Credit: Danny Brown / Album Cover

Danny Brown has always welcomed his role as rap’s oddball. Over the years, he’s collaborated with some of the UK’s most exciting producers in electronic music, including Rustie, Darq E Freaker, and Skywlkr. Unlike many US names, he also considers The Streets and Dizzee Rascal as key influences, which is partly why he stands out so much from the crowd.

The Detroit rapper released his last album, Quaranta, in November 2023, teaming up with the likes of The Alchemist, Quelle Chris, and MIKE for a project he described as his most personal to date. It dealt with themes such as pain and isolation after going to rehab for drug and alcohol addiction.

With his latest effort, Stardust, he’s challenging himself and everything about his sound. Released on November 7th via Warp Records, Brown’s new album finds him diving into the world of hyperpop. It features prominent figures of the genre, including Jane Remover, Quadeca, Underscores, Frost Children, 8485, Nnamdï, and Zheani.

Brown first got a taste for hyperpop when he was in rehab. He was only allowed his phone for half an hour each day, so he spent his time listening to 100 Gecs. From there, he was hooked. Although he’d dabbled in electronic music in the past, he now found it difficult to record to it due to the fact he was no longer partying and taking drugs.

However, things changed when he came across Underscores, with whom he ended up closely collaborating. “When I started to hear shit like Underscores and see that their songs were way deeper than the soundscape, you’re like, ‘Oh shit, they really got something to say’,” he told NME. “I felt that same way with the approach to this album: I want to have fun, but I still have to have something to say.”

Stardust consists of 14 tracks. On the pensive opening track, ‘Book of Daniel’, he raps, “A god MC, ’cause he talk through me/ Just a vessel with a message, in due time you’ll see.” Confident as ever, Brown carries that same energy into songs like ‘Copycats’. On that record, he spits, “Do what I do, I’ma make my own rules/ No lies, I’m the truth when I step in that booth.”

For the project, he created a character called “Dusty Star” who has a story he can relate to. Speaking on the persona, Brown explained, “He goes into rehab, he’s done with music. If you listen to Quaranta, that’s like the prequel. I had to go into a different mode and write from a different perspective, especially with the soundscape, so I created this ’90s-era popstar.”

Brown sounds at home when he’s rapping over obscure beats. The 44-year-old has carved out his own lane since bursting into popularity in the 2010s. While his albums aren’t the type to break records on the Billboard 200 (Quaranta didn’t even chart), he’s one of the few underground rappers pushing the envelope and keeping rap music exciting. It remains to be seen whether he will continue down the hyperpop path, but one thing is for certain: nothing fazes him.