U Know What I'm Sayin? Explained

U Know What I'm Sayin?
Type:studio
Artist:Danny Brown
Cover:Danny Brown - Uknowhatimsayin.png
Recorded:2017–2019
Studio:AbLab, New Jersey
Genre:Hip hop
Length:33:27
Label:Warp
Producer:
Prev Title:Atrocity Exhibition
Prev Year:2016
Next Title:Scaring the Hoes
Next Year:2023

U Know What I'm Sayin? (stylized as uknowhatimsayin¿) is the fifth studio album by American rapper Danny Brown. It was released on October 4, 2019, by Warp Records. The album features guest appearances from Run the Jewels, Obongjayar, JPEGMafia and Blood Orange. Executive produced by Q-Tip, with contributions by Paul White, Flying Lotus, Thundercat, Standing on the Corner and JPEGMafia, the album received widespread critical acclaim, appearing on several publications' year-end lists.

Background

On November 1, 2017, Danny Brown revealed he was working on a follow-up effort to Atrocity Exhibition, telling Complex that the album was "being produced by one producer, who's legendary in hip-hop. And it's gonna be a big deal".[1] Q-Tip, famous for being the main producer for New York hip hop group A Tribe Called Quest, revealed his involvement with Brown's album during a guest appearance on Elton John's Rocket Hour show on Beats 1 radio on March 21, 2019.[2] Brown initially began working with A Tribe Called Quest member Ali Shaheed Muhammad, before eventually working with Q-Tip instead.[3] Brown later explained that the album and its title, U Know What I'm Sayin?, doesn't have a concept; "Half the time, when black people say, 'You know what I'm sayin', they're never saying nothing  ... This is just songs. You don't have to listen to it backwards. You don't have to mix it a certain way. You like it, or you don't".[4]

Recording and production

U Know What I'm Sayin? was recorded at Q-Tip's home studio, AbLab Studios in New Jersey.[5] [6] Working with Q-Tip, Brown felt that the recording process "was almost like I was an actor in a movie  ... I just had to show up and know my lines".[7] Brown described his previous rapping style as "a catch-lightning-in-a-bottle approach", however, he became accustomed to Q-Tip's attention to detail and experimentation, later stating, "Q-Tip wanted me to go back to that 'Greatest Rapper Ever' era. I almost had to relearn how to rap again—an ego death type thing. He gave me this whole new outlook on music. I can't go back to how I was before".[3]

Brown mixed humor with music on U Know What I'm Sayin?, drawing inspiration from stand-up comedians Richard Pryor and Joey Diaz, as well as the Your Mom's House comedy podcast.[3] He also watched gang documentaries and blaxploitation films while recording the album; "Tip would have that type of shit on in the studio. The 80 Blocks from Tiffany's documentary about the gangs of New York in the late '70s—we'd always have that on. Savage Nomads and all that shit; that's where all that shit come from".[3] He was additionally inspired by UK garage, the grime mockumentary show People Just Do Nothing and Drakeo the Ruler's mixtape Cold Devil.[3]

The majority of the album's production was done by Paul White (on four tracks) and Q-Tip (on three tracks), with White providing bass drum-driven atmospheric beats, while Q-Tip used psychedelic rock, soul and boom bap as a backdrop. The rest of the production was handled by Flying Lotus, JPEGMafia, Cartie Curt and Playa Haze, who contributed "grimy" and "nightmarish" beats. White was assisted by the band Standing on the Corner and producer Slauson Malone on the track "Shine", and Flying Lotus was joined by bass guitarist Thundercat on "Negro Spiritual".[6]

Some of the album's material was made several years prior to recording; while discussing the song "Belly of the Beast", Brown said, "I probably had that beat since [2011's] XXX. That actual rap I wrote for [2013's] Old, but it was to a different beat".[4] On a few tracks, Q-Tip re-sequenced the beat or added extra sounds, such as the organ on "3 Tearz".[4] Brown claimed that the vocals for "Theme Song" were recorded over 300 times, adding that "I didn't get it right until the last week before [the album] was about to go into mastering".[4] [7]

