Taken from JRE #1902 w/Danny Brown:
https://open.spotify.com/episode/2auNrZZKoraDKSE74SpLR6?si=fcd674945a5f4a86

My rap career is a total different world than what this is.

My rap career I would say what made that bet is that I started a little too old.

So I didn't really get recognition or you know till I was 30 years old.

And you gotta think, I've been trying to do this my entire 20s.

So when I started to be a rapper, get recognition for it and being that, I had a bitter attitude towards it.

And then now I'm 30 years old, it's a 30 year old rapper, it's like a ticking time at that point, like how much time you got.

Like I will say a lot of people say like being a rapper is dangerous like you know cuz all the killings and shit like but I would say being a rapper is dangerous in the sense because once you do it you can't do nothing else.

So let's just say, okay, let's just say I was a rapper and then it failed.

You saw my video somewhere, I had a couple views.

So that, and everywhere you go, somebody oh, you.

So you always recognize, so you're always getting acknowledged for your failures

every time so just imagine every time someone recognizes you they're acknowledging your failure that hurts it hurts of course it does

But that's what happens in all walks of life.

Anytime when you fail and people get to shit

If you work fries at McDonald's no 1 cares.

He started working as a security guard and people would just shit on him relentlessly.

And like imagine that, because if he was just a security guard no 1 would care.

You would never walk up to a security guard and go, look at this fucking loser.

So me being Danny Brown I can never go back to being I can never go back to being Daniel

Danny You don't have to first of all and don't and don't even Don't even think about you don't have to you never gonna have to do that I know what you're saying, but you can't think about like worst-case scenario and dwell on it like that.

You are of personality and the personality can do anything it wants to do.

I think about that and I love that too because you gotta think the last album I put out was

I worked on that album with Q-tip from you know just to be able to work with Q-tip which is such a fucking big deal to me.

And you know, it gave me confidence in my music to be in the fact that A Tribe Called Quest was my dad's favorite rap group.

I remember going, my dad taking me to fucking preschool.

I mean, I'm preschool, it wasn't that early, but whatever.

But elementary school, my dad taking me to school and he listening to a Tribe Called Quest.

And before I knew it, 1 day I'm sitting in the studio with Q-Tip every day, working on the album.

And you know, we made that album and I just think the world of music have changed so much we're like a 10-second tick-tock beat means way more than you putting out a single.

So the way I grew up, the way I grew up, like me, my favorite rapper is Nas.

And Nas just put out a new album, and that album is fucking amazing.

And Nas is able to make music without any fucking you gotta think what Nas is really rich

but I'm saying like right now if he's doing rap right now.

He had the whole situation of what he went through.

yeah, it's all public Yes, he's the the best lyricist ever in my opinion He's his fucking shit is so complicated the way he does things back.

What's that 1 song when he does backwards rewind?

So nice and I've had the opportunity to meet nice a lot.

I'm always a lot but he knows what he means to me you get him saying yes so actually is he wanted to sign me to his label I didn't sign to him because I mean whatever I mean money man money money and The other contract was more money man.

But sometimes I think about that, did I make a mistake?

But like damn, just because the artist that I looked up to my entire life that made me be a rapper, tried to sign me and I didn't sign with him all because of money.

And now, I even mean, no I'm not saying like I feel any way about being with Warp.

Part 2, Warp has made me a better artist than what I actually am.

I made the album, during COVID, obviously.

We was sitting around, nobody could do nothing, and I just felt like, oh shit, I ain't.

So I just started going to the studio, and just started recording songs, making music, record the album, and this is the album that we're gonna release.

But the album been done for like 3 years.

That's what happens when you sign a record label.

All right, let me give you my rundown story.

Being a regular rapper from Detroit whatever fuck all right whatever sir thank you cheers maybe I'm going to Tony Ayo and G on it all we're shit just get to the point up so I remember being it's a festival in New York at the time, was called CMJ Festival, which was like cool.

It was like, you know, same thing as South by Southwest, where it is in Texas, that's what it was for New York.

