GUESS WHO? o_0
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Formalities out of the way, let’s dissect this Schoolboy Q #OXYMORON. Preferred not to do a track by
track for this one, you’ll understand why at the end.
The album starts off with a classic intro for the hiphop
books as Schoolboy’s daughter goes, “Fuck rap, my daddy a gangster!” I mean,
come on... we need not discuss how hard that first track “Gangster” is. The
beat on this track starts of on a hype that lasts for the first four tracks and
sets the mood for Q’s story. Los Awesome, featuring Jay Rock has a really
infectious beat produced Pharell Williams, the imperial Skateboard P! Aka King
of Music(right now). This track just goes into some of the general day to day
activities of Schoolboy and his friends, and is very different from what we’re
accustomed to from him. “What They Want” was another BANGER. The track features
2Chainz and has a stellar trap beat to accompany the braggadocious lyrics from
Q and 2. “Hoover Street” is one of those tracks that really details Q’s past
and what was happening during his pre-rap days. Along with “Groveline Street
Pt. 2”, “Break The Bank” and “His and Her Friend”, this backdrop to Q’s
mentality and why he is who is today is well painted. The singles from the
album are all well crafted songs and have such a unique “schoolboy” feel to
them. “Hell of a Night”, “Collard Greens”, “Break The Bank” and “Man Of the
Year” serve to highlight the new schoolboy Q, the one who utilized this “Oxymoron”
to make it and provide for his daughter. The oxymoron basically is Q’s doing
bad to do good, in a nutshell. From selling drugs before rapping, to doing drugs
while rapping all culminating in making money to support his daughter. His most
introspective moment on this album come at track seven (7), though not one of
my favourites “Prescription/Oxymoron” is the pandora’s box(if you will) of what
this album stands for. The voals from his daughter on the track serve to invoke
an emotion that really makes you understand schoolboy’s story. Following that
track with “the Purge” ft. Tyler The Creator and Kurupt was damn near perfect.
It also introduced you to the portion of the album that transitions from old
schoolboy to new schoolboy. Though some key tracks didn’t make the record,
analyzing it really makes you grasp what schoolboy wanted listeners to feel and
understand. The track “Blind Threats” was in my opinion the best track on the
album. Aside from the fact that rap legend Raekwon is featured on it, the
lyrics are so real it’s almost scary. The track battles with religion and that
fact that though schoolboy believes in God, sometimes he doesn’t get the
answers that he wants from God and in turn, turns to his “gun” which is like a
symbol for the gangster life to help him in life. He puts his faith in his tech
and the drugs etc.. He highlights the “blind threats” that religion gives us to
keep us from sinning but acknowledges that he has to commits these sins in
order to make it in life. The closer to the album was perfect. Much like
Kendrick’s “Compton” track on GKMC, Fuck
La is schoolboy’s ode to his city, but more in a braggadious way stating that
all that he is, is what LA is, basically that the streets made him, and he is
the streets.
#OXYMORON was the perfect title for this album. Schoolboy Q
put his life on wax and painted a picture for us, though majority of us won’t
be able to directly relate to it, especially not as much as Habits and
Contradictions. We probably didn’t live the same life as Q, but his story and
struggles are so real that what we can take from it are invaluable life
lessons. The songwriting skills and productions on this record was top notch. Q
was never known for lyrics, but he indeed turned it up a notch on this record.
Fantastic debut album indeed!
My rating 8.75-9/10
#OXYMORON
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Peace bruv!
