Danny Brown facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Danny Brown
Brown performing in 2017
Background information
Birth name	Daniel Dewan Sewell
Born	(1981-03-16) March 16, 1981 (age 44) Detroit, Michigan, U.S.
Genres	Alternative hip hop progressive rap punk rap experimental hip hop
Occupation(s)	Rapper singer songwriter
Years active	2003–present
Labels	Rappers I Know Hybrid Music Warp Scion A/V Fool's Gold Goliath

Daniel Dewan Sewell (born March 16, 1981), known as Danny Brown, is an American rapper, singer, and songwriter from Detroit, Michigan. In 2011, MTV called him "one of rap's most unique figures in recent memory."

Danny Brown released his first studio album, The Hybrid, in 2010. Before that, he had made several mixtapes, including Hot Soup (2008). He became widely known after his next album, XXX (2011), which critics loved. This led to him being named "Artist of the Year" by Spin and the Metro Times. His third album, Old (2013), reached number 18 on the U.S. Billboard 200 chart. It featured popular songs like "Dip" and "25 Bucks". His albums Atrocity Exhibition (2016) and U Know What I'm Sayin? (2019) also received great reviews. In 2023, he released a collaborative album with JPEGMafia called Scaring the ... and his sixth studio album, Quaranta.

Early Life and Music Beginnings

Danny Brown was born Daniel Dewan Sewell in Detroit on March 16, 1981. His mother was 18 and his father was 16 when he was born. His father is partly Filipino. Danny showed a talent for rhyming from a very young age. His mother would read Dr. Seuss books to him, and he would often speak in rhymes. His father was a DJ who introduced him to many types of music, including artists like Roy Ayers, LL Cool J, and A Tribe Called Quest. Danny always dreamed of becoming a rapper. He once said that in kindergarten, people would laugh when he told them he wanted to be a rapper.

His young parents worked hard to keep him safe from the difficult parts of Detroit city life. They tried to keep him indoors with video games. His grandmothers also helped support the family. His maternal grandmother worked for Chrysler and owned several houses, including the one where Danny grew up. He grew up in the Dexter-Linwood area of Detroit and later moved to Hamtramck. Detroit is a big part of his music.

Danny Brown started his music journey in a hip hop group called Rese'vor Dogs. In 2003, they released an album independently. Their song "Yess" was played on Detroit radio stations. Later, Danny got the attention of Travis Cummings from Roc-A-Fella Records. He flew to New York City to record music. After not finding success there, he returned to Detroit and began working with producer Nick Speed.

Music Career Highlights

2010: The Hybrid Album

In 2010, Danny Brown became friends with rapper Tony Yayo. They recorded a joint album called Hawaiian Snow (2010). Many wondered if Danny would sign with 50 Cent's label, G-Unit Records. However, Danny did not fit G-Unit's style because he preferred fitted jeans and vintage rock clothing. He later explained to MTV that 50 Cent liked his music but not his look.

After releasing several mixtapes, Danny Brown put out his first solo studio album, The Hybrid (2010). This album was released on the indie record label Rappers I Know. It was with this album that he started using his unique high-pitched voice.

2011–2012: Breakthrough with XXX

In 2011, Danny Brown signed with Fool's Gold Records. This was a major step for his career. The label released his second studio album, XXX, as a free download. The album received many awards and was named the best hip hop album of the year by Spin. Pitchfork gave the album a high rating, praising its humor and creativity. They called it "an endlessly inventive" album.

In November 2011, Danny Brown released an extended play (EP) called Black and Brown! with producer Black Milk. He also released a music video for his song "Blunt After Blunt," directed by rapper ASAP Rocky. In 2012, Danny Brown toured with Childish Gambino. He also appeared on the cover of XXL magazine as one of the "Top 10 Freshmen" alongside other rising rappers. He also started working with Australian electronic music group The Avalanches on a song called "Frankie Sinatra." Danny Brown also partnered with Adidas Originals.

