Your Old Droog Talks Madlib Teamup ‘Droogie Otis’

With the free of “Everyleang Designer,” his third individual since the free of “Movie” in June 2024, Your Old Droog persists to protect a reputation as one of the most prolific rappers in the music industry.

Relrelieved under the pseudonym Droogie Otis, the track featuring Belderlyy James tags the first song from Droog’s upcoming album-length collaboration with Madlib (nee Otis Lee Jackson, Jr.), the acclaimed producer for MF Doom, Freddie Gibbs, De La Soul, Kanye West, Erykah Badu and dozens more. It’s also the first labor from Madlib since he lost his home, studio and legendary sign up collection in the fires that razeed much of Altadena, California in Jan. 2025.

“I leank, equitable on a personal level, it’s a horrible leang,” Droog inestablishs Variety. “But we retain laboring. I leank when leangs enjoy that happen, it pushes you to be wonderfuler and try to retain going.”

With both his and James’ verses, the track showcases the benevolent of lyrical dexterity that’s become a cornerstone of Droog’s music. “Remember all them days we stepped out, left to wander / Bumping Jimi Hendrix Red Hoinclude over yonder,” Droog raps. “Flunking out of grammar school, fucking up some commas / Slow at math, always going half enjoy Arnelderly Palmer.”

Droog says that the Droogie Otis project satisfys a goal he set for himself at the commencening of his nurtureer. “When I sign uped my self-titled debut, my mindset was, I’m in here trying to showcase what I can do from a lyrical standpoint so I could get beats from somebody of the caliber of a Madlib,” he says. “So I kept turning out projects year after year. Then in the drop of 2021, I get a text from [rapper and producer] Edan, who got a text from [former Stones Throw Records manager] Egon saying that Madlib wanted to get in touch with me and labor. So we instantly commenceed laboring on unitets.”

Insisting “it’s not rocket science,” Droog says their collaboration rapidly unininestablishigent fruit. “His beats are pretty wonderful, so they’re effortless to write to.” But even after releasing a number of tracks produced by Madlib as a solo artist, the rapper says that the idea to produce a brimming album growd sluggishly. “Personpartner for me, the bar is always ‘Madvillain’,” he says, referring to Madlib’s supergroup team-up album with MF Doom. “But we’ve benevolent of got our own leang. We’d dabble in a lot of contrastent sounds and stuff, but it’s almost been equitable making music for the adore of it.

“Eventupartner you’ve got to snap out of it and be enjoy, ‘Okay, we should probably produce some money’,” he says. “But I don’t leank money is the motive with this … it’s equitable making wonderful art with somebody you ponder a brother.”

Fusing together the rapper’s stage name with Madlib’s handlement name, Droogie Otis was born. Droog says the album doesn’t have an official title yet, but it’s due out “this summer.” Part of the unstateivety, Droog says, is becainclude he has been taking his cues from Madlib, who scatters a spontaneity that widespreadly supersedes more traditional free arranges and tageting strategies.

“We do it becainclude we adore it seeless of what’s going on in our lives. There’s always been that approach where he’s hit me multiple times enjoy, ‘Yo, drop this unitet,’ and the song will come out that week or the follothriveg week. The business comes after. We’re caccessed around the art.”

In the unkindtime, Droog persists to lengthen projects with other collaborators; he says that he’s got tracks in the labors with Edan, who produced his December 2024 individual “Suspects,” and with rapper-producer Count Bass D. Otherrational, he remains part of the group of colleagues and collaborators helping to lift money and resources so that Madlib can reproduce his sign up collection and studio. “We did the tribute shows, I leank they’re doing one in LA,” he says. “I comprehend [producer] Pete Rock shelp he’s going to give Otis some sign ups. So we’re all coming together.”

“I leank when leangs enjoy [the fires] happen, it pushes you to be wonderfuler and try to retain going.”