Danny Brown's 'Fresh Off The Boat': Best Rap TV Theme Since 1990?

Last night, celebrity hip-hop head and chef Eddie Huang’s semi-autobiographical television show premiered on ABC. On its opening bars, rap fans were greeted with a familiar and welcome sound: lovable rapper Danny Brown dropping the theme song in his screamy, wacky, super-distinct Detroit brogue, creating what could be the best rap TV theme since 1990, when a little man by the name of Will Smith first broke out as an actor.

The similarity to the “Fresh Prince of Bel Air” theme is surely intentional, from the way the bass on the beats mirror each other across decades, to the way the fun, graffiti’d pastiche of the “Fresh” intro mimics the Karl Kani world of the “Fresh Prince” credits. But it’s definitely the best (the only?) primetime rap theme we’ve heard in 25 years. (Twenty-five years!) Also a milestone: perhaps the cleanest and most family-friendly rap song Danny Brown has ever released. Brown, on his insta: “Fresh Off The Boat!!!! … Shouts out the Bruh bruh Eddie Huang for getting me to do the theme song to his new show .. Check it out Tuesday’s at 8pm est on ABC.” Indeed we will, Fresh Prince of Linwood!