Why did I review the album? It
was recommended to me
Did I like it? I did enjoy the sound, but overall not really
Will I listen again? Probably Not
To be fair, I don’t think this
album ever had a chance of impressing me. Schoolboy Q’s delivery is too wild
for me. I’m not sure why he does it. Perhaps he does it to differentiate
himself from the other rappers out west and carve a niche for himself. Whatever
the reason, I found it distracting at best and extremely annoying at points.
I will give props to the sound.
They were all different, but still managed to keep the chill vibe that I’ve
come to expect from west coast music. The sound was the best part of the album. There were some 90's influenced beats as well as conventional modern beats
Maybe I’m missing something, but
the professional reviewers were giving this album 8 and 9 stars but I can’t
imagine why. It’s not a bad album, but 8 and 9 star albums are reserved for my
all time favorites. Someone that liked the album more than I should
explain the magic behind it because it clearly flew over my head.
My Favs
3. Man of the Year
2. Studio
1. Prescription-Oxymoron
Overall Rating: 60 with a neutral recommendation
Los Awesome- Same problem I have with Gangsta.
Collard Greens- This song captured the chill vibe of many
west coast songs. Add a verse from Kendrick and better flow by Q and I’m
impressed. 3.5/5.
What They Want- I’ve tried my hardest to hate
2Chains because his type of rap is the kind I hate. That said, his verses
always make me laugh at how ignorant and stupid they are. He’s slowly eroding
my hatred barrier. 3/5
Hoover Street- Finally hearing some content
here. He’s talking about growing up with his addict uncle and his impoverished
neighborhood and its effect on Q’s life. 3.5/5
Studio- I fell in love with this beat and
the vibe from the beginning. I was worried that Q’s wouldn’t tone it down
enough for me to truly enjoy this track, but he did. 4/5
Prescription-Oxymoron- This is what I wanted
to hear from Q when I listened to the album. He’s talking about the effects
drugs are having on his life. He’s losing touch with the people (and things)
that matter most to him (his mom and daughter). Even though they make his feel
good (showing him love) they really causing more harm than they release. He knows
taking these drugs can kill him, but he has no choice but to take them because
he’s an addict.
The second half is called
Oxymoron. It switches from Q as an addict to Q as a seller. He’s graduated from
using to selling the drug and it bothers his conscience. How can he sell the drugs
to others when he knows the effects of the drug firsthand? That’s why he say
O-X-Y- I’m moron. He selling oxy’s, but he knows he’s an idiot for selling it.
In this song we get into the psyche
of an addict, then switch to the psyche of a dealer. Each of which is given in disturbingly
vivid detail. By far the best song on the album. 5/5
The Purge- Not in love with the lyrics. The
beat was alright, but not enough to save the song for me. 2/5
Blind Threats- This sounds
like a beat from the 90’s. Raekwon featuring in this worked really well and fit
with the 90’s sound. 3.5/5
Hell of a
Night- It’s kind of ironic that this song is telling you to dance, but I
get a chill vibe from this one; almost like an oxymoron. Was it purposeful? I
will admit it is a bit more up tempo than the others 4/5
Break the Bank- The sound for this track reminds me of
something out of the 90’s. Unfortunately I wasn’t smitten with the lyrics. 2.5/5
Man of the Year- Another up tempo beat for
us to enjoy. It’s a playful song that will send listeners home happy and is a
solid close to the album. 4/5
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