Detroit virtuoso Danny Brown is a fan favorite for a reason. Few MCs have taken true-blue lyrical ferocity and draped it in a persona as arresting as Danny’s. Recognized in his early days as much for his streak of permed hair, toothy grin, and boggling fashion sense as he was for his rhymes and beats, Brown could always tell when to ratchet up the dramatics. But his ability to trojan-horse in bars about street-level Detroit and his surreal day to day life within it has truly produced his longevity and etched his legacy. In an era where hip-hop was fractioning in countless directions, Brown seemed to have it all down to a science–by the time he released his breakout album XXX, he was spearheading a movement of avant-garde internet hip-hop that we still live in the shadow of today.