Known to his mother as Quincy Hanley, ScHoolboy Q has been professionally rhyming for Top Dawg Entertainment since 2006, and has recently been given the misfortune of following up the debut of critical darling Kendrick Lamar. He managed to swing this after releasing two well received Internet-only albums, Setbacks and Habits & Contradictions. Now its true that no one bought either of those albums, but the perception of him being the second in command in Black Hippie, along with numerous release date delays have given him plenty of well deserved hype.
I've never had the desire to go back and listen to Setbacks, but I've heard his sophomore effort enough times to realize what he was going for with the whole "Oxymoron" theme. ScHoolboy loves purposely contradicting himself and there's no shortage of the strategy on his new release. This shits also really damn long. Fifteen tracks looks pretty standard, but half the songs are like six minutes long, so its a hefty task to sit through this whole thing. The point of saying this, though, is that TDE is really confident in this album. Most of their releases are fairly short and to the point, but the fact that they believe that people want over seventy minutes of ScHoolboy Q means they're pushing him to be the next star.
With Oxymoron, ScHoolboy went the complete opposite direction of Kendrick in terms of concept. He's in the same m.A.A.d city, but he hardly tries to be the good kid. Instead, Q plays the gangster that's pressuring the adolescents. I know I just said he's the worst rapper, (that's not that much of a knock considering the talent over there) but he doesn't come without his talents. For one, his voice is fucking perfect for the style he's going for, and second, the dude can tell a fucking story. None of his tales ever stray too far from the gansta rap standard, but the absurd level of details make him stand out. But most importantly, he's trying to bring back that G shit.
Let's see how it went down...
1. Gangsta
Well, if you were looking for some kind of conscience rap or something that'll make you think, ScHoolboy lets you know that you can pretty much go fuck yourself. The Nez & Rio produced instrumental is pretty damn ignorant, which is obviously a good thing when talking about Q. ScHoolboy himself doesn't say anything all that interesting but the fact that he's able to make this overly simple hook come off as somewhat catchy is impressive. Far from the greatest song in the world, but it sets the tone, so I'll chalk it up as a win for Quincy.
2. Los Awesome (Feat. Jay Rock)
Upon release, this track has been universally trashed by anyone that considers themselves to be a critic. For good reason too; there's nothing really good about this song, but I'm not going to sit here an lie to you all: this is one of my favorite songs on the album. Pharrel's instrumental sound like nothing he's done over the past few years, but it still has his signature touch. It sounds like a mixture of his Clipse work and every beat from the mid-nineties Latino gangsta movement. I'm never one to put limitations on an artist's output, but to be completely honest, this is the type of shit I want to hear ScHoolboy rhyming over. And for Jay Rock, my second favorite Black Hippie member, he sounds even better. So yeah, if fuck with it. I know, I'm as surprised as you are.
3. Collard Greens (Feat. Kendrick Lamar)
Ever since it was released this summer, I've fucking loved this song. To put it simply, this is the ideal result in creating a hit song in 2014. It actually didn't do very well on the a Billboard 100, but he was aiming for something that would appeal to a wider audience, and it works. The beat is nice and the hook is indescribably catchy, but the real gem here is the chemistry between our host and ScHoolboy Q. I can see these two just having a great time in the studio recording this, while Jay Rock went out and grabbed a pizza. Every time I listen to this, though, I'm reminded that Kendrick has never heard a gun shot in his life. I mean, I've never been to Compton, but I highly doubt their guns go "DOO DOO DOO." But whatever, the song is still hot.
4. What They Want (Feat. 2 Chainz)
I wasn't feeling this shit at all. I've always respected Mike Will Made It's ability to create a signature sound in today's climate, even if the sound doesn't sound that great. But on this one, just come on. I don't care how much of a Mike Will apologist you are, you can't look at me and say this wasn't wack as fuck. ScHoolboy has still yet to wow me with any type of substance, and to be honest, this is the worst type of 2 Chainz. The dude can't rap worth shit, but he's hilarious, so I like him. On here, though, he sounds like he's actually trying to take a serious approach, which doesn't work in the slightest. If I had to pick out a redeeming quality, I guess the hook is somewhat catchy and could possibly garner some radio attention, but that's not the type of thing that's going to impress me on an album with this many expectations. I'll move on, though.
