Danny has released many free projects over the web, the most popular being 2011’s XXX. Brown released the album "Hawaiian Snow” with G-Unit’s Tony Yayo and several mixtapes (Detroit State of Mind 1-4, Browntown, It’s A Art (with producer Mainframe) and Hot Soup). Brown has found much success on the internet through the support of the music blogs and social media and the decision to release “The Hybrid” online as a free download.
Danny has worked with many artists in the Detroit hip-hop community such as the late J Dilla, Black Milk, Elzhi, Guilty Simpson, Trick Trick, and T3. Also known for championing up-and-coming artists, Danny has worked with lesser known acts such as Oakland, California's Main Attrakionz and is know for promoting these types of underground acts via his twitter.
Brown spent most of the summer of 2010 touring with G-Unit, and a few months later released “Hawaiian Snow” with Tony Yayo. Due to lack of promotion the sales were disappointing, however through the G-Unit connection Brown was able to experience firsthand the rigors of touring and the workings of the music industry as a whole. The experience served to jade Danny to the concepts of being on a major label and committing himself to appealing to an urban audience who he felt rejected him because of his look and style of dress which consisted of skinny jeans and vintage tees as 50 Cent refused to sign Danny Brown to G-Unit because he didn’t approve of his distaste for baggy denim. No longer concentrating on appealing to any particular audience, With this new found freedom, Danny delved into making more experimental music based on influences like UK Grime and Progressive Rock.
His experimental sound melded with traditional street narrative has brought about attention from progressive press such as Pitchfork.com, Fader Magazine, Spin Magazine and the like but no press more satisfying than making the cover of the Detroit Metro Times, his hometown’s alternative art’s and culture magazine.
Danny’s music later found a home on Fool’s Gold Records, the independent label helmed by internationally heralded DJ A-Trak and his partner Nick Catchdubs. The label and the artist having the same mindset, the two parties are now focused on releasing his upcoming projects, a free album that released Summer 2011 entitled “XXX” and his untitled Fool’s Gold records debut coming subsequently after.
His albums that followed also received positive feedback (Old, Atrocity Exhibition, U Know What I'm Sayin?).
He then sadly dunked on anyone else who had the misfortune to drop in the calendar year 2023 by dropping album of the decade Scaring the Hoes Vol. 1 with JPEGMAFIA on March 24th. It tragically received praise from disgraced music reviewer the BallDrop, but contrarily to this otherwise mark of disgrace from the worst person we all have the displeasure to be aware of, the album actually fye asl.
You know he had to go two for two on the DLC of Scaring the Hoes on the sacred national holiday of 7/11. No skips all Ws and is not mixed like shit for the "aesthetic" anymore, and JPEGMAFIA dodges the corny allegations by making Danny audible. Great news all around.
On October 17th, he began the rollout for his highly anticapted sixth studio album with the single Tantor (fire as fuck).
NEW ERA
Danny Brown Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I been in the D so long that I don't even like homie
And you could never be my homie
I'm a Linwood nigga that was raised all by my lonely
Say we over here (hustlin), over there (grindin)
Calculator wrist watch, multiply my timing
I be with your girlfriend, say she like my rhymin
Dog, I shine so hard that I don't need no goddamn diamonds
Walked up in the store, you know just what I did
Lookin at the wall, you know the other half
Blue tiger fitted in a seven and a half
And I rocks that shit any climate and weather
In my brand new blue tiger-fitted New Era
And I reps that shit right now forever
(Old English D on a blue New Era)
So fuck who you are
I been in the D so long when outta town your store barred
And you could never be my man
Fuck a turkey on Thanksgiving niggas lucky to get ham
An every hood I'm in niggas greet me with (whaddup doe)
We call fiends (custos!), freak hoes (bustos!)
If we say the hook then we really mean the po-po
If we say that's bold then we mean that's fucked up, bro
Niggas don't know gotta put 'em on the slang
Out of town niggas lost hip 'em to the game
You know where I'm from, no matter where I'm at
Cause of the logo on my New Era hat
And I rocks that shit any climate and weather
In my brand new blue tiger-fitted New Era
And I reps that shit right now forever
(Old English D on a blue New Era)
Ain't heard it like this in a while
I been in the D so long that I don't go to Bel Isle
Now do I look like your child?
If I ain't got no Newports I'mma freak a Black and Mild
Say I'm riding down (7 Mile) bout to hit the Lodge
You front I put a knife in you like you a shish-kebab
Your baby mama slobber put my palm up on her bob
She go (up down, up down) oh God
We headin downtown, ridin through the tunnel
Smokin on some Ghan, bangin' keep it a hundred
Where the hood Crip niggas don't know how to act
You look up in the car all you see is D hats
And I rocks that shit any climate and weather
In my brand new blue tiger-fitted New Era
And I reps that shit right now forever
(Old English D on a blue New Era)
Danny Brown's song New Era is a braggadocious ode to his hometown of Detroit and the unique cultural slang and fashion that he associates with it. The lyrics are packed with references to specific neighborhoods, landmarks, and cultural touchstones that may be unfamiliar to outsiders, but serve to establish his credibility as a local and demonstrate his disdain for anyone who tries to imitate or appropriate his style. The first verse sets the tone by asserting his independence and self-sufficiency, boasting that he does his "dirt" alone and doesn't need anyone else's help. He also declares his loyalty to the Linwood neighborhood where he grew up and implies that he distrusts outsiders who try to befriend him. The second verse continues in this vein, with Brown taking shots at people who don't understand his slang and mocking them for their lack of knowledge about Detroit's local customs.
Line by Line Meaning
Niggas out here snitchin, do my dirt all by my lonely
I don't trust anyone and prefer to handle things on my own rather than have people snitch on me.
I been in the D so long that I don't even like homie
I've been in Detroit for so long that I don't even like people who claim to know me.
And you could never be my homie
You can never be my friend or associate.
I'm a Linwood nigga that was raised all by my lonely
I grew up in the Linwood neighborhood and was raised without the help of others.
Say we over here (hustlin), over there (grindin)
We're always hustling and grinding to make a living.
Calculator wrist watch, multiply my timing
I carefully track my time and expenses to maximize my profits.
I be with your girlfriend, say she like my rhymin
I'm with your girlfriend and she enjoys my music and performance.
Dog, I shine so hard that I don't need no goddamn diamonds
I'm so successful and confident that I don't need expensive jewelry to prove my worth.
I'm up in Eastland, just to hit Lids
I'm at Eastland Mall just to visit the Lids hat store.
Walked up in the store, you know just what I did
I confidently and knowingly entered the store.
Lookin at the wall, you know the other half
I'm browsing the hat selection and know exactly where to find what I want.
Blue tiger fitted in a seven and a half
I'm wearing a blue tiger-print hat that fits me perfectly in size seven and a half.
And I rocks that shit any climate and weather
I confidently wear my hat in any weather or location.
In my brand new blue tiger-fitted New Era
I'm wearing a new hat made by the popular brand New Era, in a blue tiger-print design.
And I reps that shit right now forever
I proudly represent and wear my hat for the rest of my life.
(Old English D on a blue New Era)
My hat has the Old English 'D' logo on it, which represents my hometown of Detroit.
So fuck who you are
I don't care who you are or what you think.
I been in the D so long when outta town your store barred
I've lived in Detroit for so long that stores outside of the city don't know me and may even ban me from entering.
And you could never be my man
You can never be my friend or associate.
Fuck a turkey on Thanksgiving niggas lucky to get ham
Many people in my community are poor and can only afford ham on Thanksgiving instead of the traditional turkey.
An every hood I'm in niggas greet me with (whaddup doe)
People in every neighborhood I visit greet me with 'what's up' and respect.
We call fiends (custos!), freak hoes (bustos!)
We refer to drug addicts as 'custos' and promiscuous women as 'bustos'.
If we say the hook then we really mean the po-po
When we talk about the 'hook', we're really referring to the police.
If we say that's bold then we mean that's fucked up, bro
When we say something is 'bold', we mean it's messed up or unacceptable.
Niggas don't know gotta put 'em on the slang
People outside of our community don't understand our local language and slang.
Out of town niggas lost hip 'em to the game
People from outside of our city are confused and unaware of our ways of life and culture.
You know where I'm from, no matter where I'm at
No matter where I am, people know I'm from Detroit.
Cause of the logo on my New Era hat
My Old English 'D' logo on my hat represents and shows pride for my hometown.
I been in the D so long that I don't go to Bel Isle
I've been in Detroit for so long that I don't go to Belle Isle, a popular tourist destination in the city.
Now do I look like your child?
I don't appreciate people trying to tell me how to act or live my life.
If I ain't got no Newports I'mma freak a Black and Mild
If I don't have any Newport cigarettes, I'll smoke a Black and Mild cigarillo instead.
Say I'm riding down (7 Mile) bout to hit the Lodge
I'm driving down the famous 7 Mile Road in Detroit and heading towards the Lodge freeway.
You front I put a knife in you like you a shish-kebab
If you disrespect or challenge me, I'll threaten you with violence or even attack you with a knife.
Your baby mama slobber put my palm up on her bob
Your girlfriend or ex-girlfriend performed oral sex on me and I touched her hair.
She go (up down, up down) oh God
She reacted to the sexual act by moaning or making other noises.
We headin downtown, ridin through the tunnel
We're heading towards downtown Detroit and will travel through the underground Detroit-Windsor Tunnel to cross the border into Canada.
Smokin on some Ghan, bangin' keep it a hundred
We're smoking marijuana and listening to music while being truthful and honest with each other.
Where the hood Crip niggas don't know how to act
In certain neighborhoods, members of the Crip gang are known for causing trouble and disrespecting others.
You look up in the car all you see is D hats
When you glance at the people in our car, all you see are hats with the Old English 'D' logo, representing our hometown of Detroit.
Contributed by Asher T. Suggest a correction in the comments below.