WORDS Roeland Doherty
To say people have been waiting for ScHoolboy Q’s OxyMoron is an understatement. The hype surrounding the artist’s first major label album has been steadily building since fans first got word of it in late 2012. The trickle of singles has been slow, and the pressure is on, particularly as ScHoolboy Q’s affiliation with the talented TDE collective sets high expectations.
Those unfamiliar with ScHoolboy Q’s rapping will be taken aback by his unique style and sound. Q is the clown, the semi-deranged gangbanger who unashamedly tells you about his hedonistic lifestyle in his guttural, hazy voice.
The album demonstrates what sets Q apart from other rappers today. His defining characteristics are on full display, as he ad-libs and barks his way through tracks, adding quirky noises to his pitched vocals. The subject matter is what we’ve come to expect: drugs, explicit sex and braggadocio self-hype are omnipresent, but Q makes it feel fresh and different with his unique delivery. Like previous record Habits & Contradictions, the album is full of paradoxes as he shows you the real-life consequences of his lifestyle — most notably on Prescription/Oxymoron, where he portrays failing as a father due to a dependence on prescription medication. The oxymoron of the album refers to the questionable methods he uses to be able to provide for his daughter.
Where this album truly shines is in the production. Q has crafted some hugely energetic modern hip-hop with the help of excellent producers. Break the Bank (courtesy of hip-hop legend The Alchemist) and singles Collard Greens and Man of the Year stand out as being exceptionally bouncy. On Blind Threats Q does some of the most insightful, layered rapping of his career over a fantastic instrumental. The features are dependently stellar, with excellent verses by Raekwon, Jay Rock, Kendrick Lamar and Suga Free.
Some songs miss the mark. The Purge, produced by The Tyler, The Creator, sounds like a half-finished Odd Future mixtape beat. What They Want has a generic mainstream feel, while the hook of the song seems to hint at a tongue-in-cheek self-awareness of the general public gobbling up anything that features 2 Chainz on it (whose verse is not great, but better than his usual fare). Hell of a Night has an infectious beat and good verses, but the chorus tries too hard to be commercially viable, as the thumping kickdrums, airhorn and uninspired lyrics seem to have just been thrown in for wider appeal. Pharrell has produced a divisive track in Los Awesome, which is catchy but sounds chaotic and over-the-top.
The album can feel disjointed. The majority of the songs stand tall and proud individually, but together they lack cohesiveness. However, it still is a collection of finely crafted bangers and reflective introspections that showcase what Q is capable of. Newcomers might be intimidated by his abrasiveness, but once you get on board with his caricature of an unhinged rascal, it’s hard not to be enamoured by him.
Grade II.1