5. Hoover Street
Aright, this album has been pretty good so far, but the fact that this song isn't in the second slot is inexcusable. This would have sounded amazing right after "Gangsta" and while the last three tracks have been mostly entertaining, it feels like the label was just saying, "please stand by while we consecutively pack all of our potential hits into one clump and pay the pills." But anyways, "Hoover Street" is the song Oxymoron needed if it was ever planning on fully engaging with the listener. ScHoolboy details seeing his first glimpses of drug dealing, his trips to an ice cream truck, stealing a gun from his grandma, and everything in between. Sounwave provides two separate instrumentals for Q to tell his stories. The first of which kind of sucks, but the second one is dark as hell and is a perfect match for the themes of the song. This shit was just great.
6. Studio (BJ The Chicago Kid)
I remember ScHoolboy stating that this album wouldn't have too many features, only ones that would absolutely fit the album. Well it looks like he either lied or has a very warped view of how many features usually accompany an album. BJ the Chicago Kid stops by for this one, delivering a pretty fucking dull hook. This song is pretty mellow, but surprisingly, this is the most alert Quincy has sounded since the opener. His flow is actually really aggressive, but his lyrics aren't able to separate this from all the other sex raps that I've heard over the last week. D Swiff steps with a pretty good ass instrumental that keeps this song somewhat entertaining, but you can really take it this song or leave it.
7. Prescription/Oxymoron
If you haven't been able to catch on to the actual concept of the album yet, ScHoolboy lays it out in pretty plain sight: he's selling harmful drugs to provide life for his daughter. That's an oxymoron. This is actually one of the only times that combining two songs on one track has seemed necessary. (I don't care what you say, there is absolutely no reason "Sing for Me, I'm Dying of Thirst" should have been one song) The first song is easily the most touching song in ScHoolboy's entire catolog, as he appears at his most vulnerable. And I can't reiterate this enough, the amount of detail he puts in his two verses would be impressive for an author, let alone a songwriter. Q's depression seems genuine and the fact that he got his daughter on here was a nice touch. The tempo significantly raises in the second half, as he delves into dealing the drug that causes his own depression. The Sounwave provided beat is better too. The unhealthy amount of snare and progressive strings are pretty menacing, which I'm sure is what our host was going for. Very nice.
8. The Purge (Feat. Tyler, The Creator & Kurupt)
This whole song gets a huge meh from me. ScHoolboy Q and Kurupt both sound fine, but I'll never be able to fuck with Tyler's music. I think he's hilarious and his Twitter account cracks me up, but his voice annoys me and his attempts to utilize horror-core has always been somewhat corny. The thing he actually fucks up, though, is the beat. Despite what I just said about the man, his production is usually interesting, but holy shit this sounds lazy. I guess it was cool seeing Kurupt, though. Hopefully he's been able to pay his bills after the the Dogg Pound disbanded. It's also really damn funny that he's featured on this album instead of Ab Soul, the only Black Hippie member not to make an appearance. Obviously I'm not a big fan of him, and I think its dope that Oxymoron has such a West Coast heavy guest list, but that was just cold blooded. But what do I know, maybe he was locked out of the studio.
9. Blind Threats (Feat. Raekwon)
The Wu may be inconsistent as hell nowadays, but regardless of the situation, I will always be excited to see any member featured on the guest list and Raekwon actually didn't disappoint. Sure, he completely disregards ScHoolboy's topic, but he at least sounds like he wanted to be there. Might not have been the best song for him to be featured on, but that's only because of how personal Q gets. One thing I was really looking for going into this was if he was going to keep the depressing, darker tracks, and that's exactly what he did, so I applaud his artistic integrity. He's on the edge of suicide throughout his verses, and especially while mumbling/singing, "if God don't help me this gun will" on the hook. It's not the best song on the album, but I still dug this a lot.
10. Hell Of A Night
Man, you've gotta be fucking shitting me with this, Q. Almost all of the previously created momentum this album gained reaches a screeching hault, as this song sucks massive cock. I mean where do I even start, the hook is so damn generic and rushed, but that's unfortunately the best thing this song has going for it. Quincy's attempt to get you out of your seat is so insincere that he could possibly be planning your murder and nothing he says can really appeal to any of his numerous audiences. And that instrumental. That fucking instrumental. It depresses me that "cloud rap" is even a thing, but not all of it is terrible. This, however, sounds like the worse case scenario on a Drake album, which speaks volumes. If I ever saw "Hell Of A Night" chocking on the sidewalk, I'd side step it and carry on with my day. It's that bad.