And at 1 of these shows, they had at Brooklyn Bowl, Fools Go Records do a show.

And Kanye showed up, and it shut the whole shit down.

And to me, I was like, man, Fools Go Records, like, man, they like the L-ish shit.

Like, if I could ever be cool with Fools Go Records, like, whatever I can do to be down with Fools Go Records, I would do.

I started talking to Foozgoat, and I don't think they were really into signing me at the time, but Q-Tip from A Tribe Called Quest was real close with A-Trak who's 1 of the owners of Foo's Goat and they hung out and A-Trak was like man we thinking about signing Denny Brown and Q-Tip was like nigga thinking?

He broke it down to him like what makes me so ill?

Like when it comes to like rap like it's like cheating like I'm like steroid like it's stupid Like I can cheat like it's to be oh so so then today he was like fuck it.

Yeah, I'm a sign cuz So then I already knew I was gonna get signed to Foo's Go, we already had this to each other, so there was no negotiation on what the shit was.

Like I would do interview and they'd be like, what's gonna happen, and I'd be like, oh, I'm signing to Foo's Go.

So boom, To say that, we signed a contract.

And it was South by Southwest happening the next week.

So I literally spent the entire signing bonus at South by Southwest the next week.

So I had no money, super broke, whatever the fuck.

Like her banking on me making it as a rapper kind of situation.

So we do whatever we do, we get that, but then the album comes out and at the time no 1 really thought about the album.

I would think no 1, I did, but at that time no 1 thought that the album would be like a big deal.

Ended up the album come out as 1 fucking album of the year in Spin Magazine.

It ended up being 1 of the best albums I ever had in my career.

But when you think about it, it's like a person back against the wall.

When you listen to the album, I'm back against the wall.

And the whole concept of the album is, you know, rap music is all about being young, 20 year olds.

This is an album about a 30 year old rapper just now starting to get a break and how he feels you know.

I'm saying not like sales wise or anything like that, but culturally.

So I was able to get a lot of shit from that.

And you know, I got a lot of deals and signed a lot of shit.

And then my next album after that was old.

It's called, and but that charted Billboard.

Like I spent like it was a lot of money spent in that.

As me, as a kid, from Detroit, got good at rap, all right, I know how to rap.

I rap for this record label, make an album.

In my head, as when you start to make music, you want to be as experimental and to be you as much as point.

You don't understand is the thing called music business.

Me, Illmatic was the greatest album I ever heard in my life.

So to me it's like Illmatic and the other 1 is Cannibal Wox, Colvain.

So to me it's like I'm trying to make albums To mirror those I'm just trying to like as me as a rapper as an artist or a musician Trying to like shit that I was influenced about like trying to make a piece of art that could stand next to that You know what I'm saying?

But yeah at this point in life not that shit don't matter no more Because there's too much money to be made behind this shit.

So do you think that by trying to make something that stands next to that somehow or another you'll lose money Definitely.

How come because time change time changes how the shit that we liked in 1994 we don't like it in 2004

yeah, we do but we gotta think about the kids.

Bro, Playboi Carti can shut down this whole shit.

See, look, I'm gonna be a hater now but saying no but no no no we're not gonna play no playbook why cuz this is my Joe Rogan interview okay I'm not about the fucking

it's not gonna hurt you if he gets a little love

I'll tell you we'll play that we'll play a little that just to educate me.

And educate the people that are listening.

like definitely don't want to hear you mom after this play Playboy Cardi Stop breathing, bro.

My music is like Standard comedy in essence.

Oh you wanna hear some my stand-up comedy rap sure Bitch only thing you gotta know my dick touch the ground when I'm sitting on the floor.

Like, you know me, I was into comedy and so I took my whole shit from comedy the way I was wrapped So what I would do I would just sit around and write punchlines all the time So I write punchlines So think about this look I'm about to give you all niggas the game.

So let's just say if I sit around, I listen to a Joe Rogan episode, someone says ill punchline on there, Uncle Joey, he might say some crazy shit.


