REVIEW: ScHoolboy Q - Oxymoron

ScHoolboy Q, being given the daunting task of sustaining the success within the TDE camp garnered by Kendrick's "Good Kid m.A.A.d. City," has finally released his major label debut album "Oxymoron." Anyone who has followed Q's journey from being K.Dot's hype man to a 'Druggy with Hoes' may notice that his previous releases catered to a much more exclusive crowd. There have never been a shortage of heavy drug references in his music, which may be a turn-off to some, but it is evident that more care was taken with this album to make sure it appealed to a wider audience. "Oxymoron" expands on the signature sound found on his previous two efforts with a dash of Golden Era Hip-hop paying homage to artists Q grew up on.

While it may be difficult to not immediately want to compare ScHoolboy Q to Kendrick Lamar, it doesn't take long before you realize it's a complete waste of time. Q, like every member of TDE, is his own artist. He has a style, flow, and story all his own, and comparing him to anyone takes away from enjoying the music. The name "Oxymoron" is a play on how everything in his dark past was done for the sake of his daughter, who makes several cameo appearances on skits and throughout a few tracks.

"Oxymoron" starts off well enough with fellow Black Hippy members Jay Rock and Kendrick Lamar featured on 'Los Awesome' and his first single 'Collard Greens' respectively, but the album fails to truly find its footing until the halfway mark with 'Studio,' a west coast banger that is sure to be a mainstay in the clubs once it hits rotation. That momentum carries over into the 'The Purge,' and 'Blind Threats' with assists from Tyler the Creator and Raekwon. It's at this point where "Oxymoron" hits its stride and maintains that same level of quality for the rest of the album. But the irony of reviewing an album like this is the fact that spending time analyzing every song is unnecessary. Q's unique blend of street life, drugs, females, and humor in his music fill a void left by artists like Snoop Dogg who simply just make good music to ride out to.

Noteworthy Tracks: Studio, Blind Threats, Break the Bank, Man of the Year, Collard Greens

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