Digital Social Hour - From Addiction to Success: Danny Brown's Sobriety Journey | Danny Brown DSH #940

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Starting point is 00:00:51 never ordinary at bet 365. Must be 19 year old or Ontario only. Please play responsibly. If you or someone you know has concerns about gambling visit connexontario.ca, T's and Z's apply. Smoking weed is not the worst but it can be a gateway and I truly do believe that it is a gateway in some sense because I can totally see myself being high at some party. After the 90 days I didn't have to go to the gym. life. It was almost one of those things like when does it end? Like I used to willingly do this. I can't believe it. All right guys got Danny Brown here today. Thanks for coming on man. Thanks for having me brother. Yeah out here in your hometown Austin. I wouldn't call it my hometown just yet. I've only been here a few years. Home for now. You liking it though? Yeah I love it here. What makes you like it here? I mean it's just just I mean coming from Detroit

Starting point is 00:01:49 Troy it's cold. Yeah, I mean obviously that too. So but it gets so hot here is almost the same thing in some sense I was sweating my ass off yesterday My favorite thing about Detroit was that at least two months three months out the year. You can't go outside So that's what I think breeds a lot of creativity, being there, but shit here, same thing. You get so hot sometimes, three to four months out the year, you can't even go outside. Yeah, you are very creative.

Starting point is 00:02:14 You were just journaling outside just now. Yeah, that's just something I picked up in rehab and just been keeping it going. I mean, it's just something like, you know, get up and get all your thoughts out in the morning and kind of is almost like I learned It's kind of like a discipline thing too. Like if I put it down on paper, then I kind of have to do it Yeah, you know, so you're just writing how you feel just like a stream of consciousness Just writing out everything that's cool because these days it's hard to self-reflect is everything so fast-paced

Starting point is 00:02:41 You know people never just sit down and think about their day yeah, I mean it's I wouldn't say it's more like a planning of my day, but sometimes like self-reflect because everything's so fast-paced. People never just sit down and think about their day. Yeah, I mean, I wouldn't say it's more like a planning of my day, but sometimes I just put certain things in there like I have to record a song today. And I don't know something about it. When you write it down, it just makes it like you have to do it. It sticks in my brain or something, I guess.

Starting point is 00:03:00 No, it's powerful. I do it too. I have a gratitude journal. I have a little diary. And I have a sleep journal. What is that? I keep tracking my dreams. Oh, okay Yeah, I'm getting some of my I mean Some of my dreams. I just can't remember them when I wake up and then this is like I have a feeling Well, once you start writing them, you'll start remembering them. So now I remember four days

Starting point is 00:03:20 I've been having like weird dreams that don't make any sense though. So it's like I don't know I saw you say on another show you had sleep paralysis Yeah, a few times. Yeah, that shit's no joke. Yeah, I thought I was dying same I really I didn't yeah, I had it a few times But it happened once when I was like a teenager and I wasn't like drinking or doing anything damn But the last time I had it I was like, you know, I was partying and stuff. So yeah, I had it when I was teenager Dude, the guy was choking me out. Yeah, it's pretty much the same thing crazy. Yeah, I had it when I was a teenager. Dude, the guy was choking me out. Yeah, it's pretty much the same thing.

Starting point is 00:03:47 Crazy. Yeah, I thought it was real life. Yeah, like my mom, she'd call it the witch riding your back. It's almost like some, I don't know, but it was definitely a scary thing to go through. I mean, what is the basis? Do you understand it? Why does that happen?

Starting point is 00:04:01 I don't think anyone fully knows, but I did find out my old house was haunted recently. So I think that guy just didn't like me or whatever that ghost was who knows though I believe in ghosts I know that's a controversial thing but I mean I can't say I've came across any ghosts see you're not I mean I believe in energies and spirits I guess so I guess I do you know yeah so I guess I do in some sense yeah I think when you pass there's because I've had some close people pass to yeah, so I guess I do in some sense. Yeah, I think when you pass, there's because I've had some close people pass to me and I feel like I've felt them in certain moments. You know what I mean?

