Dirty really is the keyword when talking about the album, as is evident in the booming cut, The Money, and in the M.O.P.-sampling, Make’em NV. Dilla keeps it equally dirty on the mic, having only one guest, although the initial pressing had just Dilla on the mic. Dilla never really gets mentioned for his MC-ing like he does for his beats, and that’s really a disservice. Dilla had a keen ability to flesh his beats with his rhymes, using his voice and lyrics as another layer of music, and tracks like Crushin’ (Yeeeeah) and Reckless Driving are perfect examples of Dilla’s rhymes injecting liveliness to the already-banging beats. The aforementioned Crushin’ (Yeeeeah) is a swinging party anthem that could easily find a home in any club, with Dilla professing his appreciation for the opposite sex (“fat booty workin it out, you twerkin it, damn/you pullin up my shirt with it, wow!”) over a moving bass-line. The most unconvetional cut from the album is Nothing Like This. It’s the only time Dilla abandons his energetic rhymes to deliver an abstract ballad of sorts. Over what sounds like a backwards-playing sample and knocking drums, Dilla sings.

Ruff Draft was originally released only on vinyl in 2003. The current re-issue is being done by Stones Throw, who have remastered the audio and added four tracks not on the 2003 version: Wild (it samples an English child for the chorus and is definetly an off-kilter banger), the Guilty Simspon-featuring Take Notice, and alternate versions of Intro and Shouts. Some Dilla purists have been vocal against the new version lacking some of the original dirtiness, claiming this new version of Ruff Draft sounds too clean. While its true that the audio is a little cleaner and better mixed, the overall sound and groove of the album remains. The album is a must for any Hip Hop enthusiast who wants a taste of genuine, filler-less, untainted raw Hip Hop. Long live Dilla.