On his unrepentant fourth LP, West Coast rapper Schoolboy Q is a troubled, cop-dodging sex addict. The introspective gangster rap record sees Q take ringleader status in a star-studded domain the 17 tracks include gutsy collaborations with Kanye West, Vince Staples, E-40, Tha Dogg Pound, SZA, Anderson .Paak, Miguel, Justine Skye and others.
It kicks off in classic Q form on TorcH, featuring XXL freshman A .Paak: raspy vocals, thick, grimy production, vivid lyrics. “Grandma sweeped shells out the driveway / one of the homies got slayed,” recalls Q in a chilling account of his upbringing in South Central L.A.
This same hard-hitting flow solidified the 29-year-old’s career on his 2014 full-length, Oxymoron. Blank Face comes after a two-year hiatus and the news earlier this month that the rapper “almost quit” rap to spend more time with his seven-year-old daughter. But apparently being “five years rich,” as he boasts in first single THat Part (featuring Yeezy), isn’t quite enough to warrant early retirement.
Standout track Groovy Tony / Eddie Kane includes hip-hop veteran Jadakiss rapping over dragging bass lines and eerie synths, with Q managing to sound danceable while keeping his edge intact. By Any Means is another earworm, with catchy singsong rap and a slowed-down tempo. The album’s almost over when bedroom jam Overtime slides in, featuring Justine Skye and R&B superstar Miguel, who repeatedly croons, “I wanna fuck right now” during the hook. The sex-crazed tune offers some relief from the solemn themes.
Q might appear masked on the album cover, but his explicit tales of hardship, prosperity and loss hide nothing.
Top track: THat Part
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