Starting point is 00:04:31 Yeah, that's deep. Yeah. Yeah, I know. We're getting deep real quick. You do still sleep at 10 p.m.? Yeah, definitely. Damn. So you're super disciplined. Mm hmm. I mean, you know, it's just I feel like I'm catching up. It's been many nights I didn't sleep the days. So and then it was a point in time been many nights. I didn't sleep the day so And then it was a point of time my life where I couldn't get more than four hours of sleep cheese So it's been really great. I mean

Starting point is 00:04:53 Obviously, I use a sleep aid now, you know cannabis. No, I don't do anything. Oh, yeah. No, I'm pretty I don't even smoke I used to smoke a pack of cigarettes a day on these whole cigarettes no more I mean obviously I'm saying nicotine pouches now, but I don't know. No, I don't even smoke I used to smoke a pack of cigarettes a day on these whole cigarettes no more I mean obviously I'm zin nicotine pouches now, but I don't know. No, I don't smoke weed I actually once I came a year sober, you know, cuz I love smoking weed I still do love it, you know, but I was like, you know, I made it a year and plus when I first got a rehab It was it was real cool. I was in there. Of course you in there You don't really have no thoughts but soon as soon as I got home, it was almost like, fuck, like what do I do?

Starting point is 00:05:27 Because everything I did revolved around me smoking weed with it. Like, I'm recording music, playing video games, it just, you know, just chilling every day. So when I got home, it was really hard for me to sleep at night, all type of, so I was going to my therapist and stuff, and I was just talking to him a lot.

Starting point is 00:05:41 Like, you know, just asking him questions about, and he was like, man, at least make it make it 90 days you know while you in the free world and you know if you still feel the same way probably you know smoking weed is not the worst but it can be a gateway you know and I truly do believe that it is a gateway in some sense because I can totally see myself being a high at some part. Two freshly cracked eggs any way you like them. Three strips of naturally smoked bacon and a side of toast. Only six dollars at A&W's in Ontario.

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Starting point is 00:06:41 and will vary based on account balance. Visit scotiabank.com slash right size savings for full details. Somebody like, yo, you want a drink? And in my high brain be like, one drink ain't too bad before I know it, I'm back in the loop. But so I did give it 90 days and after the 90 days, I didn't have no craving for it to do it or anything. But I was on tour and you know, my everybody around me smoke weed all day. So it's like once I made it a year. I was like, maybe you know, maybe I can just try it, you know But man, this weed is different nowadays, man. I literally took two puffs and was wondering what was going on in my life

Starting point is 00:07:14 It was I was one of those things like when does it in like I used to willingly do this I can't believe it. So I'm glad I got that FOMO out the way. Yeah, so I don't yeah I don't even have no desire to ever smoke weed again, dude It's too strong now. It's like probably ten times as strong Yeah, cuz the weed I grew up as a kid smoking, you know It just make you sleepy and probably eat some bad food or something But now this weed is almost like doing heroin man. The shit has you questioning existence. Yeah So I just was like so I'm glad I did get that out the way with so now anytime I even think about smoking

Starting point is 00:07:45 We I just remember back that time in that Seattle dressing room where I was going through my whole life Yeah, I had to stop with edibles, too. Yeah, I just love edibles used to love them, but I was up to taking like 1200 milligrams a day That was a running time. Like I said, I was only getting like four hours of sleep at night So it was really having me sleep good if I take 10 milligrams, I yeah, I'm sure I'll be the same way now You know 1200s insane damn. So weed was a huge part of your life. Yeah, I smoked weed I mean I dabble with it in my teenage years But at least every day of my life since I was like 18 and did you feel like it helped your creativity?

Starting point is 00:08:21 I thought so then but now since I'm not using and I'm still and I'm way more creative than ever So I feel like it was anything if it's cloud in mind, you know It was blocking my creativity But so I'm impressed with myself to be able to do what I've done as much stuff as I used to do That's interesting because there's a lot of artists that say it helps. I mean, you know, I would take a lot of Adderall too That's a whole nother demon. Yeah Adderall you you're not eating shit all day Sleeping just everyone's taking what's that? Oh Zempic now? Yeah, I shits everywhere. Yeah I'm too skinny for Zempic, you know, yeah, I've been skinny my whole damn life. You know same same

Starting point is 00:09:01 I mean, I'm a little skinny fat. I get them a little penguin belly every night in here I mean I'm dropping ever since I've um stopped drinking obviously, you know, yes, you're done drinking completely yeah, that was like that was like my main focus of going to rehab because Moving out here. I was moving out here to get sober Wow get in the cleanup You know, I feel like you know, your environment is everything and it's great You know being around my friends and everybody knows it would have been really harder for me to you know to get clean but I moved out here and you know I was getting I was away from the blow and you know stuff like that but I would go out drinking all

Starting point is 00:09:35 the time by mistake sometime because you know we's living out in town and I could just end up going to like the Whole Foods and before I know it I'm something in my alcoholic brain was like just stop at this bar and the Whole Foods and before I know it, I'm something in my alcoholic brain was like, just stop at this bar and have a drink. And before I know it, it's been 10 hours I've been at this bar and now I'm doing blow with a random stranger in the bathroom. So it was like, it's gonna find you if it needs to, you know?

