Occupation(s) Rapper Genres Hip hop music Name Your Droog | Years active 2014–present Instruments Vocals, production | |
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Origin Brooklyn, New York, U.S. Labels Chopped Herring Records, Droog Recordings Albums Kinison, The Nicest ‑ EP, The Nicest, Your Old Droog EP, Your Old Droog Similar People Statik Selektah, Termanology, Apollo Brown, The Purist, Fashawn Profiles | ||
Your old droog nutty bars official video
Your Old Droog is a Ukrainian-American rapper from Brooklyn, New York. He first gained public attention in June 2014 when online rumors were thought up by some that his self-published debut EP was actually recorded by veteran New York rapper Nas under an alter ego, before revealing himself in August of that year as a 25-year-old Ukrainian American. His self-titled debut album was released digitally on November 25, 2014. The name "Droog" comes from a Russian word meaning "friend".
Contents
- Your old droog nutty bars official video
- Your old droog talks nas comparisons and coming up battle rapping in 1st on camera interview
- Biography
- Artistry and influences
- Studio albums
- Extended plays
- References
Your old droog talks nas comparisons and coming up battle rapping in 1st on camera interview
Biography
Droog's family emigrated to the United States from Ukraine, then a part of the Soviet Union. As a young rap enthusiast growing up in Brooklyn, Droog first developed his craft in lunchroom battles in school. In 2013 he released the song "Rhyme Strange" under the name "Imaginary Droog" with DJ Skizz.
In April 2014, he released the song "Nutty Bars", which generated a significant amount of buzz due to comparisons to Nas and the otherwise lack of information about the artist. The speculation began after Sacha Jenkins, a longtime associate of Nas, made a short positive review of the rapper on Mass Appeal with the sub-heading "Who is this guy? None of your damn business! Just enjoy the music and stop asking questions." The 10-song Your Old Droog EP was released soon after in June on SoundCloud, produced by Droog, Richard 'RTNC' Herpe, and DJ Skizz. In August, Droog revealed himself in an interview with The New Yorker and soon showed his face for the first time in a video of him freestyling. At the time, he embraced the publicity and speculation regarding his identity, expressing that "This is like my street team, why would I stop free publicity?" He played his first concert on September 3 to a sold out crowd at Webster Hall. His debut self-titled album was released digitally on November 26, which included the 10 songs from the EP along with 8 new songs produced by EL RTNC. A limited edition of the album was released on vinyl shortly before the digital release.
Kinison EP, Your Old Droog's second EP, was released on February 4, 2015, again on SoundCloud. Kinison's lyrical theme is that of Droog's appreciation of rock music, with songs named after Rage Against the Machine, Porno for Pyros, and Sonic Youth. Production was completed primarily again by DJ Skizz and El RTNC, along with one contribution by the producer Marco Polo. That February and March, Your Old Droog supported DJ Premier and Royce da 5'9" on their PRhyme Tour. Your Old Droog's third EP, The Nicest, was released on July 17, 2015.
In February 2017, Your Old Droog released What Happened to Fire?, an EP in collaboration with Ratking rapper Wiki. Later that month, Packs, Droog's second full-length album, was announced to be released on March 10, 2017. To coincide with the announcement, a music video for the album's single "Help" was released, featuring Wiki and Edan.
Artistry and influences
Your Old Droog has been extensively compared to fellow New York rapper Nas, to the point of theories being developed that his debut EP was actually recorded by Nas under an alter ego. Droog has appreciated the comparison, but named Big Daddy Kane, Big L, and Kool G Rap as influences, as well as Beanie Sigel, Freeway, Cassidy, and Lloyd Banks. He has named MF DOOM as his "favorite rapper", from whom he has learned his approach to privacy as a rapper in the public eye. Droog has conceded that he grew up listening to Jay-Z, The Notorious B.I.G., and Nas, but also named Sean Price, Grand Puba, and Jadakiss as influences.