2012–2014: Old Album Success

In February 2012, Danny Brown was featured on the cover of The Fader magazine. He released a new song called "Grown Up" with Scion A/V. In August 2012, Danny Brown performed at the Gathering of the Juggalos. In September, he released an EP with his rap group Bruiser Brigade, which includes rappers Chips, Dopehead, and ZelooperZ.

In October 2012, Danny Brown's song "Tick, Tock" was featured on the soundtrack to the film The Man with the Iron Fists. He also toured with Schoolboy Q and ASAP Mob as a supporting act for ASAP Rocky's tour. In December 2012, Danny Brown announced that his new album, tentatively titled ODB, was finished. He said the album would be a surprising and rewarding listen for his fans. Rolling Stone magazine named his song "Grown Up" one of the best songs of 2012.

In a later interview, Danny Brown revealed the album would actually be called Old. This album was released through Fool's Gold and was available in stores. It featured other artists like ASAP Rocky, Schoolboy Q, and Purity Ring. In January 2013, he was announced as a performer at the 2013 Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival. He also won his first award, the "Best Video" award for "Grown Up" at the 2013 Woodie Awards.

Old was released on September 30, 2013. It debuted at number 17 on the US Billboard 200 chart, selling 15,000 copies in its first week. In November 2013, Danny Brown appeared in an interactive music video for Bob Dylan's song "Like a Rolling Stone." In January 2014, he voiced a character in the animated TV series Lucas Bros. Moving Co. and performed on Jimmy Kimmel Live! with Megan James of Purity Ring.

In April 2014, his early mixtape Hot Soup was re-released. Danny Brown also opened for Macklemore & Ryan Lewis and Eminem at large concerts in Dublin and London. In November 2014, he was featured on the song "Detroit vs. Everybody" with other Detroit rappers like Eminem and Big Sean.

2014–2016: Atrocity Exhibition

Danny Brown performing in July 2016.

In October 2014, Danny Brown announced he was working on a new album. In January 2015, he shared that he was writing a Dr. Seuss-inspired children's book for his daughter. He said the book was about "self-esteem in black girls" and realizing one is "better off the way she is." In 2015, Danny Brown became the lead artist for the theme song of the ABC comedy series Fresh Off the Boat.

On June 10, 2016, he announced he was finishing his fourth album. Four days later, he signed with Warp Records and released "When It Rain", the first song from the new album. On July 17, he revealed the album would be titled Atrocity Exhibition. In August 2016, Danny Brown appeared on The Eric Andre Show. His album Atrocity Exhibition was recognized by IMPALA for the Album of the Year Award in 2016.

2018–Present: U Know What I'm Sayin? and New Projects

In August 2018, Danny Brown streamed a collection of songs called the Twitch EP on Twitch. In April 2019, it was announced that his fifth studio album, U Know What I'm Sayin?, would be released later that year. It featured production from Q-Tip, JPEGMafia, and Paul White.

In June 2019, Viceland announced that Danny Brown would star in his own talk show called "Danny's House." He also joined Nathan Barnatt's web series Dad Feels as the character Griffin. In December 2019, he appeared as himself in a Grand Theft Auto Online expansion as a radio host and voiced another character, Yung Ancestor. In 2020, he returned to The Eric Andre Show as a guest judge. In March 2021, he was featured on the song "Buzzcut" by the band Brockhampton.

In 2022, Danny Brown started hosting a weekly podcast called The Danny Brown Show. In 2023, he released a collaborative album with JPEGMafia called Scaring the .... On October 17, 2023, it was announced that his sixth studio album, Quaranta, would be released on November 17. The first song from the album, "Tantor", was released the same day.

Personal Life

Danny Brown has a daughter who was born in 2002. He stepped in to raise her.

Discography

Studio albums

• The Hybrid (2010)
• XXX (2011)
• Old (2013)
• Atrocity Exhibition (2016)
• U Know What I'm Sayin? (2019)
• Quaranta (2023)

Collaborative albums

• Scaring the ... with JPEGMafia (2023)

Filmography

Awards and Nominations