Starting point is 00:09:54 Damn, I'd escalated quickly. There's a lot of bars out here though. Yes, I'm saying, but I just don't even, I kind of just don't even really put myself in that situation no more. Yeah, environment's important. Why do you think you wanted a drink? Like was it a coping thing? Yeah, definitely. I probably wasn't too satisfied with where I was at in my life But at the end of the day, it was pretty much all my own doing for my alcoholism in my drug abuse

Starting point is 00:10:17 You know, that's crazy because you had a lot of success and you're like notoriety, but you still weren't happy Yeah, I mean, I think I think everybody always feel like they want more. But you know, I, at the end of the day, I really just believed that it was, I was, I was a drug addict. I was, you know, I was alcoholic. So you can't really get all your blessings when you cloud yourself like that clouding your judgment too. And you know, ruining relationships being fucked up all the time.

Starting point is 00:10:43 Yeah. You see a lot of people with that lifestyle actually end up in rehab or something serious I mean it starts out fun and before you know it it's not fun Yeah, I don't I'm not a partier to be honest. Yeah, you know, I mean, I mean you don't have to be if you really I Mean once it once addiction grabs you you doing it by yourself. You don't even got a party no more, you know I would say I'm addicted though just to like success and networking. Yeah, that's great business. That's the best way to be Yeah, I mean once you know you drop I mean one good thing when you drop out of bad habits You know you pick up healthier ones. Yeah, what's the main focus for you now?

Starting point is 00:11:18 Cuz I know you do a few things. I mean really now I just been I mean I've just been more focused on making music as hard as, like I say, it was fun, you know? You party and you make music and stuff, but then it get to the point in my life where I was like, let me just, it became more like work, and I'll be like, let me just get this out the way with so I can go back and do what I was doing. But now it's like, that is my drug now,

Starting point is 00:11:42 is just creating stuff, so, cause you literally get a high. Shop deals on gifts now on Amazon. Like makeup for the beauty lover. Electronics for the tech pro. And even gift cards for the more particular people in your life. Shop great deals now on Amazon. I'm making something crazy and just sitting back listening to it

Starting point is 00:12:04 and be like, oh man, I can't wait to people hear this or just even being on stage and after you leave stage is like a dopamine rush kind of thing So I just more addicted to that now. How do you feel about the current state of the music scene? I love it I think it's always been people can always complain and say, you know the good old days and stuff like that but I think um Me being in Detroit all my life and not really an industry there so I had to go like to New York and LA to be able to get situations or to be able to work and now you can just upload a song anybody can just be able to just make a song and just put it up and if it's good you know

Starting point is 00:12:39 you can get a following from it so I think that's I think that's great and anything you know let's dive more into that cuz I just had Charleston White on yesterday and he said he wants hip-hop band So you're like the complete opposite. I mean is I mean it's that's the thing about hip-hop is that they all box it into one Thing, you know, it's so many different genres sub genres inside the genre I mean if it was more, you know, like rock is alternative rock hard rock slow rock metal, you know I think hip-hop probably needs to be divided up more. So he probably just talking about one style of hip-hop Yeah, he's talking about the drug style. Yeah killing style. I understand that Yeah, I mean I wouldn't say I mean art art is art, you know, if that was the case then movies need to be banned

Starting point is 00:13:20 You know, yeah. Well, he said Russia bandit. I didn't even know that, but apparently Putin banned it. Yeah, they're strict over there, right? God damn, banning a whole genre. It's crazy. You're killing it with your pod, too. Yeah, it's fun. It's something, you know, it definitely gave me more empathy for journalists and people that do interviews.