Speaker 0: The Joe Rogan Experience. My rap career is a total different world than what this is.

Speaker 1: Of course.

Speaker 0: My rap career I would say what made that bet is that I started a little too old. So I didn't really get recognition or you know till I was 30 years old. And you gotta think, I've been trying to do this my entire 20s. So when I started to be a rapper, get recognition for it and being that, I had a bitter attitude towards it. You know what I'm saying?

Because

Speaker 1: it took

Speaker 0: so long for it to happen. And then now I'm 30 years old, it's a 30 year old rapper, it's like a ticking time at that point, like how much time you got. So I'm already in my head. Like I will say a lot of people say like being a rapper is dangerous like you know cuz all the killings and shit like but I would say being a rapper is dangerous in the sense because once you do it you can't do nothing else. It ruins you.

So let's just say, okay, let's just say I was a rapper and then it failed. Then I gotta go get a normal job. But I had minimal success. You saw my video somewhere, I had a couple views. Now I'm working at a job with you.

Now you're like, oh you blah blah. Yeah. So that, and everywhere you go, somebody oh, you. So you always recognize, so you're always getting acknowledged for your failures

Speaker 1: but that's true

Speaker 0: every time so just imagine every time someone recognizes you they're acknowledging your failure that hurts it hurts of course it does

Speaker 1: But that's what happens in all walks of life. Anytime when you fail and people get to shit

Speaker 0: on you and if you're a public person. If you work fries at McDonald's no 1 cares. Don't you remember Gary Coleman?

Speaker 1: Gary Coleman from Diff'rent Strokes? He started working as a security guard and people would just shit on him relentlessly. And like imagine that, because if he was just a security guard no 1 would care. You would never walk up to a security guard and go, look at this fucking loser. You're a Security guard.

Speaker 0: That's exactly what I'm saying. So it's

Speaker 1: the same thing with actors.

Speaker 0: So me being Danny Brown I can never go back to being I can never go back to being Daniel

Speaker 1: Danny You don't have to first of all and don't and don't even Don't even think about you don't have to you never gonna have to do that I know what you're saying, but you can't think about like worst-case scenario and dwell on it like that. You are of personality and the personality can do anything it wants to do. You're a fun guy.

Speaker 0: I think about that and I love that too because you gotta think the last album I put out was

Speaker 1: 2019 yeah, you were saying that

Speaker 0: and that was

Speaker 1: you're Torn infrequently now

Speaker 0: I worked on that album with Q-tip from you know just to be able to work with Q-tip which is such a fucking big deal to me. For sure. And you know, it gave me confidence in my music to be in the fact that A Tribe Called Quest was my dad's favorite rap group. I remember going, my dad taking me to fucking preschool. I mean, I'm preschool, it wasn't that early, but whatever.

Whatever. But elementary school, my dad taking me to school and he listening to a Tribe Called Quest. And before I knew it, 1 day I'm sitting in the studio with Q-Tip every day, working on the album. So it was fucking, it was a big deal. You know what I'm saying?

It was a big deal for me. And you know, we made that album and I just think the world of music have changed so much we're like a 10-second tick-tock beat means way more than you putting out a single. You understand what I'm saying? Yeah. Like that whole shit changed.

So the way I grew up, the way I grew up, like me, my favorite rapper is Nas. And Nas just put out a new album, and that album is fucking amazing. And you know why that album is amazing? It's because Nas is having fucking fun. And Nas is able to make music without any fucking you gotta think what Nas is really rich

Speaker 1: Like he's got a bunch.

Speaker 0: It wasn't always like that No,

Speaker 1: but I'm saying like right now if he's doing rap right now. It's cuz he wants to do

Speaker 0: it Yes, but it wasn't always like that. He had the whole situation of what he went through. Oh, yeah the voices and no, but yeah,

Speaker 1: yeah, it's all public Yes, he's the the best lyricist ever in my opinion He's his fucking shit is so complicated the way he does things back. What's that 1 song when he does backwards rewind? That's a brilliant song.

