Old is the second studio album and major label debut by American rapper Danny Brown. It was released on October 8, 2013, by Fool's Gold Records and Goliath Management. The album is Brown's first project to be officially sold through music outlets and digital retailers, whereas his previous projects were self-released for free and made available online.
Old includes production from American, British and Canadian record producers such as A-Trak, BadBadNotGood, Frank Dukes, Oh No, Paul White, Rustie and Skywlkr, among others. The album also features guest appearances from fellow artists such as Freddie Gibbs, ASAP Rocky, Schoolboy Q, Ab-Soul, Scrufizzer, Charli XCX and Purity Ring. It was supported by three singles, "Dip", "25 Bucks" and "Smokin & Drinkin".
The album received widespread acclaim from critics, and debuted at number 18 on the US Billboard 200, selling 15,000 copies in the first week.
Background In August 2012, it was rumored that Brown was working on a new album entitled Danny Johnson, to be entirely produced by Johnson&Jonson (Blu and Mainframe), however, Brown later denied these rumors and confirmed that the album had already been released for free in 2010 under the title It's Art. On October 24, 2012, Brown released a music video for a song titled "Witit", taken from the deluxe edition of XXX and his OD EP, later that day after Complex kept referring to his next album as Danny Johnson, Brown took to Twitter to reveal the correct tentative title to be ODB, referencing late Wu-Tang Clan member Ol' Dirty Bastard, with whom Brown is often compared.
In December 2012, Brown announced ODB had been completed. He explained that the album won't be as consistently humorous as his previous, XXX, but said that people will be surprised with the outcome: "The new album is done. We're pretty much just figuring out a way of presenting the right way to get released...the title of the album for now is ODB. I can't really elaborate on what that means until the album comes out, and then they'll get it. I don't want to give too much because then it'll be a much more rewarding listen for my fans." He later continued, "It's a rewarding listen when I listen to it. I don't know if I laugh as much - I think I laugh when it's over with, and that's the difference between this album and XXX. With XXX, you laugh throughout it, and by the time it was over with, you were like, 'Oh that wasn't too funny.' This one, when it's over, you're laughing hysterically...it's not necessarily what's being said on the album, but the album [itself], like, 'I can't believe he made this.'"
On December 17, 2012, in an interview with Pitchfork, Brown revealed the album would actually be titled Old. The album, issued under Fool's Gold, which Danny Brown signed to back in March 2011, was his first solo project released to music retailers, unlike any of his previous releases. In December, Brown also said it's about "75% done" and in the mixing stages. He went on to announce include contributions from the likes of ASAP Rocky, Schoolboy Q, Ab-Soul, Kitty and Purity Ring, that latter of whom contributed production, along with a hook from vocalist Megan James.
In January 2013, Brown revealed that much like how XXX sounded very specifically and consciously sequenced to form a narrative, he approached Old in almost the same way: "I always try to act like I'm some old school artist from the 1960s, so I approached this album like I was making it for vinyl: There's a side A and a side B. The way I look at it, I've always been two different artists anyway; I do that underground hip-hop shit and that turned-up trap shit. XXX told a story, so I wanted this one to be like "Curb Your Enthusiasm"-- it's random and all over the place, but by the end it comes together."
On March 23, 2013, it was announced Brown signed a management deal with Goliath Artists, which also houses names such as Eminem, The Alchemist, Blink-182 and most recently Action Bronson, who has previously collaborated with Brown. In June, Brown also explained the meaning behind titling his album Old: "With 'Old' you think I'm talking about my age, or where I'm at in my career. But it really [refers to] when I'm experimenting, making songs with Darq E Freaker and stuff, and then when I go back to my 'hood, I have my people who be like, 'Where that 'Old' Danny Brown shit at? I wanna hear that J Dilla Danny Brown.' So I [titled the] album for them."
In late August, Brown appeared on Sway Calloway's radio show Sway in the Morning, while there and he continued to elaborate on the album's title, stating the title is not really about his age, although he feels he is older than most rappers, he said it's about returning to the original style of the music he once did: "not saying that I have moved away from that style of music, which is sample-based, J Dilla-esque, psychedelic hip-hop, Wu-Tang influence. You know what I'm sayin? And now I do more so of an electronic, grime influence, Dizzee Rascal style. But it's like, I'm from Detroit, that was the both sides of it." In a September 2013, interview with GQ, Brown explained there's a keen difference between artists from his hometown of Detroit and somewhere like New York City, which affects the music that he creates: "In New York, you go out every day and do shit. Detroit, you stay in the house for days. I think it's what makes us experimental. You're trapped inside and bored. My new album is very emotional. It's a party album, but it's dark."
Recording and production
In December 2012, Brown announced ODB had been completed. Brown continued stating "it's about 75% done" and in the mixing stages. Brown also revealed the album would include contributions from ASAP Rocky, Schoolboy Q, Ab-Soul, Kitty and Purity Ring, the latter of whom are contributing production along with a hook from vocalist Megan James. On May 3, 2013, Brown added Freddie Gibbs, Mr. MFN eXquire, Scrufizzer and Charli XCX, to the list of guest appearances on the album. He also revealed the production was handled by Paul White, Oh No, Rustie, Skywlkr, A-Trak, Darq E Freaker and Frank Dukes. He collaborated with Charli XCX after being a fan of hers and meeting her through Twitter. He later remixed her song "What I Like", and in turn she contributed to the album.