Release and promotion

Brown announced on April 30, 2019, that his fifth album U Know What I'm Sayin? would be released later that year, with executive production by Q-Tip.[8] On June 4, 2019, Brown debuted a new track produced by Q-Tip, that would later be titled "Best Life", during his performance at Primavera Sound 2019.[9] On September 5, 2019, the album's lead single, "Dirty Laundry", was released with an official music video. With the announcement, Brown also revealed the album's cover art and release date of October 4, 2019.[10] On September 17, 2019, "Best Life" was released as the album's second single.[11] The Run the Jewels-featured track "3 Tearz" premiered on Brown's Twitch live stream on October 1, 2019, and was released the next day as the third single from the album.[12] The music video for "Best Life" was released on November 11, 2019, and the video for "3 Tearz" was released on February 3, 2020.[13] [14]

Critical reception

U Know What I'm Sayin? was met with widespread critical acclaim. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from professional publications, the album received an average score of 83, based on 21 reviews. Aggregator AnyDecentMusic? gave it 7.9 out of 10, based on their assessment of the critical consensus.

In his review for Q, Rupert Howe praised the album, writing, "Uknowhatimsayin¿ is Brown's most compelling set to date, but still boasts the wild-eyed, synaptic rush that made his earlier works so arresting". Andy Cowan of Mojo gave the album a favorable review, writing, "It's avowedly less manic, but Uknowhatimsayin¿ still cuts deep". In the review for AllMusic, Andy Kellman noted the more restrained mood of the album; "Danny Brown took his bats grotesquerie to its highest level yet with Atrocity Exhibition. Concurrent with his divergent pursuits and evolving public image ... the rapper dials back a bit with his follow-up and second Warp LP". Jayson Greene of Pitchfork saying "There is no moment where Brown grabs your lapels and demands you to feel what he's feeling, whatever it may be. He has called uknowhatimsayin¿ his 'standup comedy album', and the mastery on display is that of the comic going out there and killing. But the best-loved and most enduring comedians left their own blood out on the stage, too". Danny Schwartz of Rolling Stone said, "uknowhatimsayin¿ succeeds as a kind of high-wire act that balances Brown's folk hero status against his documentarian sensibilities, tragedy against comedy, bluster against self-mockery. It's shorter than his previous albums, and also lean in a way that few other rappers could replicate. Five albums in, he remains a singular talent who only needs a few short words to tell a good story". Writing for HipHopDX, Scott Glaysher believed that the album "could and should be considered one of Danny's strongest projects to date. Q-Tip's musical guidance (including making it a simple 11-song tracklist) plays a major role, but a lot of redeeming qualities on this album are a testament to Danny's artistry".[15]

The Guardians critic Ben Beaumont-Thomas said, "As a whole it's slightly too laid back to match the masterpiece status of 2016's Atrocity Exhibition, but Brown is still leaving encrusted marks on the hall of fame". Writing for NME, Dhruva Balram stated, "Where his previous projects felt sprawling, uknowhatimsayin¿ succeeds in feeling compact while delivering a powerful project that is expertly produced and concisely executed". Calum Slingerland of Exclaim! wrote, "It's Brown's pen game and ear for production that carry the album's comedic spirit, anchored by technical and stylistic changes".

Year-end lists

Select year-end rankings of U Know What I'm Sayin?
PublicationListRank
Billboard50 Best Albums of 2019
ClashClash Albums of the Year 2019
ComplexBest Albums of 2019
The Line of Best FitThe Best Albums of 2019
NowThe 10 Best Albums of 2019
PasteThe 50 Best Albums of 2019
PitchforkThe 50 Best Albums of 2019
SputnikmusicTop 50 Albums of 2019
StereogumBest Albums of 2019
UproxxThe Best Albums of 2019

