Full disclosure, at this point you already know I’m a fan of Y.O.D and that’s because I barely suppress it every time I compulsively cover what he drops. His combination of kicked-back pacing, thorough wordplay and lyricism that eschews discussions of credibility and authenticity for wider statements on rap as a format of expression is just good and it makes me want to get other people tuned into what he does. That’s why it’s exciting that his sophomore extended play shows him playing with notions of theme on top of the already expressive individual tracks.

When Droog dropped ‘Porno For Pyros‘ two months ago, I thought it was an unrelated joint to his rumoured upcoming DeathRow Tull EP. Whether or not that plan was scrapped and KINISON is the result or something completely different and DR T is still coming is anyone’s guess right now.

Regardless, the release is a look back two decades ago to the times when you were playing NBA Jam ‘Tournament Edition’ on your battered SNES and refusing to wash your favourite shirt with the Sonic Youth pirate cassette logo on the front. It both questions the intentions and views of people critical of rap overall while shooting occasional veiled criticisms of other modern forms of music. It’s not all neg, ideas of timelessness and optimistic respect for music not intended for your personal tastes also come up in some of the bars. The fact that Droog does this with his ’90s Queens swagger in tow without just coming off sounding like an old, grumpy ass New Yorker lamenting days passed is a credit to his ability as a rapper focused almost entirely on reflection and succinct conveyance. Stream it above and download it for free here.

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