Although he hasn’t released any new solo work since last year’s masterful album Old, Detroit rapper Danny Brown’s distinctive voice hasn’t gone quiet by any means. Artists as varied as post-bop trio BADBADNOTGOOD, speed-rap’s roadrunner Busdriver, and maximalist Glasgow producer Rustie have called on Brown’s talents for their own tracks.
Jumping on that bandwagon are California five-piece The Neighbourhood, who just released a single entitled “Hate Machine” off their forthcoming effort, #000000 & #FFFFFF. Eschewing rock’s standard album format in favor of a mixtape may be a nod to hip-hop, but the song truly plays in rap game’s sandbox when Brown appears near its end.
Built around a sparse riff plucked on a Ruan that wouldn’t sound out of place in an Asian teahouse or kung fu film, lead singer Jesse Rutherford sings slowly about a relationship gone sour. His accusations sound even more acerbic when surrounded by a gloomy, groaning bass and pitch-shifted vocals moaning like ghosts in the (hate) machine.
A fat piano chord announces Danny Brown’s arrival, and he doesn’t disappoint, even if he “can’t think, can’t sleep, can’t eat, can’t speak.” He certainly has a lot to say, and the tinny snares that accompany his spitting come across more like a tsk tsk than a boom bap. The track ends abruptly with “doing things you never thought you would.” In that department, Brown continues to surprise us. “Hate Machine” might be not be pretty, but it gets the job done.
Listen to “Hate Machine” below: