Old (2013)

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 a 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."