Speaker 0: You wanna head his company bro. We don't want to talk about this. All right,

Speaker 1: just for me

Speaker 0: So nice and I've had the opportunity to meet nice a lot. I'm always a lot but he knows what he means to me you get him saying yes so actually is he wanted to sign me to his label I didn't sign to him because I mean whatever I mean money man money money and The other contract was more money man. And that's what it is. But sometimes I think about that, did I make a mistake? But like damn, just because the artist that I looked up to my entire life that made me be a rapper, tried to sign me and I didn't sign with him all because of money.

And now, I even mean, no I'm not saying like I feel any way about being with Warp. Like I love Warp. Warp is, you know, they've done... Part 2, Warp has made me a better artist than what I actually am. How's that?

Because, like, okay, it's deceiving now. Like the album that I just... I made the album, during COVID, obviously. We was sitting around, nobody could do nothing, and I just felt like, oh shit, I ain't. So I just started going to the studio, and just started recording songs, making music, record the album, and this is the album that we're gonna release.

But the album been done for like 3 years. Like, you know?

Speaker 1: Well, what's been the hold up? You don't know? So it's all on them?

Speaker 0: That's what happens when you sign a record label. Oh, Jesus. Bro, you wanna hear it? Bro, all right, you wanna hear it? All right, let me give you my rundown story.

3 years? I might need another drink.

Speaker 1: I think you need another drink.

Speaker 0: I might need another drink, yeah. Alright, so check this out. Danny Brown. Being a regular rapper from Detroit whatever fuck all right whatever sir thank you cheers maybe I'm going to Tony Ayo and G on it all we're shit just get to the point up so I remember being it's a festival in New York at the time, was called CMJ Festival, which was like cool. It was like, you know, same thing as South by Southwest, where it is in Texas, that's what it was for New York.

They had this festival, CMJ Festival. And at 1 of these shows, they had at Brooklyn Bowl, Fools Go Records do a show. And Kanye showed up, and it shut the whole shit down. And I couldn't go. I couldn't get in.

And to me, I was like, man, Fools Go Records, like, man, they like the L-ish shit. Like, if I could ever be cool with Fools Go Records, like, whatever I can do to be down with Fools Go Records, I would do. You know what I'm saying, type

Speaker 1: of shit.

Speaker 0: So then, shit goes on, you know. I ended up getting in a situation. I started talking to Foozgoat, and I don't think they were really into signing me at the time, but Q-Tip from A Tribe Called Quest was real close with A-Trak who's 1 of the owners of Foo's Goat and they hung out and A-Trak was like man we thinking about signing Denny Brown and Q-Tip was like nigga thinking? Are you retarded? Like this is 1 of the illest things.

He broke it down to him like what makes me so ill? Which I can, we can talk about that. That has to be nice. No I'm literally like super ill. Like when it comes to like rap like it's like cheating like I'm like steroid like it's stupid Like I can cheat like it's to be oh so so then today he was like fuck it.

Yeah, I'm a sign cuz So then I already knew I was gonna get signed to Foo's Go, we already had this to each other, so there was no negotiation on what the shit was. So I was going to interviews already. Like I would do interview and they'd be like, what's gonna happen, and I'd be like, oh, I'm signing to Foo's Go. So boom, To say that, we signed a contract. I signed for $5,000.

Literally, $5,000. And it was South by Southwest happening the next week. And I had like 2 shows. So I literally spent the entire signing bonus at South by Southwest the next week. So I had no money, super broke, whatever the fuck.

I'm living off my girl. You hear what I'm saying? Like her banking on me making it as a rapper kind of situation. You hear what I'm saying? So we do whatever we do, we get that, but then the album comes out and at the time no 1 really thought about the album.

I would think no 1, I did, but at that time no 1 thought that the album would be like a big deal. Ended up the album come out as 1 fucking album of the year in Spin Magazine. It ended up being 1 of the best albums I ever had in my career. But when you think about it, it's like a person back against the wall. When you listen to the album, I'm back against the wall.