Starting point is 00:13:40 Oh, yeah? Because you were anti-media before that? I wouldn't say never anti-media, but, you know, sometimes just doing a lot of press you can get you know You can get warped you can get tired of it, you know, yeah and not be your best self So it was some times where I wasn't putting the best representation of myself out in interviews I feel that you see that with artists and athletes But now they're starting their own shows and it's cool to see their actual perspective on things like Draymond Green and stuff

Starting point is 00:14:02 Yeah, I love it. Yeah before seemed like the media would just provoke them with certain questions. Yeah. So you I definitely have a lot more empathy for people that do this. Yeah. You working on an album right now? Yeah, just pretty much in the beginning stages. Actually, as soon as I leave from here, I got to go to studio. Nice. What's that process look like when you want to start one? Like, how long does it take on right now? It's just pretty much throwing everything to the wall and seeing what sticks.

Starting point is 00:14:24 Then after a while You know, you starting to see what works and start to craft around that. Okay. Mm-hmm Do you have collabs you want to do? I mean, I'm right now I'm actually going to the studio with Frost Children So I've been working with them a lot, you know You know just a lot more people. I feel like that would challenge me. It seems good out here for music though in Austin I mean, it's a musical place, but I wouldn't say for hip hop. As you know, yeah, right now, it's going through like a comedy renaissance, I would say.

Starting point is 00:14:51 If anything, you know, I'm a big food guy. So is the food better here or Detroit? I think Texas is just crazy in general. You know, it's almost it's almost a co-sign to be fat here. You're skinny here. They like, how you do that? You know, but I mean, it depends on it's certain things. Every everybody got a certain thing, you know, like I feel like I can't get a

Starting point is 00:15:12 better corned beef sandwich in Detroit, you know, corned beef. I love corned beef. Yeah. I love brisket too. I heard that, but the brisket here is crazy. I can't get any better brisket than in here. You know, I got to get that tonight. Where's your favorite spots to, to format? Um, you know, all right, I get that tonight Where's your favorite spots to perform out?

Starting point is 00:15:26 um cities or I mean I always loved being in Europe because I got more of I mean I've just been so Like London, you know my record labels there. I've been so This like one of my biggest influences and how I make music is a lot of the London music So well when I'm out there it's crazy, it's always love you know so I really love London. So your label's in London? Yeah, work.

Starting point is 00:15:52 What made you want to sign to an overseas label? I mean they get me, like I say a lot of my music is influenced from the UK so but you know during that time and then they're just such a really historic label. All the things they've been doing for over the years, and just to be able to be involved with them was just like an honor for me. What did you think of this recent beef with these

Starting point is 00:16:17 artists, Drake and Kendrick? I mean, that was just something brewing. I mean, hip hop is always a dick sling in contest. Oh, I mean it was something that been brewing. I'm glad they got it up and got it over with I don't know if it's over with I mean, I think it's over Yeah, but I'm talking about with Kendrick and Drake I think Rick Ross once he you know turns to like physical violence and that's outside of rap music You know, yeah, have you ever gotten in any views like that or no you stay in your own lane? Yeah, I mean I Mean, but like I say rap it can come you know I could see why people do it because I heard a lot of them

Starting point is 00:16:56 Are fake I mean the views were nuts. Yeah, I don't think I don't think this one was but yeah Cuz being because people lose careers There's been a lot of artists that they never been the same after they went through something like that So I don't think anyone would want to fake it, you know, so you don't think any of them been fake in the past? No, really not not none that I can think of you know I mean if it was fake then it probably wasn't that big, you know Yeah, I could see that because you got hit below the belt you know yeah you can't take things back and so you know you don't engage in anything on twitter any trolls or anything I mean I used to but you know I'm I'm 40 years old now it's like that's like even though

Starting point is 00:17:37 I was in my 30s doing shit like that but at this age of my life I try to not even involve myself in any type of negativity wow so you've really mellowed out and just kind of don't want any drama. No, definitely. That's cool. Yeah, I'm like that now too, but I used to really get wrapped up in comments, to be honest.

Starting point is 00:17:53 Yeah, I mean, once you understand how trolling works, you know you understand it. So I really don't get, I don't let anything that I see online affects me or my personal life. I feel that man. Any upcoming performances or? I'm actually going to Detroit this weekend and opening up a Redman and Method Man.

Starting point is 00:18:14 Nice. So I've been a huge fan of them all my life so it'd be real great. I actually met them a few times so it's pretty cool. That's cool. Who are your biggest inspirations for your music you'd say? Um Nas has always been my favorite rapper. Mm hmm. You know but um like Dizzy Rascal is like one of my hugest influences on me. Um I would say MF Doom and um Andre 3000 and Prodigy from deep. It's like my top five. You know.

