Danny Brown / Action Bronson

Danforth Music Hall, Toronto ON, October 1

BY Aaron MatthewsPublished Oct 2, 2013

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Canada has a history of stopping rappers at the border, so they receive double the love just for crossing. After days of "will they/won't they" with Canuck customs, Detroit rapper Danny Brown made it to the Danforth Music Hall with opener Action Bronson in tow.

NY rapper Bronson is an undeniable showman with impressive breath control despite his substantial heft. During his short set, Bronson solicited choruses naming pro wrestlers, rhymed to "Tequila" while dancing the Pee-Wee Herman and explained the logic of groupies "wild enough to suck a baby's dick." "Strictly 4 My Jeeps" and "Bird On The Wire" were showstoppers, as Bronson spat Riff Raff's verse verbatim. He closed with "9-24-11," flubbed lines and all, delivering the spectacular last verse a cappella.

Great set aside, the throng of XXX t-shirts in the packed hall clarified the audience's focus. Hyped by producer SKYWLKR on a laptop, Danny Brown bounded out to the futuristic crunk of "Witit." He prowled the stage spitting intricate verses flawlessly, only stopping to headbang or flash his signature devil horns. Danny kept the energy levels high with a brief set heavy with high tempo one-off songs and guest spots.

"Blueberry (Pills & Cocaine)" launched a mosh pit while the crowd recited the words to raucous single "Dip" and the grime-styled "Lie4." Danny knew exactly when to turn the mic to the crowd, especially on punchline fest "Monopoly." He led pro-green chants before dropping the shuddering keys of "Blunt After Blunt," transitioning perfectly into Old heater "Kush Coma." Danny dedicated "I Will" to the ladies before bowing out with twerk anthem "#Expressyourself."

Both sets were strong but even on a Tuesday night people clearly expected more than an hour from the headliners, or at least an encore. Hopefully Danny can stick around longer the next time he headlines in the Dot.

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