Brooklyn-raised rapper Your Old Droog celebrated the release of his newest album, Movie, with a show featuring numerous guests down in Manhattan’s Bowery Ballroom.
The first act of the night was producer and rapper Che Noir who instantly got the audience excited with her lyrics and energy. Che Noir was a great opener as she took advantage of the intimate-sized venue to catch everyone’s attention and bring them toward the stage. She mentioned that she will be releasing new music.
Following Che Noir, a highlight of the night was a beat set by legendary producer Conductor Williams. His intricate beats and masterful sampling was hypnotizing and put the crowd into a head-bobbing trance. He played songs he produced for rappers like Westside Gunn and Tyler, The Creator. What made the set even more special was that a few rappers took the stage alongside him and rapped over his beats live, such as the artist Rome Streetz who the Conductor has produced numerous beats for.
When it was time for the main act, DJ Edan began to play the electric guitar, bringing headliner Your Old Droog out to play his own electric guitar alongside him. This rock n roll opener to the set was an exciting way for Your Old Droog to take the stage and showed that his passion for music extends beyond strictly hip-hop. Your Old Droog rapped songs from his newest album Movie that were filled with hard-hitting bars and witty punchlines.
YOD’s personality really shone through due to his sense of humor that he showcased throughout the entire show. He joked with the audience between songs – even stopping the music to have a short stand-up comedy moment backed up by Edan. The great chemistry between YOD and Edan helped the flow of the show and kept the audience engaged throughout.
One of the most memorable moments of the night was when Droog brought rapper Pharoahe Monch to the stage. Pharoahe Monch’s performance of “Simon Says” rocked the entire venue.
Directly afterward, Droog joked that he knew it would be hard to top that electric moment, and so he brought out a truly special guest – The Pope. A breakdancer dressed in a Halloween Pope costume danced to the 1979 Snuky Tate song “He’s The Groove.” The funny moments in the show like this one are what elevated the night to that next level.
Your Old Droog has been being compared to ’90s rappers, especially Nas, for many years. Last night’s show truly demonstrated what makes him unique.
Interview with Your Old Droog following the show:
The Knockturnal: Hearing the album live was it was a really good experience. What are you most proud of about your new album?
YOD: I think it’s telling the personal stories and just making the music that I wanted to make while recording it and not thinking about like, oh, this is this song is for this person or this song is for that person. Like one of the standout records for me is “Grandmother’s Lessons.” And some of the feedback I received for that record is crazy. I wasn’t even expecting that. But then it’s like, oh, yeah, everyone has a grandmother and loves their grandmothers. But I don’t think like that when I’m writing a record. That’s just for myself. It’s selfish.
The Knockturnal: Definitely. I think that when you talk about yourself, that’s actually a good way to connect with other people.
YOD: For sure.
The Knockturnal: So that concert last night, it was definitely different from a lot of concerts I’ve seen. You’re really, really funny, which I \ didn’t see coming at first. You were having little stand-up moments during the middle of your sets, you brought the Pope out to breakdance. That was one of the craziest moments. Do you find that your jokes and your comedy between songs is a good way to engage with the audience?
YOD: I think, you know, that’s just my personality. I feel like if I wasn’t doing that, I wouldn’t be being myself. You know, so it’s like, I don’t think rap shows have to be all serious. I’m sure there’s like special occasions where if you’re performing at like Radio City with an orchestra, you can’t be that funny. But maybe you can. Who knows? I don’t know. But I just I like to have fun on stage. I feel like if I’m having fun, then the audience has fun.
The Knockturnal: That’s definitely true. I mean, everybody in the audience with us was having a lot of fun, especially all your jokes in between songs and even within the songs you have a lot of funny lines, funny bars, a lot of hard-hitting bars, too. I mean, it was one after another. These songs were really, really special – I felt at least.
YOD: Yeah, I’m glad I got to do a little stand-up and stuff.
The Knockturnal: Yeah, that was really a great moment.
YOD: I got to work on that, though. You know, it’s just like, you know, comedians got to refine their sets and do it at different places. So that’s like the first time I tried those jokes. Who knows? I might become a comedian.
The Knockturnal: Maybe. Yeah, that was great. Some of the highlights of the show were The Conductor’s beat set and the surprise when you actually brought out Pharaohe Monch, especially when he played “Simon Says.” That was an electric moment.
YOD: Yeah. That’s my brother, man.
The Knockturnal: So you’re friends with some legendary, legendary talents. These are not artists people get to see very often, so how did you end up bringing acts like this to your show?
YOD: Yeah, Conductor is, just one of those cats I have a certain rapport with musically, and it wasn’t even all business the way we worked it out. He just said, like, you know, I’m one of like maybe two or three people he would do a show like that for. So it was really just on the basis of, you know, like artists, mutual artists, respect and, you know, just having that understanding as collaborators. Pharaohe Monch, I’ve known for a while. I consider him a friend, first and foremost. But at the same time, like he’s arguably the greatest. You know what I mean? Like when he plays me music, like I second guess if I pick the right career. You know what I mean? It’s like, damn, this shit is insane. Like just from a technical standpoint and just as a writer, all the all the elements of, you know, being a great emcee. He just got it mastered. But yeah, at the same time, like that’s just my guy. We shoot the shit about whatever, basketball. You know what I’m saying?
