In April, the cult US rapper Danny Brown went into rehab. Many artists across various genres have done the same, of course. But what makes Brown’s stint especially notable is that the Detroit native’s entire body of work – a decade-plus of audacious, electrifying hip-hop – had revolved around, first, selling drugs and, later, when he gave up dealing, merely partying very hard.
In a very crowded field he has excelled. If gleeful, nihilistic overindulgence had a poet laureate, the clever and funny Brown would be the incumbent. At his most seemingly straightforward, he would put out tracks such as Smokin’ & Drinkin’ (from 2013’s Old LP), an ode to getting obliterated. Tonight it becomes a hedonistic call and response (“Drinkin’ and smokin’!”) with the hyped-up, sold-out audience.
