Danny Brown and Kid Sister - the Echoplex - 1/24/12

Aaron Frank

Danny Brown and Main Attrakionz

​See also: Danny Brown is Hip-Hop's Cormac McCarthy

Danny Brown and Kid Sister
The Echoplex
1/24/12

Anticipation for rapper Danny Brown's first headlining performance in Los Angeles was already at fever pitch when I entered the Echoplex last night. As the first performer, Party Supplies, finished setting up his gear around 10, shouts of "Bruiser" and "Hybrid" could already be heard from the audience. (One member ran up on-stage and rifled through his pockets at one point, but more on that later.)

Over the past several years, Brown has gained a loyal set of followers from his last two albums, The Hybrid and XXX, while maintaining a heavy internet presence through free downloads. Ranging from Fairfax hood kids to hip-hop purists, both extremes of his fan base were well represented last night, as were local luminaries like Dam Funk and the Alchemist.

Aaron Frank

Main Attrakionz

​Party Supplies started off the show with an electro-heavy set, featuring disco and auto-tune at various moments, which did not play well with the hip-hop crowd. Early on he told the sound technician he was switching to Serrato, prompting boos and a "fuck Serrato" from someone. Oakland's Main Attrakionz followed, getting the crowd pumped up for the rest of the night with tracks from their 808s and Dark Grapes series. With both members showing so much energy and enthusiasm on stage, it was hard to deny their appeal, but the rowdiness didn't necessarily translate into stimulating auditory experience.

Aaron Frank

Kid Sister

​The last opener was Brown's Fool's Gold labelmate Kid Sister, backed by British electro DJ Sinden. Her fanbase seemed well represented in the crowd and responded enthusiastically to a set of mostly new tracks. Stepping on stage in a pair of black Jackie O sunglasses, the Chicago-bred MC put an incredible amount of heart into each song and was clearly excited to debut new material for such a receptive audience.

Though her music lacks much in the way of substance, I could grasp Kid Sister's appeal while watching her fans. When a fan yelled out "Drop it!" during a break, she walked to the front of the stage and rubbed her ass in his face.