Danny Brown Reveals His Choice For Album Of The Year

Fans of Danny Brown know that the mastermind behind Atrocity Exhibition, Old, & XXX is something of a musical connoisseur. While he's solidified himself as a mainstay in hip-hop, having worked with Eminem, Kendrick Lamar, Ab-Soul, Earl Sweatshirt, A$AP Rocky, Freddie Gibbs and more, Danny has made no secret of his love for indie and alternative music. In fact, he previously cited Radiohead's Kid A as the driving influence behind the experimental Atrocity Exhibition. Yesterday, Danny decided to share his choice for album of the year, and it's no surprise that it falls outside of the hip-hop genre.

In a tweet, the Detroit rapper shared his thoughts on the coveted accomplishment, throwing his support behind Mount Eerie's A Crow Looked At Me. "A Crow Looked at Me is the best album of 2017," stated Danny, before concluding with a self-deprecating "lol like my opinion matters lol." And while he may think little of his own opinion, Mount Eerie (real name Phil Elverum) took Danny's words to heart, hitting him back with a sincere "Thank You Danny." He also said that Danny's "recommendation is literally more valuable (in real money sales) than the New York Times." It's a cool exchange between two vastly different artists, and the level of mutual respect is evident. 

It's not the first time Danny has named his album of the year. According to Pitchfork, the rapper previously named Sufjan Steven's Carrie & Lowell and Natalie Prass' eponymous record as his 2015 favorites. In a 2016 interview he called David Bowie's Blackstar the year's most important release, saying "We should hands-down know what the best album of this year is. Shouldn’t be talk of nothing else." If you aren't familiar with Mount Eerie's A Crow Looked At Me, it's actually a great, albeit tragic album; Elverum wrote it after his wife passed away. 

Check out the exchange below, and sound off. Do any of ya'll listen to anything outside of hip-hop? If so, what are some of your favorite releases?

Danny Brown