Right. And the whole concept of the album is, you know, rap music is all about being young, 20 year olds. The album is called 30. This is an album about a 30 year old rapper just now starting to get a break and how he feels you know. Yeah.

So yeah and the album did good. It did good. Congratulations. It did good. It did good.

I'm saying not like sales wise or anything like that, but culturally. It did good.

Speaker 1: It got recognition.

Speaker 0: So I was able to get a lot of shit from that. And you know, I got a lot of deals and signed a lot of shit. And then my next album after that was old. It's called, and but that charted Billboard. But it was a lot of money.

Like I spent like it was a lot of money spent in that. I say that to say this, okay. As me, as a kid, from Detroit, got good at rap, all right, I know how to rap. A record label signs me. I rap for this record label, make an album.

In my head, as when you start to make music, you want to be as experimental and to be you as much as point. You don't understand is the thing called music business. So not think about business.

Speaker 1: You're just thinking about art.

Speaker 0: I'm just trying to make the best... Me, Illmatic was the greatest album I ever heard in my life. So to me it's like Illmatic and the other 1 is Cannibal Wox, Colvain. So to me it's like I'm trying to make albums To mirror those I'm just trying to like as me as a rapper as an artist or a musician Trying to like shit that I was influenced about like trying to make a piece of art that could stand next to that You know what I'm saying? But yeah at this point in life not that shit don't matter no more Because there's too much money to be made behind this shit.

You hear what I'm saying? So I didn't care about that shit. And then now...

Speaker 1: So do you think that by trying to make something that stands next to that somehow or another you'll lose money Definitely.

Speaker 0: How come because time change time changes how the shit that we liked in 1994 we don't like it in 2004

Speaker 1: I still do I think

Speaker 0: yeah, we do but we gotta think about the kids.

Speaker 1: Dude, I still listen to Cool G Rap.

Speaker 0: Have you listened to Playboi Carti? No. See? Well, I

Speaker 1: don't listen to anything.

Speaker 0: Playboi Carti.

Speaker 1: I can't know everything. I don't have enough time.

Speaker 0: Bro, Playboi Carti can shut down this whole shit. I'm being honest with you.

Speaker 1: Can we play some of it? Can we play some of it? We can play some

Speaker 0: of it, right? You probably...

Speaker 1: What? Which, No.

Speaker 0: No? No. Why? Just some... See, look, I'm gonna be a hater now but saying no but no no no we're not gonna play no playbook why cuz this is my Joe Rogan interview okay I'm not about the fucking

Speaker 1: it's not gonna hurt you if he gets a little love

Speaker 0: all right

Speaker 1: you just gave him some

Speaker 0: playboy cardi does not mean no

Speaker 1: I'll tell you we'll play that we'll play a little that just to educate me. And educate the people that are listening. And then we'll play,

Speaker 0: give me a Danny Brown track. Play Playboy Carty.

Speaker 1: Give me a Danny Brown track that you

Speaker 0: like definitely don't want to hear you mom after this play Playboy Cardi Stop breathing, bro.

Speaker 1: You don't get it. I don't get it. Help me out.

Speaker 0: My music is like Standard comedy in essence. Oh you wanna hear some my stand-up comedy rap sure Bitch only thing you gotta know my dick touch the ground when I'm sitting on the floor. See, that's the thing about rap. Like, you know me, I was into comedy and so I took my whole shit from comedy the way I was wrapped So what I would do I would just sit around and write punchlines all the time So I write punchlines So think about this look I'm about to give you all niggas the game. So it's 16 bars of verse.

It's 4 lines, 4 verse. So let's just say if I sit around, I listen to a Joe Rogan episode, someone says ill punchline on there, Uncle Joey, he might say some crazy shit. Like, ugh. You get what I'm saying? Just some crazy shit.

A line. Just 1 line. I can take that 1 line. It's 4, it's 16 bars. So 1 line could create 4 bars.

So every line I get 4 bars. So I need 4 lines to give me a 16. Mmm. Yeah. I don't know.

No.

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Danny Brown on The Downside of Rap