On April 5, 2013, Brown released a song titled "Express Yourself", inspired by American music producer Diplo's song of the same name. The song, produced by Boulder, Colorado-based producer Trampy, features a fast-paced electronic beat and is a composition about the popular dance craze twerking. Brown dedicated the song "to all the ladies that like to turn up and have fun", in which he raps "Toes on the wall and her ass in the air / And she twerk that thing like she ain't have a care".
In July 2013, Brown stated: "It's pretty much all done. I just have anxiety -- I'm just nervous about it." When asked what will it sound like, Brown replied: "I can't really say what it focuses on, because I don't really know what it focuses on," Brown said earnestly. "I didn't focus on anything -- I just let it write itself. The more I listen to it, it's just like, 'Damn!' It's almost like I didn't really do this shit. It came from a higher power, and as I'm listening to it now, I'm starting to hear things that I didn't even know." He later added: "I'm starting to like it more and more, like a normal listener," he offers. "The first time I listened to it I had a lot of complaints, but I knew that it was the project that I wanted to release, just feeling-wise, not listening-wise. Just doing things with my heart instead of than my brain and my ears."
In July 2013, Brown also revealed a song with Freddie Gibbs, tentatively titled "Return of the Gangsta II", ultimately appearing on the album as "The Return". He stated: "We remade the Outkast song. It's part two." The song he's referring to is "Return of the 'G'", from Outkast's 1998 album Aquemini. The song was produced by Paul White, with Brown declaring "The beat sounds like a fucking haunted house."
Release and promotion In 2012, from September to November, Brown appeared alongside Schoolboy Q and ASAP Mob, as supporting acts for ASAP Rocky's 40-date national Long. Live. ASAP Tour. In January 2013, it was announced that Brown would be performing at the 2013 Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival. On March 1, 2013, Brown and Fool's Gold label-mate Baauer, announced their upcoming Worst of Both Worlds Tour. For the trek, the Fool's Gold signees began in Houston, Texas on April 9, 2013, at Fitzgerald's. The brief trek, which only hit the West Coast, made stops in Austin, Texas, Tucson, Arizona and San Francisco, California. They played both weekends of the Coachella Music and Arts Festival, and wrapped up the tour on the second weekend (April 20, 2013). In April, while performing at Coachella, Brown premiered a new unreleased song from the album, performing a track titled "Dope Song".
On March 8, 2013, Brown announced another tour in promotion for his upcoming album, the Old & Reckless Tour, featuring American rapper Kitty. For his first-ever headlining tour, Brown began at South by Southwest (SXSW) on March 15, with a pair of shows. After completing his Worst of Both Worlds trek with Baauer, he was joined by Kitty for stops in St. Louis, Missouri, Ann Arbor, Michigan, New York City, New York and Madison, Wisconsin. The tour concluded at Indianapolis, Indiana's Deluxe on May 14, 2013. On March 18, 2013, Brown revealed in a Twitter post that Old would be released around the same time XXX came out, which was in mid August.
After an unfinished version previously leaked online earlier in 2013, Brown visited Tim Westwood on BBC Radio 1Xtra in June, to premiere the official version of "Kush Coma", the first official offering from Old. In June 2013, Brown wrapped up his Old & Reckless European concert tour and also launched his new website at the same time. To celebrate, he released a stream of the Skywlkr-produced "Kush Coma", featuring Zelooperz (of Brown's Bruiser Brigade) and ASAP Rocky.
On August 12, 2013, via Twitter Brown expressed feeling less than a priority at Fool's Gold Records: "Man #OLD fuck around and never come out ... Smh," tweeted Brown, referring to his forthcoming album, Old. Brown then threatened to leak the album himself: "I'm a fuck around and leak that shit myself if niggas don't get it together." Subsequently, Fool's Gold founder A-Trak, announced that Old is indeed in the label pipeline, with a music video on the way. Later, on August 26, via his Twitter Danny Brown announced that Old would be released on September 30, 2013.
In promotion for the album Brown released a documentary titled The Old Documentary; a 60-minute clip that chronicles Brown's life and rhymes, filmed and directed by Nic Notion, in Detroit 2009. The footage was released in promotion for the album on August 16, 2013. On August 16, Brown released a new song off the album titled "Handstand". The song was produced by British grime producer Darq E Freaker, who previously collaborated with Brown on Freaker's own track "Blueberry (Pills & Cocaine)".
On August 26, 2013, via his Twitter feed Danny Brown announced that Old would be released on September 30, 2013. On August 26, Brown also appeared on Sway Calloway's radio show Sway in the Morning, and revealed he was never on bad terms with Fool's Gold and that his frustration and the album's delay was due to sample clearance issues. On August 28, 2013, the first music video in promotion for Old was released. The video, directed by RUFFMERCY, was for a song titled "ODB", the album's former title and was produced by Paul White.