EP Review: Yung Ludd – Two Tone

Born and raised in Lyttelton, Yung Ludd is the rap alias of musician Connor Strati. Having spent some time in Auckland in his twenties, he was exposed to a lot of the underground Hip-Hop scene there which proved to be very influential on his sound. Rapping in his Kiwi accent over mellow, self-produced beats, Yung Ludd spits honest lyricism about everyday life, mental health struggles, and searching for balance.

On his new EP, Two Tone, Connor gets real and honest about his feelings. This isn’t hype rap, or over the top delivery….. this is someone who is using music an outlet, allowing his poetry to explain what he is going through. For example, on the opening track Prologue: “I’ve been in the red, dealing with dread, losing my head, thinking I would be better off dead. These thoughts in my head….” This is some pretty real stuff, especially when you factor in that Two Tone is an EP written about Yung Ludd’s turbulent experiences in 2020, where Covid was the last of his troubles.

On the second track Painting On The Wall, things slow down a little bit with the beat starting off with a beautiful electric piano, painting the song with arpeggios. Connor’s delivery and flow have a real authentic sound as mentioned which is given a lift during the chorus here.

Throughout the EP, each track demonstrates how Yung Ludd is able to articulate his feelings in different ways and yet holds back enough so you can really pay attention to the detail in both the way the beat is written as well as the stories each track holds.

The EP stays grounded, knowing exactly the sound it wants to go with which is melancholy and honest. A great EP that you should check out.