20 Greatest Alternative Albums Of 2016
2. Danny Brown – Atrocity Exhibition
Detroit, Michigan-based rapper Danny Brown has always shown great potential, but it seems the fourth time's a charm for the charismatic rhyme-spitter with the release of 2016's best hip-hop LP – the abrasive, psychotic and crazed Atrocity Exhibition.
He doesn't hide behind unnecessary interludes or countless guest appearances, but instead focuses on making the songs as tight as possible. And it has to be said, he succeeds at every step of the way in doing so. Lyrically, Brown wraps his boozed-up, drugged-up and sexed-up exploits around a seriously unsettling production, creating an oddly intoxicating blend that sounds like nothing else released this year.
The backing tracks on Atrocity Exhibition blow most other 2016 hip-hop albums out of the water, utilizing a clinking, dysfunctional sound palette that perfectly compliments the twisted theme of the album. There's even musical nods to underground rap acts like New Kingdom and Dr. Octagon due to its off-kilter instrumentation, highlighting Brown's insatiable appetite for hip-hop in its weirder guises.
Highlights practically litter this hyped-up release, but the maniacal rapper hits the mark with real venom on tracks like the ramshackle nightmare 'Downward Spiral', the blazing smoke-out 'Really Doe' and the unhinged horror show 'Pneumonia.'
The dark recesses of Brown’s mind are a scary place to dwell, but one you will want to explore again and again on this virtually flawless collection of songs. Like really doe.