Review: ScHoolboy Q revives gangster rap with “Oxymoron”
![Review: ScHoolboy Q revives gangster rap with "Oxymoron"](https://www.theskylineview.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/76a7ea53-fb5a-4b67-8c44-89b6aabe6c28.jpg)
From the corners of Los Angeles, California to the various locations that we see him on numerous music videos, ScHoolboy Q releases his second studio album titled “Oxymoron,” in an attempt to revive the gangster rap era from the 1990s.
If you are looking for an album with poetic literacy, calm vibes, and a nice mood setter with your significant other, then this album is not for you.
However, if you are looking for an album with loquacious, hardcore, trap-based, bass-thumping, speaker-breaking instrumentals and lyrics, then this album is for you.
Unlike most popular rappers of our generation, Q is directly affiliated with the gangster lifestyle, to which most have no credibility for touching the microphone. While doing a 360-degree turnaround from his Black Hippy teammate Kendrick Lamar, Q finds himself venturing off from an album that contains a complete day’s storyline and focuses more on music that pertains to his everyday life and a little bit about what he thinks of himself.
You have the ego-jerking song “Man of the Year,” which found its way to #62 on the Billboard Hot 100 thus far this year, along with “Collard Greens” featuring Kendrick Lamar, a favorite for the clubs and younger generations of our time. Others may have a different opinion, but I’d say that the best songs on the album are probably the singles.
In Q’s album, there is also a mixture of the present day rap generation along with a couple of old school favorites. The album features Jay Rock, another member of the Black Hippy family, 2 Chainz, Tyler The Creator, and old school features such as Raekwon, SZA and Suga Free.
As mentioned earlier, this album does not give you a calm setting. With the up tempo trap music sounds and overloaded instrumentals, there isn’t a time to take a breath and reflect on the music.
However, I applaud ScHoolboy Q for creating an album that attempts to revive gangster rap. Although gangster rap is not the current trending topic in the media, this album puts a stamp mark toward Q’s genuine lifestyle. As opposed to serving the media with music that has no content, he can at least put out music that has a degree of legitimacy toward it. As for myself, I do not appeal to the gangster lifestyle, but I do appreciate legitimacy and credibility for what rappers speak about in their music.
Update: this article has been updated to better reflect the article. 1:14 .p.m. 3/17/2014.