YOD Wave

Brooklyn’s Your Old Droog has dropped YOD Wave, a 7-track project that reminds me of why I started listening to him in the first place. 

The Ukrainian born emcee first appeared on the scene in 2014 with an hour-long self-titled album that was initially accredited to Nas - not a bad case of mistaken identity. Since then he has a hand in over 12 projects, solo and collaborative, and secured his name in the mouths of those who like to preach about the US’s ‘underground’ scene. 

Work rate is clearly something our Droog isn’t lacking, and when it comes to rap dexterity he has that in abundance too. After his heavily respected and played debut drop, collaborative and concept albums were filling his time and discography- perhaps most playable for me It Wasn’t Even Close where Droog talks about being blown off by emcees before passing the mic to none other than MF DOOM. 

It is in that fashion that YOD Wave is dressed. It isn’t as ambiguous as TIME, or as challenging as his work with Tha God Fahim, but bar for bar and beat for beat it’s just that little bit more accessible. 

The beats are left to the extremely capable Nicholas Craven, whilst Mach Hommy and Tha God Fahim continue their mic sharing with Your Old Droog as the only features in an album that sits one second below 19 minutes.