INhonolulu Magazine Issue #14 - February 2014 | Page 26

MUSIC
Danny Brown
blows into town

Odin Works
and the crossroads
of the Pacific
Evan Morgan

Adam Laeha

T

he powers of the Internet have
allowed for a series of viral
rappers to rise to fame through
online notoriety. Danny Brown is the
epitome of such a rapper. Detroit Native Daniel Sewell came to Honolulu
on January 23 to show off his unconventional rap style at the Republik.
Not scared to shake things up, drop
mix tapes and collaborate with big
names, Brown is a breath of fresh air
from mainstream hip-hop, an industry that is desperately lacking innovation and originality. A relatively new
face to the hip-hop scene, Brown rose
to success rapidly; touring and becoming a part of the music industry
in only a manner of years.
Drugged out and wild, Brown
sports a foul mouth and a flow that

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H
is incomparable to anybody else in
the game right now. Brown offers the
listener fast delivery with an unmistakable voice that shakes the room
with manic energy. He truly does his
own thing.
Often hailed as some newfangled
Ol’ Dirty Bastard (Wu-Tang Clan),
Brown’s penchant for singing in a
guttural rasp and his style of delivery
is reminiscent of the roots of hiphop. Style that elevates him above
the typical, hackneyed thug rappers
of the industry.
Danny Brown’s audience is a strange
culmination of Hip Hop Heads, Internet fan boys and rave crowds that relate to his consistent drug references.
Danny, who refers to himself as the
“Adderall Admiral,” occupies his own

niche in the “Drug Rap” market. Speed
and MDMA are advocated frequently
in his music, and the drugs are often
sited as driving factors to his manic,
often crazy, antics.
The excessive lifestyle is reminiscent of early Easy E in its largerthan-life portrayal, which becomes
cartoonish at times. Yet Brown has
proven, time and time again, to
have more depth to him than at first
meets the eye. Deep, soul-revealing
tracks sneak in among the punchlines and profanity to speak about
life on the streets within the drug
culture in which Danny’s name has
fast become a staple. My hopes for
the concert were high—as is he right
now, in all likelihood—and he did
not disappoint. ■

awai‘i is the “Crossroads of
the Pacific,” and was once
a major stop for musicians
coming and going between the continental United States and Asia. As part
of a continuing effort to revitalize Hawai‘i’s place as a major stop-over for
top acts, Odin Works and Hard Dance
Hawaii present a series of Electronic
Dance Music (EDM) shows at Hawaiian Brian’s known as “Crossroads.” In
January, the famous billiards hall and
concert venue played host to EDM
acts Hot Mouth (pictured above) and
Lady Faith (next page).
We sat down with Cameron
Peppers—the mind behind Odin
Works—to discuss everything from
Odin’s origin to what the future has
in store for Cameron, his brain child,
and the growing audience coming to
the shows.
Evan Morgan (EM): Talk about
the goal and/or mission behind

Odin Works.
Cameron Peppers (CP): Odin Works
has been my brain child for the last
four and a half years, (with Audible
Emissions and Hard Dance Hawaii)
the main goal being to push the underground forward. From hardstyle
to drum and bass and down-tempo
house, we basically do everything.
EM: As a start-up, how did the idea
come about and how did it develop?
CP: I grew up in Ohio, moved out
here from Australia at the end of
2008, got into the scene here after
about a year and started making
connections and hosting events, and
things went from there. Those are
definitely the core influences.
EM: In your own words, how would
you say things have progressed since?

CP: Definitely a roller-coaster ride,
definitely doing bigger things. The
biggest show thus far was Dash
Berlin last year. We still do smaller
shows at NextDoor and around Chinatown as well.
EM: What has the crowd reaction been
like? Have you been getting bigger
crowds with each progressing show?
CP: I’d say for the most part that the
bubble has burst, it’s gotten way too
commercial for its own good … I say
that in the best way possible. [Laughs]
It’s hurt a lot of the true underground
as the more commercial sound has
kind of taken hold. Commercialization is also a good thing in that it attracts new listeners that may start listening to the garbage before they find
their way to the good stuff.

Continued on next page
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