An album of reckoning that displays Brown at his most meditative state, striving for wellness, coming back down to earth.

Danny Brown; it's been a journey. XXX was a rambunctious effort that marked him down for his distinctive voice, clever wordplay and a leaning towards the avant-garde. Atrocity Exhibition was a master class in storytelling, depicting the troubles of an addict all to the sound of AN even more experimental production approach and samples that would have him doubting the money spent on them down the line. There was also ‘uknowwhatimsayin’, executively produced by Q Tip, with an upbeat outlook on life that wasn't quite represented on previous albums. Dreads gone, gap tooth no longer; was Danny turning the page? He'd go on to admit that he was at his most fucked up making the album and despite its messages, his personal world didn't align with the newly adopted positive ethos.

This would also be the case for hit 2023 joint album "SCARING THE HOES" with JPEGMAFIA, admitting to understanding why JPEG might not want to work with him down the line due to his state whilst making the album. Nevertheless, his journey towards sobriety plays a massive part in his musical output. He now admits to enjoying touring and returns to the UK for a sold-out show at the Village Underground in December. Rumours about the next album had long been in discussion, but finally, the fourth album arrived after sitting on the project for three years, in the name of Quaranta.

Translating to forty, the album has a stark difference to the rest of his discography. Half face hidden in the dark, looking towards the camera, it has a reckoning nature to it. I didn’t know what I was expecting, the same from previous albums would’ve had me content. Certainly not this though. Straight from the opening track, Danny lays his truth bare about some revelations he has made, rap music saving him and contributing to his downfall, messing up relationships whilst in this state. The brutality of the truth and coming to terms with it, with Danny sat in his loneliness.

Clever wordplay and wacky production still have a part to play here. "It's that Black Lives Matter, still sniff cocaine", he says on the track ‘Taranta’. The high pitched, shrieky vocals akin to his music isn't the dominant voice that he adopts. The track ‘Celibate’ is the best show case of his lyrical skill, his voice almost unrecognisable with the feature from Mike cementing him as one of the most exciting voices in hip hop, pinnacle of word play. ‘Jenn's Terrific Vacation’, a comment on Gentrification that was released as the final single, pinpoints all the classic signs that a gentrified neighbourhood carries, from organic food spots to White Girls and hard seltzers. It’s also the most fun the production gets, tapping into tones familiar with ‘Atrocity Exhibition’.

In all honesty, I’m still sitting with the album which I think displays its forte. Sometimes what you want from an artist isn’t what you need from an artist. A more muted, pensive Brown takes centre stage and lays everything bare. The listener can go one of two ways here; reject and wish for the upbeat, party, danceable sound Danny has done so well in executing, or embrace and accept this album as a personal, much needed reflection that acts as a turning point in his career.

With Quaranta, the overall quieter sound works in his favour. If we are to treat his work as a timeline of his rap career that interweaves with the personal, this album sits at the most hard hitting. In the throes of addiction, he has managed to stretch a new muscle, displaying a versatility in his approach to Rap, realising that his distinctive sound can have its moments but need not be at the forefront for an album so based in the loud and madcap. An album of reckoning that displays Brown at his most meditative state, striving for wellness, coming back down to earth.