Danny Brown’s label and crew, Bruiser Brigade had their breakthrough year in 2021, and it was long overdue. If you've been a Danny Brown fan over the years, you've been hearing their name kick around in his music since his 2012 album, XXX — the seventh track is titled after the group and features fellow member Dopehead. Later that year, they released their self-titled debut EP as a group, but still little was known about them, other than that their roster at the time included Danny Brown himself, Dopehead, Chips, Trpl Blk and ZeelooperZ. While the label has been a long time in the making, now that Danny has recruited some of the most uniquely talented rappers from Detroit in the process, Bruiser Brigade is here to stay.
It would be both impossible and unfair to the rest of the crew to pick a single MVP, but a member who sticks out automatically, because of his high-pitched delivery and unparalleled flow is Bruiser Wolf. He released his debut, Dope Game Stupid last March and immediately attracted fans who were aware of the mysteries surrounding Danny Brown and the Bruiser Brigade crew. It’s hard not to get hooked into Bruiser Wolf’s world; his voice and flow will suck you in and his bars will make you stay — they’re hilarious, yet beautifully poetic at the same time. Listening to Bruiser Wolf rap is an experience unlike any other.
A rapper’s sense of humour often benefits them, as it adds another element to their personality that listeners can appreciate and even relate to. Through his raps, it’s clear that Bruiser Wolf’s is genuine. When I had the honour of speaking to him a few months ago, when he kindly accepted an interview for a podcast I was making for one of my courses, it became even clearer. He’s not interested in shock value, just in telling his stories in a unique way and setting himself apart from similar-sounding emcees. His voice is an instrument of its own, and he uses it to his advantage, giving him one of the most unique deliveries in all of hip-hop right now.
In any given verse out of his already impressive catalogue, he spits a handful of memorable bars that will be stuck in your head for days to come. His wordplay and creativity when talking about the the drug game and street life provide an interesting contrast between his delivery and subject matter; not to mention the pockets he’s able to dig out for himself over the usually jazzy production. But beyond the humour, there’s candid honesty and admirable storytelling.
Through Dope Game Stupid and many guest verses throughout 2021, Bruiser Wolf provided us with some of the most memorable bars that I’ve ever heard. This list was hard to narrow down to just 10, but I wanted to make this as a nod to one of my favourite rappers, and to show that his breakthrough year didn’t go unnoticed. Of course, they aren't as effective when just read in text and not heard in the context of his rapping, so I highly recommend that you listen to his music if you aren't already familiar. Here are my picks for the top 10 Bruiser Wolf bars.
10.
“I’m overseas with Danny Brown / And I remember just wearing hand me downs” (“Everything” - Bruiser Brigade feat. Bruiser Wolf)
9.
“My pockets got a tumour / And you got funny money, that’s what I call a sense of humour” (“Freak Accident” - Bruiser Wolf)
8.
"Baby, your voice is music to my ears, that's my jam / It's a lot of things I ought to buy you (Adebayo), you know Bam" ("Flying Spirit" - The Alchemist (feat. Bruiser Brigade)
7.
“All these years together, and the white girl still hasn’t met my parents” (“Swamp Water” - Quentin Ahmad DaGod feat. Bruiser Wolf)
6.
“I’m one of one, like fingerprints” (“Whip Test” - Bruiser Wolf)
5.
“I’m hand-to-hand, like 3:15 / If you don’t believe me, pick a different time / 2:10 or 1:05” (“Chess Move$” - Bruiser Wolf)
4.
“But the word ‘dealer’ got a stigma / Let’s just say I practice medicine” (“Bottles of Añejo” - Bruiser Wolf)
3.
“But they don’t know what I mean / Until they steppin’ on white squares of white, like Mike in Billie Jean” (“Old Faithful” - Fat Ray feat. Bruiser Wolf)
2.
“Bottles of champagne, some shots, a few beers / I treat my dogs better than white people do theirs” (“Chess Move$” - Bruiser Wolf)
1.
“She realized I’m funny, kept laughin’ and sayin’ stop / Well baby, what do you call a ‘Ghini with the top off? / That’s a lamb chop” (“Flying Spirit” - The Alchemist feat. Bruiser Brigade)
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