Two Years Later, Brian Brown’s ‘Journey’ is Still Perfectly Southern Storytelling
Evan Dale // Feb 1, 2022
Come on In, opens the expectedly hospitable intro from unapologetically Southern – perfectly Tennessee – Brian Brown whose brash sonic imperfections make he and his 2020 album, Journey one of the most honest and most listenable anywhere in hip-hop – anywhere in music – since it was released. As masterful as the project was and continues to be, it’s hard for anyone to look back at that date – January 31, 2020 – without the chilling knowledge the whole world now has of where we were all headed in the then very soon future. On an even more imminent and local level, the Music City was also about to be struck by a series of devastating tornadoes in early March. Yet, amongst the tragedy of the tornadoes that brought a city together with the creative community at its core, and the unpredictability that a global pandemic reaped upon society, Journey rung – rings – anthemic. Not that it wouldn’t have shined had the world not been plunged into covid-19, or if the city’s outlying Northern boroughs weren’t especially hard hit by natural disaster, but with a special force nonetheless that transports its listeners at a time when a Journey – at least a literal, physical journey – was rendered impossible, Brian Brown defied impossibility through music. Immersed in his pitter-patter flow and charismatic draw, hip-hop fans got what they’ve gotten since the first lyrical masterpieces: a tale, a story, an escape.
The story of Journey is the story of that of our protagonist and his city who has in the years since only continued to emerge as a young Nashville scene’s prophetic prince, seeming to – with effortless individuality and a whole lot of charm – take a central role curating a cultural renaissance. It was already happening then with a smattering of hip-hop artists like Brian Brown crawling through the floorboards of the underground by way of a sound that cannot really be boxed in as in the case of other geographic soundscapes. Poetic lyricism, jazz influence, and tremendous flow certainly orbit the hip-hop texture at the center of Nashville’s cultural happenings, but the city’s constant revolutions also beam with righteous Neo-Soul and Electronic scenes, the openings of art galleries, a network of creative collectives, shops, brands, journalism, markets, and government influence. To say that Nashville’s current trajectory is anything but a Black Renaissance would be unforgivably misguided.
Naturally, hip-hop has been an especially far-reaching cornerstone of that renaissance. Naturally, Brian Brown’s Journey is embedded in its middle. So, back to it.
The project is a testament to the fluidity that only certain rappers have had throughout hip-hop’s storied past. Brown’s is a flow where entire lines can be so quickly grafted that they take up almost no timestamp at all, and where single words can be drawn out and distorted for extended timing and impossible rhyme. It’s unpredictable and entertainingly immersive as if he were freestyling his bars in your living room. Hip-hop is a game for Brian Brown – or it’s at least that fun to him – and Journey – at least to this point in his still young career – is his thesis on uniqueness. Before the first minute of Come On In has even been eclipsed, he’s seamlessly bounced overtop a minimal drumkit and key beat with an opening hook distorted through a muffled texture that sounds like he’s in the next room, an ode to the chopped-and-screwed foundation that much of Southern hip-hop was built on, and his own voice uninfluenced by anything but his genuine personality. A wavy range to say the least, and an ample introduction to more than a half-hour of that range perfectly on display.
And throughout that half-hour, Brown is simply talking his shit. His flow is defined by an ultimate relaxation with the mic and a commanding confidence with his wordplay. His vocalism is keenly vulnerable, unpolished to say the least yet reminiscent of simpler times. Journey’s beats feel humble and honest, rooted in an appreciation for analogue instrumentation, and then jammed through cleverly Southern distortions where basslines reign supreme. And his discourse, even through the lens of an artist so outwardly enjoying their craft through anthemic party tracks like Vanilla and discussions on love and lust like Runnin’, often stays steadfast on starting serious discussions affecting Nashville from gentrification (Come On In) to homelessness (Flava). The album – like its creator – is impeccably well-rounded and thoughtful, breathing of influence pulled from far beyond Tennessee hip-hop. From Southern Soul, Southern socioeconomics, and a future where Nashville’s influence has gone global, Brian Brown navigates his city and presents it to the world.
The world, in turn, has listened. Journey has made its journey around the world, garnering listeners from every corner of the globe, while simultaneously enjoying well-deserved repeats at home. Local radio stations have caught wind not only of Brown’s unique sound, but that of so many of his compatriots who are together ushering in an era where Nashville is hip-hop’s small market capital. And even though two years doesn’t sound like a lot of time on which to look back at an album and its influence, the Nashville scene has grown and evolved so much since 2020, and Journey is to thank for a lot of that.
Check out our original write-up on Journey here:
