent have signed him to G Unit back when he had the chance (and yes, this was really on the table at one point)? Fuck if I know, but here is my mediocre attempt at entertaining you as well as Maximillian does.

1. GREATEST RAPPER EVER

Wait, what the fuck? Did Danny Brown really just release a song called “The Greatest Rapper Ever” as the first track from his first album? What a disgrace to the culture, the legends, and everything that is good in the world! Once you get over the title and realize that humility has no place in hip hop, you’ll be treated to quite the introductory track. No skit here, just punchline after punchline over a dope-ass beat from Quelle Chris. I could quote a bunch of lines from here, but I don’t want to spoil any if you haven’t already heard this song. That said, I love this one: “Writing 16’s like Internet child predators.” Get it? 

2. NEED ANOTHER DRINK

After literally grabbing you by the throat with the opening track, Danny follows it up with a much more lighthearted effort. This could also be the song that causes you to give up on Danny Brown completely. I used to find this track to be annoying as fuck back in the day, but now I enjoy it for what it is: a fun diversion. From an objective standpoint though, I have to give this song a “meh”. Can’t let my worship get in the way of my preaching. 

3. NEW ERA

And we’re back. At this point you might be starting to understand why Danny Brown calls himself The Hybrid, because this track sounds nothing like the last. Based on the title and the hook, you would assume this song is about his Detroit Tigers baseball cap, but he just uses the hat as an excuse to rep his city. This song features Brown’s trademark gritty lyrics along with his malleable flow, and if you hip hoppers out there don’t like this track, I’d be surprised. 

4. EXOTIC (FEAT. DOPEHEAD)

So far Danny Brown has been alternating between fun songs and serious ones, so the lyrics on here are playful, as is the beat provided by Danny!, also known as Danny Swain (an artist Max has covered before - see sidebar). “Exotic” features the only guest cameo of the entire album: Brown’s associate Dopehead, a member of his Bruiser Brigade crew. Does Dopehead count as a weed carrier? Yeah, probably. His flow and style are reminiscent of Brown’s, albeit in a less-polished form.

5. I’M OUT

I’ve always felt this track sounded like an outro to an album, but here it is sequenced close to the beginning. Produced by Chuck Inglish of The Cool Kids, Danny tells a short story about a fallen homie from the past, then fast forwards to the present where he is smoking weed and sippin’ 40’s with the boys in the hood. I’d be lying if I didn’t say this was a chill track, but it’s a little boring for my tastes.  I also don’t like the hook. Next!

6. RE-UP

The first Danny Brown song I’ve ever heard, and the main reason that I decided this was a rapper not to be fucked with. Watch the music video for this song and tell me this isn’t one of the hardest songs you’ve ever heard. This song makes me want to give up my career ambitions and get into the crack game, all while puffin’ on my own supply. He grabs you with his first line, “Used to get domed up by crackheads,” and doesn’t let go until he murders this awesome boom-bap beat provided by Quelle Chris. If you hate Danny Brown, then you must not have listened to this song yet, that’s all. 

7. NOWHERE 2 GO

This instrumental, courtesy of Denmark Vessey, is some good shit. It sounds like how the cover of this album looks: robotic and gangsta. Danny Brown does not let it go to waste, absolutely ripping his three verses to shreds, along with providing a dope chorus.

8. SHOOTIN’ MOVES

If this review starts to read differently at this point, it’s because I am picking it up where I had left off back in 2014. If I sound exactly the same, that’s because I still suck at writing, which is all fine and dandy. I suck at a lot of things, which I’ve come to terms with in these last few years. The production on “Shootin’ Moves” comes from Frank Dukes, a really dope producer who works with pop superstars these days, none of whom I’m going to list because I am lazy and you’re reading these words on some sort of computer-like device, so you can look them up if you're so inclined. If there is but one fact of life, it’s that Danny Brown has always had an ear for beats. The production here is layered and, honestly, gorgeous, while Brown’s lyrics are rugged and raw, the polar opposite of the musical backing. The two pieces come together to make an absolute beast of a track, though. A personal highlight: “Ain’t in your top three, then bitch you can’t count.” Danny Brown is probably my official G.O.A.T. at this point - in my head I still insist that the late Prodigy from ‘94-’98 is my top choice, but Brown hasn’t yet lost steam, while Prodigy absolutely did over time. I am a huge Prodigy stan, though, so please don’t be mad at me.

