After numerous repeated delays to his junior label album,, questions began to arise about whether or not this project could live up to the hype that he had been perpetually accumulating. I’ll be honest, after the announcement for the original cited release date, I was indifferent. I had thoroughly enjoyed many of the tracks on his previous LP, and at that moment he was my second favorite member of hip hop collective, Black Hippy. But Q never appealed to me as the type of rapper to break any new ground in his field of hip hop. He seemed to have found his lane on, and if he wanted, he could have stayed the course. In some ways he did, on his newest LP, but he also managed to perfect many elements from

The opening track on this LP, “Gangsta”, starts with Q’s daughter cautioning us. “My daddy a gangsta”, she firmly states. The bass absorbs the beat as Q is shouting a plethora of different ad-libs. Even though the track bangs, it lacks substance. The hook is literally Q shouting GANGSTA about twenty times, and it is followed by a bridge where Q does his signature ‘Yawk’ layered along with him saying once again, “Gangsta shit! Gangsta shit!” The verses aren’t anything special either. As nice as it sounds just in the background, the track teeters on the point of sounding like a parody. Unfortunately, there are a handful of tracks on this record where at first listen, the track sounds dope. However, the staying power of the individual track is minimal because generally Q is repeating the same thing over a beat that will just blend with another similar track. The same could be said for “Studio”, which BJ is pleasant enough on the hook but the cheesy lyrics ruin what it had going for it. On “His and Her” the instrumental feels like the scrapped together, molded remains of other better, more formulated beats that had already been showcased and “What They Want” after a couple listens quickly begins to feel stale (though 2 Chainz certainly went beyond what I had expected from his feature).

Q’s redeems himself however, with a couple of well placed phenomenal tracks that remind me why I love Q. “Los Awesome” follows “Gangsta”, and it’s a breath of fresh hair. The Pharrell produced beat is paired with Q’s angry, yet minimalistic flow, and Jay Rock closes the track with a killer verse that was overflowing with emotion. “The Purge”, probably my favorite joint on this record features Tyler, the Creator, and Kurupt. Tyler also works on the boards on this track creating a beat that is equally as mysterious as it is unique. The liberally repeated descending siren, accompanied by some abrasive drums and what sounds like a beeping heart monitor really give the track an aesthetic of “Let’s go fuck shit up”. Even though lacking a verse, Tyler’s articulate, yet grimy voice does the hook perfectly and Both Q and Kurput deliver exceptional verses. “Blind Threats” is another joint on here that I was really satisfied with. Not only is the instrumental dope, but Q spits some personal shit that is really touching and he is really able to showcase his versatility. It makes you sympathize with his “thug” persona that he flaunts throughout this record.

I had loved all of the singles released leading up to the release of this record, but within the context of the album, they are even better. “Collard Greens”, in my opinion, the track with smoothest most progressive instrumental, is also able to deliver on all other fronts. Q/Kendrick’s verses, and the hook really speak to the styles and slight nuances that Q and Kendrick retain. “Break the Bank” is more consistent with the rest of the record as it carries on the cold, calculated, gritty aesthetic many of the tracks up this point have withheld. The Michael Myers-esque piano riff, along with Q’s ferocious delivery and his off key 'La-Di-Das’ on the hook somehow make the track even more unsettling. Even “Man of the Year” probably my least favorite of the singles released fits well as a closer to the album with the triumphant beat that serves as beacon of hopefulness for the future of Q’s career.

The moments where Q is self aware that being a gangsta isn’t what it is cracked up to be are some of the best. He has seen and dealt with addiction first hand, he has hurt the people around him and he has ruined lives of those to whom he dealt to but it’s all in the name of a good cause. His daughter. Q’s album suddenly becomes a morality play on whether or not doing bad things for a good reason is justification enough to even do said bad things in the first place. Like “Prescription/Oxymoron” on the former half of the track, Prescription, Q takes a reflective look on his life choices as he’s nodding in and out of a coma. His daughter calls for him but he’s so fucked up that being there to answer and comfort her is near impossible. The beat switches to the latter half, Oxymoron, where the playing field has changed. Q is dealing now. The mood of the track drastically alters as it fades from the spacey & somewhat serene instrumental to one with a gritty piano riff paired with some choppy snares. Q’s flow changes as well, now spitting at his most menace state. If Q does one thing right on this album, it’s setting the mood with the instrumentals. Even if Q is for lack of a better word, blunt, in his lyrics and delivery, the instrumental fills in the blank spaces and sets the tone for the track.

I think this record definitely showed Q’s progression as an artist. He took many themes and motifs from Habits and Contradictions and was able to carry them over almost flawlessly, hand picking what could be improved upon and dropping what he no longer needed. Q is able to get personal and touching on this record without compromising that gangsta/west coast feel. Although sometimes that’s to his disadvantage because his blunt flow and 'get-what-you-hear’ lyrics can almost feel to bland. His vocabulary or lack thereof seems limited, and whether or not that’s intentional it still does take its toll. I was also a little disappointed by the lack of variety in some of the instrumentals. Some of the songs, namely the singles released, fit really well in the context of the album because their instrumentals were distinct enough yet still offered a west coast vibe. Some of the other songs, however, following one after another, start to feel like a blur. I think Q also needs to shorten some of the tracks on here. If Q was a more versatile rapper than the extra two minutes might feel fresh, but simply put, Q isn’t. The tracks will just lag on and repeat what we had already been hearing over and over on the first 3-4 minutes of a track. The original twelve track version of this record I think by itself is really good. Going beyond those tracks (Deluxe Edition) the quality takes a nosedive. As I have already mentioned, “His & Her Friend” feels really middle-of-the-road with both a weak instrumental and rather weak verses. “Grooveline Pt. 2” is smooth, but the hook, verses both lack not in quality, but in substance. And “Fuck LA” feels like a misguided filler track even though on the deluxe edition it would be the closer. Back to the point though, I think Q definitely was able to refine and perfect his talents, honing in on what needed improvement from Habits. Even though, somewhat repetitious, occasionally lacking lyrical prowess and a couple overly lengthy tracks, Q managed to create a record that’s atmosphere was consistently ominous yet creative in its own right. This record sealed my feelings about Q, and I think he, with the support (and hopefully the occasional collaboration) of his Black Hippy crew will manage to flourish in the genre for years to come.

7.75/10

Favorite Tracks: “Prescription/Oxymoron, "The Purge”, “Blind Threats”, “Collared Greens”, “Break the Bank”.

By: Parker

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