Boundary-pushing rappers Danny Brown and JPEGMafia play Orlando this weekend

My dear departed friend Dave Hargrove and I had a running joke, for years, about the nature of “the new Danny Brown album.” Usually that it was NSFW and released in a format that’s either too messy or too dangerous to play, but still well worth the time and effort. And that was never too far off.

Newer fans may know him best from “The Danny Brown Podcast,” a show that only hints at the man’s voluminous skillset. The underground legend, who’s playing at the Vanguard on Sunday night, has gradually found his way in front of mainstream audiences, building upon his original fanbase, which is practically fanatical about their man, who famously inspired Central Florida rap legend Kitty (fka Kitty Pryde).

Born in Detroit in 1981, Brown made an immediate impact on the industry, putting out his first two albums (both of which were excellent) in back to back years, putting him on the map as an artist to watch, and then keep on watching. Brown released his solid sixth album, Quaranta, earlier this year.

Brown also dropped his Scaring the Hoes mixtape in March, a collab with New York rapper JPEGMafia, who will be opening for him at Vanguard. That’s Peggy’s second mixtape, in addition to four studio albums, all since 2016; the most recent is LP!, released in 2021. It’s a must-see show for acolytes of boundary-pushing indie rap, featuring two of the most unique talents in the game today.

7 p.m., Saturday, Aug. 20, The Vanguard, 578 N. Orange Ave., thevanguard.live, $35-$39.50.

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This article appears in Aug 16-22, 2023.