9. THE NANA SONG

What a weird name for a song, right? Don’t worry, once you hear the chorus it will all make sense. Once again, the producer is Danny Swain (Danny!) - I am not sure if the producer/rapper is still thriving in his own career, but I am thankful that he gave the more relevant Danny this beat. I’m pretty sure it’s just drums, a ghostly vocal sample, and a little bell, but it comes together to make a dreamy background for Brown to spit his idiosyncratic rhymes. One of his realest lines ever even appears here: “Fuck tomorrow dog, we ain’t promised today.” This song doesn’t make me think of my nana, who is lonely and indoors right now because of the Corona, and I’m thankful for that. I don’t want to feel sentimental about my grandma when I listen to rap (*cough* Earl Sweatshirt *cough*). 

10. GUITAR SOLO

The stretch of songs from “Re-Up” to “Guitar Solo” is easily my favorite section of The Hybrid. I think you can tell I am already going to laud this song. And yes, I used the word “laud” to sound pretentious and I probably used it incorrectly, but I didn’t want to use the word “praise” again. Quelle Chris comes through once more with a lovely instrumental, one which Mr. Brown was clearly inspired by, as he puts on his Dr. Seuss hat to tell a story in each of his verses. Dr. Seuss would shit a brick if he had ever listened to this one, though, because of the depressing and ultimately hopeless lyrics, and by the end of the song he would have shit out an entire brick house, and then Danny would play the classic Commodores song “Brick House” while performing oral pleasures on a “Brick House” of a woman. That makes no sense and I’m for sure losing my mind during the Coronavirus. Anyways, “Guitar Solo” is excellent and sad and shows that Danny Brown is capable of sharing very vivid stories, so he checks that box.

11. WHITE STRIPES

This song literally grabs you by the balls and/or tits and strangles you with sheer aggression. I mean that in the best way possible. The song’s title is probably because this sample sounds exactly like White Stripes music. I think, anyway: I don’t listen to the White Stripes, so maybe someone in the comment section can clarify. I love the lyric here, “Ay bay-bay, this is not a dis, but your bitch looks like Hurricane Chris.” I like that he didn’t dis Hurricane Chris, but he did dis my significant other, yours, and anyone else’s who is listening. This is a fun track and Danny takes you on a ride, as he is prone to do. (This Reader Review was obviously submitted prior to Hurricane Chris’s recent arrest and murder charge, which is the type of coincidence that tends to happen quite often when you run a blog of this nature, weirdly.)

12. JUNO

This was always one of my best friend’s favorite songs off of this album. For some reason he would always laugh about it, even though I don’t think “Juno” is supposed to be funny. That said, he also laughed uncontrollably for an extended period of time when his teacher at community college announced to the class that his wife had a miscarriage. I heard this moment was very awkward, and to be honest I wish I had been there. I think my friend has a dark sense of humor. To be honest, so do I, but I cannot imagine laughing in that moment. Anyways, “Juno” finds Danny talking about a girl who had a baby, just like in the movie Juno, except there is no quirky charm to be found here whatsoever. Instead, it contains a huge dose of reality, to the point where it might even be considered unhealthy to listen to it at any point. This song may have sparked an increase in condom usage, so thank you, Danny. Less babies, more intercourse! Schving! 

13.  THANK GOD

This song also sounds like an outro to me, just like the fifth track on this album. Weird! I could make this argument during any section of this review, but I am making it now: Danny Brown is a creative force of nature and my favorite street poet. Nobody writes songs that are as relatable as him. NOBODY! “Thank God” is the perfect example of that. Danny says that he should “thank god for his bridge card”, which from the context of the song you can tell is food stamps. This is the O.G. song about balling on a budget, so put that in your pipe, Macklemore and Lil’ Dicky. (P.S. I really fucking can’t stand Lil Dicky. I don’t even find him funny. He has a good flow though, I will grant him that.) The beat here meshes perfectly with the lyrics and theme. “Tonight we eating shrimp, take a break from the noodles.” Hell yeah, that’s how I’d use food stamps. 