Starting point is 00:18:42 I love it. And of course like Ghostface and E forty but you know, they can all all switch to one to five or whatever any given time So you got a little old-school taste. I mean I'm old I mean what's what's newer that I feel I mean like I feel like Kendrick has consistently been the best rapper at his newer generation So well, he took a few years off. But yeah coming back. I mean We just look at it like that in this new generation, but Artists always took two years off. Well, you know knives never I mean now you've seen him be more productive because this is what the climate Is but it always been rappers. I Remember me growing up like every two years

Starting point is 00:19:21 Okay, see I like that more actually cuz then they actually have time to think. I mean you can get the best project out of them that way and then it also gives you give you time to miss somebody and it also gives you time to grow with the album that you got from them. Agree. You know, when someone releases music so quick, it's just you obviously know they didn't have enough time to sit with the music to see if they really like it. There's nothing worse than putting out a song and now you on stage and you're like, I don't really like this shit no more. No, 100% because now these labels,

Starting point is 00:19:48 I don't know if it's the labels, but I feel like artists are dropping an album a year. I mean, that's just them. I'm pretty sure labels don't want that. Oh, they don't want that? Yeah. Okay. They want to put out the best possible project that they can.

Starting point is 00:19:57 Yeah. You know, that's why you see a lot of artists always complaining like they can't drop music. I can't drop music. I mean, the best thing to do is, cause I learned this from working with q-tip is that You need to give the music all the love it can possibly get before you put it into the world because once you put it Out there, you can't take it back. So the best thing to do is sit with it post, you know Always tinkering with it do something like I'll sit around with a song for a year or two years

Starting point is 00:20:20 I even think about releasing it and you have people you sent it to to get on Yeah, my A&Rs and my manager and stuff. But it's almost like, if you can sit around with a song for two years and you still love it the same way as when you first listen to it, then you know that's something you can put in the world, you know? Yeah. Wow, I didn't know that much time went into your stuff.

Starting point is 00:20:37 That's cool though. There's a lot of people that are just dropping shit songs. Yeah, I pretty much put out albums every two. Sometimes, this last album, I think, took four years, maybe. Four years? Mm-hmm. Wow. You ever have songs that just popped off that you didn't expect it?

Starting point is 00:20:52 Yeah. I mean, one of my biggest songs, Grown Up, I mean, I just made that song in like 15 minutes. It's almost one of those things where you'd be like, what? You know, because sometimes, like I say, you spend so much time on a song and making music and then you can just do something so quick and it becomes like your biggest song is like great. But I think that's just lightning in a bottle. You hear stories about where like their artists biggest song, they wrote it in like 10 minutes.

Starting point is 00:21:14 I mean, it's lightning in a bottle for the most part. Yeah, but you still want to be able to have that groundwork of really solid material that you always fall back on, you know. Do you ever go through writer's blocks? Yeah, but I believe when you're writing about your life and you're telling the truth, you can never really have a writer's block. Facts, yeah, if you're not making up shit.

Starting point is 00:21:31 Yeah, that's when you can't think of shit because you're trying to be the coolest and you're trying to say the dopest stuff you can possibly say, but when you're just writing about what you're going through and you're being honest with your words and whatever you're putting out there, I don't think you can really have a writer's block with that. I like that. Yeah, I feel like people can sense often

Starting point is 00:21:48 Authenticity better these days, but also sometimes I feel like if I do have like, you know, just a creative stand I think it's time for me to go live life so I can have something to talk about If you're just in the studio every day every day and that's all you're doing but you know it you're just gonna be rapping about Rapping. Yeah, it's like those guys that read books all day, they never take action on it, 100%. Dude, it's been cool. Where can people find you and find where you're performing next?

Starting point is 00:22:13 You know, all my social media is X Danny, X Brown X. I just pretty much finished a few tours, so now it's time for me to make music, you know, so I'll probably be chilling for a little bit. We'll link your podcast too. Thank you, definitely. Yeah. Thanks for coming on man. Thank you, man. Yeah Thanks for watching guys. See you tomorrow

Digital Social Hour - From Addiction to Success: Danny Brown's Sobriety Journey | Danny Brown DSH #940

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