The Knockturnal: That’s amazing to hear. Another thing, a lot of people feel like you’re keeping an older style of hip-hop alive. I know a lot of people say nineties. I think you’ve said more early 2000s you’re inspired by. But what do you say to that? When people say that you’re keeping this old style alive?
YOD: I understand music is always changing. Like I’m not doing like a current sound. But what is the current sound? Tommy Richman got like the biggest song in the country, and this just sounds like it’s something from the 80s and 90s. Like, I don’t know. I don’t set out to make older music. I make the music that I like. But some of it is, you know, I got like certain tracks with trap drums on them on my album, too. So what is that? Is that 2010s? Like, is that hearkening back to the Lex Luger days? I don’t know. I feel like I don’t live in a nostalgia type of existence. I’m not trying to bring anything back. I’m doing me, but also like, you know, I’m thirty five, so it is what it is.
The Knockturnal: Yeah, I agree. I think the beat selection on all those songs are really good, a lot of really unique-sounding beats. And then when you came out and ended your show with the guitar, I mean, that was something special I didn’t see coming at all. That was crazy. Have you been have you been playing guitar for a long time? Is that something new?
YOD: No, I mean, like I think I started playing when I was like 18. And I just messed around because I wanted to hear music. You know, I wanted to play music that I that I like. And I was just doing it to entertain myself. Then I put it down. You know, I realized I understand where my bread is buttered so I had to make it happen with this rap thing. But I mean, like once in a while, like I grab the guitar. But I think just for the shows it sets the tone in a certain way, like energy-wise. And it’s just fun to do that. And some people like you, they’re like, I didn’t even know you play. You know?
The Knockturnal: Yeah, that was special.
YOD: Or they’re like was that really me? Like, yeah.
The Knockturnal: And then especially when you’re playing with your DJ, there was a lot of good chemistry there. I think that created a good environment for the audience to kind of feed off of, too. Can you speak on that at all?
YOD: Yeah, Edan is, you know, like a brother. And plus, like one of the things we have in common, it’s just like a love for certain music, like not even just hip hop. That song that we played when we brought the Pope out. It’s just a song that we both like from the 70s or like the early 80s. It’s called “He’s the Groove” by an artist named Snuky Tate. And we were rehearsing one day and it’s just like I think I said, like “what if we brought the Pope out to that song?” And it just felt like a far-fetched idea. But then we made it happen. But it really just starts with like, you know, having similar taste in music or just an appreciation for music. And yeah, it’s just like a lot of similar stuff at the same time. We’re both unique. We do our own thing. But yeah, just to have that commonality is good with someone who’s manning the DJ duties. That’s for sure, you know what I mean?
The Knockturnal: There was definitely a lot of music played that wasn’t even related to hip hop. You played the Golden Girls song. That was a great moment in the show. So, yeah, all of these different things. I think you really showed your personality at that show last night and it created a great environment.
YOD: Yeah, I feel like if somebody didn’t know me and they watched that show, they would get a good sense of who I am and I feel like that’s a good goal when you perform. You make fans and you convert people. Someone might not be a fan but I feel like if they see me live, they’ll get it. You know what I mean?
The Knockturnal: 100 percent. So at the end of your show, you closed out, you told the audience that “you have the pen in your hand where you could write your life.” Is there anything else that you wanted to say to your fans? Any advice you have that you feel like is very important for them to know?
YOD: I feel like that’s the deeper meaning of the album. I feel like there comes a time when you do kind of end up in this chair of your life and you could decide if certain people belong in your story. We might love some people who are toxic or people who drain a lot of energy out of us and you don’t have to subject yourself to that. You know what I mean? I feel like you could decide where you want to spend your energy, who you want to spend your time with. I feel like that’s that’s the real story of the album. But it’s not like I want to be super preachy about it. You know what I’m saying? It’s kind of in there. Like I have like different storylines, even that I talk to press about. Like the thing about like, you know, watching movies with my parents. But I feel like the deeper meaning is like, look, you have the pen in your hands, like whatever you want to write. You know what I’m saying? And being a writer myself, I truly believe that. And that’s what I’m doing.
The Knockturnal: That’s amazing. And one last thing, in a lot of your songs, you mentioned so much about New York — you mentioned the train a lot. Experiences that all New Yorkers can feel and relate to. How do you feel about just the state of how hip hop in New York? You know, you do your own thing, but there’s a lot of other things people are doing in this city.
YOD: I feel like people can just do the New York styles that they want to make. Or it doesn’t even have to be a New York style. Like you got people who have influences from other regions and things like that. Like when A$AP came out, that was interesting to hear somebody or a crew with huge Memphis influences. But I feel like people should just make what they want to make. Whether you’re in New York or Connecticut or Pennsylvania, or Australia, like it’s organic to you. Like it’s something you want to make. Good music is good music. As long you’re not trying to be something you’re not I feel like you’re good. I’m not going to start making drill rap or like chasing sounds and shit. Tell your own story, man. Do what’s organic to you and it will resonate. I make the type of rap that I grew up on. So maybe that is kind of like an older style, but that’s what I want to hear. You know what I mean?
The Knockturnal: It’s a great message. Staying true to yourself.
Your Old Droog’s album Movie is out now.
Featured Image Credit: Nick B Roll