At the beginning of his musical odyssey, Your Old Droog received countless legendary comparisons. The most intriguing conspiracy theory pitted Droog as a mysterious undercover alias for Queensbridge emcee Nas. Due to similar vocal inflection and quality rhyming ability, many struggled to disassociate from the idea that Nas and Your Old Droog were two separate entities. It took Droog nearly three years to reveal his true self because the nostalgic fixation fueled his popularity.
Additionally, he planned to follow in the footsteps of some of the greats like Ghostface Killah or MF Doom by keeping a low profile by crafting a “no face, no case” type of entertainment value. Furthermore, these speculative comparisons grew into compliments as the Ukrainian-American artist eventually revealed his legitimate persona.
Last of a Dying Breed
Your Old Droog’s evocative lyrics vastly distinguish his content from his counterparts. His approach captivates the crowd with cohesive and atmospheric energy by which he has developed according to his lyrical circumstances. As a humble individual, Your Old Droog promotes conversational and self-deprecating content. Humorous humility and comedy comprise the well-balanced nature of this New York artist. Your Old Droog maintains a balanced homeostasis throughout the fulfillment of his earthly obligations.
“Still write rhymes like they gon get heard by Sean P and Yambo” (Litt 15)
Your Old Droog marked his stomping grounds in Coney Island and appropriates iconic programs such as “Seinfeld” and the brand of toughness emitted from 1980’s basketball. His pseudonym stemmed from “Nadsat” which represents a cryptic language used in the movie, “A Clockwork Orange.” Nadsat derives from a bastardization of Slavic slang and “Droog” directly translates to “friend.”
Droog’s Individuality
Droog uses a stream-of-consciousness flow that doesn’t always require syllabic rhyme. By piecing together double entendres and using words in a nontraditional fashion, Droog consistently tries to best himself on every track. Particularly, his use of tonal perception as a mind-altering agent allows him to pair words and phrases in a fashion which many have never heard before.
Much like Joey Bada$$ and the late Capital Steez, Droog represents for the Beastcoast and provides a deeper meaning to the complexities of our language in his music. Clearly, this unorthodox artist venerates and redefines the art of storytelling. Listening to tunes by Droog, it would prove useful to become familiar with the rewind button. This “rap revivalist” makes an impact with powerful opening lines and punchlines that stand among the likes of Big L, Prodigy and Kool G Rap.
Coming of (Golden) Age
Droog’s mystique exponentially grew upon the Nas assumptions created by fascinated listeners. Seemingly, MassAppeal propagated this idea through a similar anonymous approach and propelled the theory when they posted Droog’s song, “Nutty Bars.
The byline read, “Who is this guy? None of your damn business! Just enjoy the music and stop asking questions.” Considering the fact that MassAppeal is owned by Nas, it was a wise marketing ploy from them to further boost the idea that Nas had rebranded himself and entered the game under the moniker, Your Old Droog.
With an experimental nature, lack of identity information, clever delivery, and lyrical mastery Droog put his clamps upon the rap game before he even revealed himself. Inevitably, his persona became known, but that does not change the fact that he strives to become sonically affluent among contemporary New York hip-hop visionaries. Without a doubt, Your Old Droog provides what hip-hop needs and towers over weaklings in the current cluster of lackluster musical artists.
Vocal Variation & Intonation
Your Old Droog’s vocal capabilities range greatly in terms of timbre. He has a variety of vocal features that show excellent range and exhibit talent. Much like Kendrick Lamar, Your Old Droog knows how to shift his vocal tones to produce specific emotion and emit maximum impact upon the listener.
Intonation and modulation are some of the crucial components to Droog’s vocal renditions. Modern artists tend to fill vocal space with ad-libs and attention grabs, but Droog steers clear of filler material. Rather, he prefers to exert precision, accuracy and intonation o his trademark raspy delivery.
As a “self-aware slang slinger” Your Old Droog’s presence captivates countless city slickers from all over. He radically explores the historical implications and inclinations of our complex lexicon. Through virtuosic analyses, in-depth comparisons and brilliant metaphors, Droog makes his message clear.