Danny Brown – “Copycats” (Feat. underscores)

In a few weeks, the great underground rap veteran Danny Brown will release what might be the craziest album of his entire career. On Stardust, Brown collaborates with a whole bunch of artists from the experimental hyperpop fringes, including Jane Remover, Frost Children, and Femtanyl. We already heard lead single “Starburst,” which was unhinged in some very fun ways. Today, Brown follows that single by teaming up with underscores, the San Francisco singer and producer who has already collaborated with people like Oklou and Yaeji and who will serve as an opener on Brown’s upcoming tour.

Danny Brown’s new song “Copycats” has a beat and a hook from underscores. It’s got a bouncy, jittery beat and underscores chanting “rap star, rock star, pop star, gimme that gimme that” on the chorus. It’s a full-on hyperpop track, but Danny Brown is on this thing rapping hard, even when he throws in a lyrical reference to an underscores track. It’s been eight years since Vince Staples and SOPHIE worked together on Big Fish Theory, and this song gives me some of that feeling like pretty much nothing since then. Check it out below.

Stardust is out 11/7 on Warp.