14. DRINKS ON ME

Quelle Chris really did his job on this album. I'm glad he has a healthy career in the underground. I  met him once at a Black Milk show a long time ago and told him he was going to blow up. I was wrong, but he has amassed quite the cult following, which is enough for most. Now I might just be making random connections here, but The Hybrid came out in 2010 and I’m pretty sure Kanye West stole some of Danny Brown’s lyrics for his own “Bound 2”. I’ll let you two figure out what I’m referring to. Also, my favorite Kendrick Lamar track, “Swimming Pools (Drank)”, also seems to have jacked its entire concept from “Drinks On Me”. The lyric site Genius blew my mind with its analysis of the final line of this track: apparently it’s a Nas reference, and a really dope one at that. Like a number of the tracks on The Hybrid (and in his career), “Drinks On Me” is a really great song - Danny is a guy who has experienced both highs and lows, and never for a second thinks to avoid either. 

15. GENERATION RX

This song is produced by 14KT, a pretty well-known producer who has given us some great stuff throughout his career. The beat here is really mellow, and Danny slows his flow down to mirror it, but his lyricism is still as sharp as ever. This track is an indictment of multiple generations - I would say the Millennials and whatever we’re calling Generation Z get it the worst, but he also goes after the baby boomers. As its title would lead you to believe, “Generation Rx” is about how prescription pills and drugs, the great equalizer, are used by everyone in some way, shape, or form. Very few rappers are able to bring new ideas to the table in such an overly-saturated genre, but Danny Brown somehow manages to do so multiple times on this album.

16. S.O.S.

I have listened to The Hybrid a ton of times, but I always end up skipping over “S.O.S.”. It’s completely unintentional, though, but that’s cool, since it feels like I am examining it with a fresh set of ears. Danny Brown has been known to write epic outros for all of his official albums, which is a trait I have never seen or heard anyone mention online, but he deserves a ton of credit for. Aside from Danny McBride, I don’t know anyone that can write endings as well as Danny Brown. “S.O.S.” is a grand finale in every sense of the word: the hook is masterful, his lyrics are as potent as ever, the production is superb, and the punchlines smack like fresh heroin. There are too many quotables to be found here, so I’m not even going to try to single any out. Go listen now, damn it.  

FINAL THOUGHTS: I am sure you can tell what I am about to say about The Hybrid. If you love hip hop and you listened to this album thoroughly, and you still somehow do not like it, then I have no hope for you. I will argue with you whenever and wherever - come find me on Instagram at andrewgdogg. The Hybrid is a classic album, an incredible debut, and it was my favorite Danny Brown album up until his most recent effort. I apologize for taking six years to share that sentiment with you – there’s just no way my review could ever live up to that kind of hype, just like poor Jay Electronica. I may a total Danny stan, but you really can’t dislike this project. If you’re not a fan of his shrill flow, The Hybrid finds him presenting a very laid back voice on many of its tracks. (Also, you can listen to his older mixtapes if you prefer the non-shouting version of Danny Brown.) Danny writes lyrics that are simultaneously simple and complex. He’s my favorite writer, and in my opinion he has the best ear in hip hop. No, I won’t take Danny’s dick out of my mouth, and he wouldn’t want me to either, my tongue game extra.

BUY OR BURN? Buy this shit even though it is really expensive online since it’s rare and old. (I've been linking to a digital version, which is by far the cheaper alternative.) Or just stream the fuck out of it if you’ve never heard it before. I’m jealous that you get to hear this one with virgin ears. And there are a few extra tracks on the deluxe edition of The Hybrid (which I’ve linked throughout) that are flames, just FYI.

BEST TRACKS: “Re-Up”; “S.O.S.”; “Greatest Rapper Ever”; “Nowhere 2 Go”; “Shootin’ Moves”; “Generation RX”; “Juno”

- Andrew

(Questions? Comments? Leave them in the section below. And if there’s an artist or project that you haven’t seen reviewed as of yet and are interested in filling that gap yourself, send me a pitch at max.hiphopisntdead (at) gmail.com and let’s talk.)