Your Old Droog - Your Old Droog (Album Review)

It can be pretty darn hard to build a big buzz in the current music climate. A band or an artist has serious competition with the tons of others currently posting music online. They have to contend with the constant saturation of interviews, music, etc.. Your Old Droog, on the other hand, built his buzz in an interesting way. Similar to Action Bronson, The Weeknd, and/or The Republic Of Wolves, Your Old Droog appeared out of nowhere with a flow reminiscent of classic era Nas. Hardly any information could be found on Your Old Droog. There were no pictures, no social media sites, and that's just not the usual these days. The Republic Of Wolves instantly built buzz when people believed they were Brand New and Droog has found himself in the same situation. People actually believed he was Nas to the point that the topic was debated for quite a while. The buzz built and built. Fans thought Nas was back on his A+ game. Like The Weeknd, who kept his face away for a while and people didn't know who he was, Droog is also the same way. At first nobody could dispel rumors because they couldn't find a photo of the guy to dispel the rumor that it was Nas. Like Action Bronson he found himself constantly compared to and sounding like a legend. Remember when Action Bronson first hit the scene and couldn't escape all the Ghostface Killah comparisons? In the end all was revealed and Your Old Droog was not Nas. Instead he was a 25 year old Coney Island based rapper.

Your Old Droog's debut self-titled album is comprised of the 10 song EP that started all his buzz plus eight new songs. Everything sounds really good production wise. I also think the songs from the EP have been at least remastered for this release. What you get with this album is a classic sounding MC (yeah, it sounds a lot like Nas), a clever lyricist, and a ton of really great beats. This album feels nostalgic while also feeling fresh. Your Old Droog has the hype but he also hits you hard with the talent. The flow and lyrical ability on the self-titled album is more than admirable. It's being delivered so well that it feels like an MC at the top of his game. The beats fit his style perfectly. They have a distinct 90s flavor, the way the beats bump, the scratches, the style you've heard sounds similar to this from the time of hip hop passed. The beats build the songs like an experience and it's really cool. "Droog's Anthem" has a great vibe. The beat sounds so smooth over the course of the song and Droog showcases how good of a vocalist and lyricist he is. Honestly, though, almost any song on the eighteen track project showcases these things. It's a really clever project and the additional eight songs added to the EP  feel like the after party to the party.

I've heard a handful of really awesome hip hop albums and EPs this year. This lands in the awesome column for sure. I'm really digging it. It has a nice consistency and is a really cohesive, neat album. In a way it reminds me of how awesome that original Action Bronson music was.  If you like Nas you'll love this. More importantly, though, is that if you like good hip-hop/rap albums this should be an album you enjoy.