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Tuesday, February 25, 2014

Album Review: Oxymoron by Schoolboy Q

            The highly anticipated album from Q has finally released. After being pushed back for many months, Puffy unleashes one of the dopest gangsta themed albums ever. Oxymoron is truly a classic that will stand the test of time, starting with a turnt intro.
            Gangsta is the epitome of what a drive-by song should be. Q starts with an intro from his daughter that sets up the mood that Q will be a gangsta forever. The Nez & Rio instrumental comes in and the hook is the cherry on top for this amazing intro. YAWK YAWK YAWK!
            Super producer, Pharrell provides a bumpin song for Q to go off on. It is impossible to not dance to this banger. Fellow TDE labelmate, Jay Rock provides a closing verse as well.
            Collard Greens is the smokers anthem. The second single for Oxymoron got a lotta play, not for Q, but for Kendrick’s bilingual flow.
            The next song is another street anthem, which features Mr. Ad-lib, 2Chainz. MikeWill provides a haunting instrumental, in which Q and Deuces provide what their fans want: Something to turnup to.
            The next track, Hoover Street, is Q repping his hood. The beat itself changes in the middle, in which Q provides some of the best verses of the whole LP.
            This next song is very odd  among all this gangsta songs, especially for Q. Studio is a love song, in which Q and BJ The Chicago Kid try to court a certain girl. Q aint afraid to be explicit about it either.
            Prescription/Oxymoron I would have to say is the crux of this whole album. This storytelling track shows Q talking about his drug use, and him reminiscing on this usage after his daughter is born. The Prescription part of the song shows that he is doing all this bad to keep his daughter safe. When that beat changes tho…to turnt.
            Q said in an interview that, The Purge, was one of the most fun tracks to make for this album. It is pretty dope that Schoolboy Q’s daughter is narrating the whole album, and she also provides the intro to this killer track. This all West Coast track features OFWGKTA frontman, Tyler, The Creator provides the beat and hook. West Coast legend, Kurupt, provides a solid closing.
            Blind Threats is one of the closest songs to an old school Wu Tang track. Which makes sense, because Raekwon himself is featured on this chill banger. The most lyrical song on the whole album right here. Introspective and retrospective.
            We first heard Hell Of A Night during the NBA playoffs, and I’ve been excited for it ever since. DJ Dahi provides a very atmospheric instrumental, which really adds to the party vibe of this track.
            The Alchemist provides the old school beat, in which Q goes on for 6 minutes! This track goes hard, that’s all I need to say. La-da-di-do, la-di-da-di-da-di-do!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
            A braggadocios track form Q, Man Of The Year. Nez & Rio provide the banger again. Bounce!!!
            I’ve seen rappers rap as another person, but rapping as an inanimate object is rare. Nas rapped as a gun in I Gave You Power, but Q raps as a oxycontin pill. His & Her Friend shows how the pill is persuading Q to use “him/her”. SZA provides a hook that is supposed to sound like a person on drugs.
            Grooveline Pt. 2 is a song in which Q and Suga Free rap form the perspective of pimps. This song is a sequel to Grooveline Pt. 1 form his Habits & Contradictions album.
I love the groovy instrumental.
            The outro of Oxymoron is basically the summary of this gangsta album. Q claims that “Bitch, I am LA”, which is one of the most epic lines and is basically Q’s personality.

            In conclusion, I believe this album will go down in history as one of the dopest gangsta albums since Get Rich Or Die Tryin’. This LP is Q reminiscing on his past(like Pusha’s MNIMN) and looking to the future. Make way for Q ya’ll. (4 out of 5 stars)