No one will question Danny Brown's ability to string rhymes together...whether he can do so in language appropriate for a child audience is another question. It's a challenge he'll have to face as he approaches his ongoing project to write an animated children's book, Dr. Seuss-style. The project was inspired by his 13 year-old daughter and the struggle to maintain self-esteem among black girls, according to Rolling Stone.
"It's really about self-esteem in black girls," he said during an interview with Triple J. "You know how black women do so much - process their hair, change their eye color? It's really about a little girl who does all these things to herself and changes herself, and she realizes she's just better off the way she is."
Brown certainly knows a thing or two about being one's self. He's one of the most recognizable figures in hip-hop, thanks in particular to his wild coif and the uncomfortable chunk of his front teeth that are missing. Add that to his occasionally clownish delivery and you've got yourself a character. Although he compared himself to Dr. Seuss and a few of the author's most well-known characters, such as The Grinch, the emcee showed admiration for the illustrator while addressing how challenging writing such a narrative truly is.
"I don't know how Dr. Seuss did it," he said. "I don't know how he wrote The Grinch and Green Eggs And Ham and One Fish, Two Fish... what was going on in that guy's brain to be able to write those things?"
Hopefully his daughter can still appreciate the content despite being somewhat outside of the Dr. Seuss reading-level. What we're more curious to know is if Brown will also be responsible for the illustrations for the story? Stay tuned.
