Danny Brown Demonstrates His Legacy at the SAT Space

For over a decade now, Danny Brown’s name has been unavoidable when discussing the state of modern hip-hop. Catering to a more dedicated audience than your average rapper, Brown has carved a name for himself as a legendary MC, rapping with ease over beats that would give your favourite lyricist a heart attack. Coming off the release of his most personal release yet, 2023’s Quaranta, I was able to catch Brown at his stop last Thursday at the SAT space, and man did it kick some ass.

The positioning of the SAT space has always irked me a little; squished tightly between climbing gyms and hot dog restaurants, the space feels far removed from the venue-heavy north side of Rue St-Laurent. The inside, however, is perfect for someone like Danny Brown. The room is tight-packed and industrial, with a stage that is close enough to the crowd to feel intimate, but far enough away that it still fosters a sense of sensationalism from its performers (Bar Le Ritz, take notes!) Upon entry, the genre of this show was immediately recognizable; lining the barricade were faces recognizable from the MAVI show earlier this month, and the MIKE show back in April - and upon recognition, the first question asked was always “Did you get your JPEGMAFIA tickets yet?” There’s a definitive Montreal crowd linked to the alternative hip-hop sound here in Montreal, and it’s always cool to see everyone brought together, especially for someone as prominent as Danny Brown. 

To kick off the night, we were treated to a two-hour set from local DJ Charles Cozy. While I can’t imagine DJ’ing for a crowd who aren’t there to see you is easy, Cozy kept the vibe up the entire time, sliding fluidly between 90s West Coast crowd pleasers and new-age Buffalo boom-bap. This seemed to warm up the masses plenty, as by the end the jam-packed venue was filled with people rapping along to the set, with a couple of moshes to match. 

This built-up energy came to peak as Danny Brown, toting head-to-toe leather and colourful hair (see Kevin Abstract Roadrunner era haircut), strutted out onto the dimly lit SAT stage. Almost immediately, we were treated to the high-pitched guitar twangs and rolling drum line of Quaranta’s title track, an aching reassessment by Brown of his life and career so far. Calls of “This rap shit done changed my life” echoed out through the crowd, and were immediately met with “Quaranta”’s explosive follow-up track, “Tantor”. The guitars on “Tantor” come at you like an unavoidable wave of heat, sending anyone unprepared flying 3 feet into the air. Brown’s refrain on the chorus very adequately presents a warning to any Danny Brown showgoer - “Strap the fuck up, it's time to ride.” What followed was an hour of straight, elbow-to-elbow moshing, with Brown filtering through the best verses of his career. A personal highlight was “Burfict!”, off of Scaring The Hoes, Brown's recent collaboration with rapper/producer JPEGMAFIA. The track features immense, cinematic horns blaring over punchy bass hits and echoing drums, the perfect soundtrack to accompany the horde of crowd surfers and limb tossers clashing tirelessly. By the end of Brown’s set, all that was left of the crowd was stretched collars and ruined sneakers, with a visible layer of sweat and concert-floor grime coating every visible surface. Still, screams of endorsement bellowed out from the collective sweaty hivemind, letting Brown know just how much his music means to Montreal. And, though he didn’t play “Best Life”, I still left the SAT feeling justified in my ticket, which is all one can really ask for.

Listen to Danny Brown’s Quaranta (Deluxe) Here

Sam Kitch is the magazine editor at CJLO 1690AM. He is also the host of I Think You Might Like This, a hip-hop show airing Tuesdays at 2:00 PM.