11. Break The Bank
Its a really good thing that I like this song, because if I was given another trash song, I'd be in a bad mood for the rest of the day. With the exception of "Collard Greens", this was actually my favorite of the four singles released before the album leaked/dropped. Alchemist's beat sounded a little incomplete, but it's not a problem, because it fucking bangs. ScHoolboy on the other hand sounds even better. He's back to taking an ultra aggressive approach on a somewhat low tempo instrumental. He actually switched up his flow several times and his first verse is especially impressive. The hook is probably polarizing for most listeners, but I don't mind it at all. I'm really glad this happened.
12. Man Of The Year
Another example of TDE lining up their singles in consecutive slots, although it sounds much more natural here. I thought this song was alright, but it was easily my least favorite of the singles. The beat actually sounds like it belongs on the album, which keeps it cohesive, but it doesn't really mix that well with ScHoolboy's incredibly boastful lyrics. After countless posts of me bitching about the state of hip hop, I feel like a huge hypocrite saying this, but I actually really liked the hook. It's really catchy and all around enjoyable. The same can be said about almost everything Q says, though, so this was a quality choice for a single. But remember, it's still only decent.
13. His and Her Friend (Feat. SZA)
Man, SZA is fucking useless. For every member of TDE, I see the appeal and their uniqueness, but this SZA girl has only delivered some of of the most generic hooks/bridges. I don't want to sound mean, but she's gotta show me something to justify her being on the label. But anyways, I suspect that I enjoy this song much more than the majority of the audience. I say that because the instrumental is so laid back and airy. I'm sure it would sound much better if I was stoned, but it's easy to get bored during this track. Honestly, it look me like five listens to even realize that Q was rhyming from the perspective of a drug. Obviously this concept has been done plenty of times, but it was more than I was expecting from our host, and he actually pulls it off better than most. It may take a few listens to get into, but its worth your time to give it some extra attention.
14. Grooveline Pt. 2 (Feat. Suga Free)
ScHoolboy must have had a revelation with that last song because he's right back with a concept and overly mellow instrumental. This time he's taken on the image of a full out pussy selling pimp with Suga Free. Guys, I promise this isn't a good manual on how to go out onto the streets and pick a spot in the prostitution business because pimpin' ain't easy. As for the song, though, its pretty good, but it doesn't work as well as the last song. Honestly the most surprising part of this is that Suga Free is still rapping. I have to give ScHoolboy credit, he's really gone out of his way to find formerly popular west coast rappers that everyone's forgotten about. Its a great way to gain a new audience, while paying homage to your roots. Not better than the original, but yeah, this was cool.
15. Fuck LA
Oxymoron is all about ScHoolboy Q's experiences in the city of Los Angeles, so its appropriate that he would end the project with a song telling the city to fuck itself. I can't really call it a celebration, but Q ends things the same way he started it: on some gangsta shit. This is another case of me feeling like a hypocrite for liking something, mostly because the first couple words are, "pussy lips", but fuck it, this shit was nice. ScHoolboy's three minute spree of spewing as much ignorance possible is backed by Nez & Rio's best instrumental of the album. Sometimes you just have to absorb the ignorance and enjoy it.
Rating: 3.5/5
I'll just get this out of the way: the biggest problem with Oxymoron is consistency. Like I've mentioned a couple times, the sequencing is handled rather poorly, and several songs just aren't very good. And yeah, "Hell of a Night" is beyond awful. These songs will never be listened to me again, because the beat was lackluster, or ScHoolboy wasn't doing shit in the whole lyrical department. Or maybe some third option, but you get the point. The real question is whether or not Oxymoron lives up to the insane hype. The answer to that is yes and no. Yes, because a few of these songs are really, really fucking good. "Collard Greens" is basically the perfect mainstream sounding song, "Hoover Street" contains storytelling that rivals anything Kendrick said on good kid, m.A.A.d. city, and "Prescription/Oxymoron" just might be one of the best songs I've heard all year. And no, because I personally don't see this album raising ScHoolboy Q to the fame of his label mate Kendrick. He swings for a couple crossover tracks and he strikes out almost every time, but for the fan base he already has, I see no reason this album won't hit home. I've tried to avoid looking at any reviews thus far, but most fans I've come across have been split down the middle. Since we live in a age where everything must be brought to an extreme, Oxymoron has been described as complete and utter trash and Album of the Year. I can personally guarantee you that its neither of those things. What it really is, is entertaining. If you're familiar with some of his previous work, you'll have a greater sense of appreciation for the themes that Quincy works into his songs. Most new coming fans can also appreciate the music, because for the most part, key word "most", ScHoolboy has a good ear for beats, and even if he doesn't always connect with his various vocal inflections and flows, he sounds interested for most of the album. So in the grand scheme of things, Oxymoron is successful because it won me over, which is all that really matters.