Track listing

Notes

Sample credits

Personnel

Credits are adapted from AllMusic.[18]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Exclusive: Watch the Trailer for Danny Brown's 'Live at the Majestic'. Complex. Setaro. Shawn. November 1, 2017. June 13, 2019. December 31, 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20201231043218/https://www.complex.com/music/2017/11/watch-trailer-danny-brown-live-at-the-majestic. live.
  2. Web site: Elton John Loves A Tribe Called Quest. XXL. Fitzgerald. Trent. March 20, 2019. June 13, 2019. December 31, 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20201231043213/https://www.xxlmag.com/elton-john-loves-a-tribe-called-quest/. live.
  3. Web site: Danny Brown on 9 Things That Inspired uknowhatimsayin¿. Pitchfork. Pearce. Sheldon. October 14, 2019. March 31, 2020. December 31, 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20201231043224/https://pitchfork.com/features/moodboard/danny-brown-uknowhatimsayin-interview/. live.
  4. Web site: uknowhatimsayin¿ by Danny Brown – Editors' Notes. Apple Music. October 4, 2019. March 31, 2020. December 31, 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20201231043216/https://music.apple.com/us/album/uknowhatimsayin/1476829920. live.
  5. News: Gonzales. Michael A.. November 15, 2016. A Tribe Called Quest's Soundtrack to the Resistance. The Village Voice. March 31, 2020. April 1, 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190401081853/https://www.villagevoice.com/2016/11/15/a-tribe-called-quests-soundtrack-to-the-resistance/. live.
  6. uknowhatimsayin¿ . Warp Records. 2019. Anon.. Danny Brown. CD booklet. 0801061030728.
  7. Danny Brown Reveals How He Got Q-Tip To Produce His Upcoming Album. Billboard. Hyman. Dan. September 27, 2019. March 31, 2020. December 31, 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20201231043223/https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/hip-hop/8531457/danny-brown-q-tip-executive-producer-new-album-interview. live.
  8. Web site: Danny Brown reveals Q-Tip executive produced his new album, U Know What I'm Sayin?. Consequence. Kaye. Ben. April 30, 2019. June 13, 2019.
  9. Web site: Danny Brown Debuts New Song from 'uknowhatimsayin?'. Hypebeast. Montes. Patrick. June 6, 2019. June 13, 2019. December 31, 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20201231043206/https://hypebeast.com/2019/6/danny-brown-best-life-uknowhatimsayin-new-album-song-single. live.
  10. Web site: Danny Brown Details New Album uknowhatimsayin¿, Shares New Song "Dirty Laundry": Listen. Pitchfork. Bloom. Madison. September 5, 2019. October 14, 2019. October 2, 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20191002061439/https://pitchfork.com/news/danny-brown-details-new-album-uknowhatimsayin-shares-new-song-dirty-laundry-listen/. live.
  11. Hear Danny Brown's Fast-Talking New Track 'Best Life'. Rolling Stone. Zemler. Emily. September 17, 2019. September 17, 2019. December 31, 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20201231043217/https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/danny-brown-best-life-885723/. live.
  12. Web site: Danny Brown releases '3 Tearz', a collaboration with Run The Jewels and JPEGMAFIA. NME. Gwee. Karen. October 2, 2019. October 14, 2019. December 31, 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20201231043213/https://www.nme.com/news/music/danny-brown-3-tearz-song-collaboration-run-jewels-jpegmafia-2552884. live.
  13. Danny Brown Reminisces in New 'Best Life' Video. Rolling Stone. Blistein. Jon. November 11, 2019. March 31, 2020. December 14, 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20191214070012/https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/danny-brown-best-life-new-music-video-910902/. live.
  14. Web site: Watch Danny Brown and Run the Jewels' New "3 Tearz" Video. Pitchfork. Bloom. Madison. February 3, 2020. March 31, 2020.
  15. Web site: Review: Danny Brown Is An Agent Of Chaos On "uknowhatimsayin¿". HipHopDX. Glaysher. Scott. October 29, 2019. October 30, 2019. December 31, 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20201231043206/https://hiphopdx.com/reviews/id.3559/title.review-danny-brown-is-an-agent-of-chaos-on-uknowhatimsayin. live.
  16. Web site: Riedy . Jack . October 14, 2019 . Danny Brown's Legacy Is No Joke, 'uknowhatimsayin¿' . June 24, 2024 . . en-US . May 28, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230528152154/https://www.vibe.com/music/music-news/danny-browns-legacy-is-no-joke-uknowhatimsayin-666622/ . live .
  17. Web site: Danny Brown Closes His New Album with the Relatively Tame, "Combat". HotNewHipHop. C. Noah. October 5, 2019. December 3, 2019.
  18. Web site: uknowhatimsayin¿ – Danny Brown – Credits. AllMusic. December 13, 2019. December 31, 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20201231043218/https://www.allmusic.com/album/uknowhatimsayin%C2%BF-mw0003321702/credits. live.