This feature is a part of Complex's Danny Brown Week.
Despite being frequently hilarious and possessing the most elastic, unpredictable voice in rap today, Danny Brown and his music don't make it completely obvious how much he loves stand-up. He doesn't name-check comics in his verses. You wouldn't necessarily imagine running into him at the Laugh Factory or the Comedy Store. And yet Brown's knowledge of the medium is both deep and broad, and he's honest about the ways comedians have influenced his subject matter, delivery, and more.
"I like when comedians aren't trying to be funny, when it seems like they're being real," Brown says. "The comics I like take shit that shouldn't be funny and make it funny, so that we're laughing at their sorrow. I do that with my records."
Listening to the Detroit MC talk about stand-up is, surprisingly, just as illuminating as when he talks about his favorite albums. These are Danny Brown's 25 Favorite Comedians.
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