Asian Junkie Asian pop. Without discretion.
“Yet” is just the pre-release off the 10th and unfortunately final Drunken Tiger album, but that definitely doesn’t make the offering any less potent. Credited with helping make hip-hop mainstream in Korea, it’s only appropriate that he begin his swan song with quality.
The subject matter of “Yet” is autobiographical in nature, basically taking the listener through the trials and tribulations of Tiger JK, with a tone that’s as impressively defiant as ever. The lyrics are a hit from the start, as they don’t only effectively tell a story, but do so in a creative and clever way, “If you say I’m old, I’m old. If you say I’m over, then I’m an exclamation mark, punching down a punctuation mark.”
Thankfully, the music is equally interesting, the inclusion of instrumentation from taepyeongso (I believe) and strings were appealing to me immediately. The constant thumping beat itself is simple, but everything that surrounds it makes the song a bit eccentric sounding, which works perfectly for Drunken Tiger’s flow. Speaking of which, I’m not sure how mainstream fans feel about it, but I’ve always loved his reggae-inspired delivery as it’s not only immediately recognizable but is incredibly versatile as well.
Even with his signature flow, the instrumentation with original flair, and superb lyrical content, perhaps the most amazing thing about “Yet” is that it feels like an effective fusion of the past and present. It keeps the general sound that fans of Drunken Tiger from years past will recognize, but it also pushes that sound to evolve with modern tastes. “Yet” is the beginning of the end, but if it’s any indication of the final album, it’ll truly be a shame to see Drunken Tiger go.
