It has been a few years now since the release of ScHoolboy Q’s last album Oxymoron, which received mixed reviews and, in the eyes of many, did not live up to the potential he showed on his excellent sophomore album Habits & Contradictions. Since Oxymoron, which spawned a number of hit singles and a big 2014 for Q, he has been relatively quiet. It was a significant hiatus for him - he lost 30 pounds, quit drinking lean, and almost retired. Q is back, however after the release of the underwhelming lead single “THat Part”, I wasn’t sure what to expect from this album, and honestly wasn’t chomping at the bit to hear it.
“TorcH (feat. Anderson Paak)” (Prod. By Nez & Rio) – This song sets the tone for what looks like another hard, gangsta ScHoolboy Q album. But at the same time, this also feels like very different and much more artistic territory for Q. “TorcH” has a heavy rock influence to it. The guitar riff throughout the song is downright nasty, the drums are textured and cavernous, and Q and Paak are screaming all over it. The song is about having what everyone wants, not needing friends because of it, and meaning everything they say. It’s a risky but strong opening.
“Lord Have Mercy” (Prod. By Swizz Beatz) – This short song features Q wondering if God will forgive him for all the things he has done. He’s also grateful for his new life and says it is much better than “bullet holes in my shirt.” His verse is very strong, introspective, and reflective. The beat sets the stage well for this introspection and gives Q room to speak his piece. The Swizz Beatz hook, however, is unimaginative and a little annoying. More could have been done here and a better vocalist could have been utilized, but it doesn’t completely ruin this moment of introspection.
“THat Part (feat. Kanye West)” (Prod. By Yung Exclusive, Cubeatz & Cardo) – I still don’t entirely understand the significance of “that part” being said throughout the song. This was the lead single for the album, and in context it still doesn’t do much for me. The beat is nice and almost reminds me of “Levitate” by Kendrick Lamar. The production of the outro is very bombastic and almost Yeezus-like. ScHoolboy Q gives an average performance, but Kanye West is a disaster. I just don’t understand this song – after a while it drags on and is very skippable.
“Groovy Tony/Eddie Kane (feat. Jadakiss)” (Prod. By Dem Jointz & Tae Beast) – The first half of this song features a dirty, drum-heavy beat and Q rapping his ass off about his gangster persona. His lyrical performance is incredible on this song – his energy is methodical but razor sharp. Jadakiss delivers an excellent feature as well and a great “Juice” reference, “When I hug your mom and look over her shoulder/You notice I’ve got the (Blank face)”. The second half is like the downfall after living this life, and includes many references to Eddie Kane in the movie “The Five Heartbeats.” As it progresses it slowly morphs from hardcore gangsterism to regretful defeat. The drums are excellent and the hook by Dem Jointz is fantastic and very well produced. “Groovy Tony/Eddie Kane” is a fantastic song.
“Kno Ya Wrong (feat. Lance Skiiiwalker)” (Prod. By J.LBS & The Alchemist) – The first half of this song has Q singing in a very slurred, bluesy manner over a tight piano sample. He’s singing a sort of ode to people who try to ask him for handouts, and he thinks it’s morally wrong. You can tell he is really feeling what he says and letting that vibe carry the song. The second half has Lance Skiiiwalker singing about his almost desperate desire to find a woman over a jazzy synthesized beat. The song as a whole is smooth and flows nice, but neither Q nor Lance are particularly adept singers. Not a bad song, but nothing about it makes me want to come back to it.
“Ride Out (feat. Vince Staples)” (Prod. By Sounwave) – This song is an absolute banger and no doubt one of the strongest on the album. The beat is layered and insane, with a heavy, buzzing bass and stabs of hi hat rolls. Q and Vince Staples rap about gang life in their neighborhoods. Vince in particular absolutely destroys his verse – he rides it perfectly and paints a vivid picture of his home. Both artists sound perfectly at home here, and this song is excellent.
“WHateva U Want (feat. Candice Pillay)” (Prod. By Tae Beast) – This groove-heavy dance track tells an entertaining story about love. Q tells a girl that she can have whatever she wants if she’s with him – fast cars, nice clothes, money, etc. His delivery is solid and groovy – I could definitely hear this song in a club. Candice Pillay’s backing vocals are beautiful as well and add a lot to the song. At the end, Candice says that she doesn’t need all the material things he has offered her, but just his love. It’s a cute and entertaining song, but also a well put-together dance track.
“By Any Means” (Prod. By Yung Exclusive & Cardo) – This song has an old school TDE sort of sound to it. Q is rapping about how everyone should work to get their piece by any means. If that means doing illegal things, he thinks it is justified if it will get him out of his situation. Kendrick Lamar provides some nice background vocals and Q’s singing on the bridge is actually quite nice. It has a very desperate, “do whatever it takes” feel to it. As far as Q and Kendrick collaborations go, this is another win.
“Dope Dealer (feat. E-40)” (Prod. By Southside & Metro Boomin) – I was curious how Metro Boomin and Southside would work with an artist like Q, but the result was pretty satisfying. They each stepped into each other’s’ world – Southside and Metro flipped a dirty sample while Q rode the beat similar to many trap artists. Q and E-40 are rapping about their drug dealing lifestyles on this track, and they both do a decent job. Overall this isn’t an overly complex song but it is solid in its own right.
“JoHn Muir” (Prod. By Sounwave) – There is a nice, old-school sampled beat on this song that works well with the nostalgic story of the track. Q is talking about his youth and how he got into his gangster lifestyle at a young age. He even proclaims that he was selling drugs and having sex at age 14. Not overly complex, but good song.
“Big Body (feat. Tha Dogg Pound)” (Prod. By Tyler, The Creator) – This song has a very old-school west coast party vibe which is only amplified by the presence of Tha Dogg Pound. The beat is interesting in that it is very traditional west coast but also fundamentally sounds like a Tyler, The Creator beat. It’s an alright song – the hook is kind of annoying but the beat is decent and the verses are entertaining.
“Neva CHange (feat. SZA)” (Prod. By Larrance Dopson & DJ Dahi) – This is a very smooth and lovely song about how Q doesn’t think the world has changed much. There are still problems in the world and with himself and they aren’t going away. The beat is beautiful and textured with some nice low end that fills the room. SZA’s hook is solid and feels nostalgic. Good, chill song about some real shit.
“Str8 Ballin” (Prod. By Nez & Rio) – This song celebrates Q’s rise from nothing to something, and it’s a beautiful song. The hook features some nice soulful singing and the repeated horn sample in the instrumental is unconventional but works quite well. Q is showing a lot of diversity with his flow on this song and his lyrical performance is great as a result. Touching story.
“Black THougHts” (Prod. By Willie B) – The instrumental on this track is truly beautiful. Very muffled acoustic drums are paired with fluttering keys in the background to make a great canvas for Q to discuss issues in the black community. At the end of the song, he calls for Bloods and Crips to stop killing each other. He tells them that “all lives matter, both sides.” The hook is very intriguing. A slowed down, deep-voiced Kendrick Lamar says “The joke’s on you” right after Q essentially denounces everything he had been glorifying on the album. He also says “Black thoughts and marijuana, its karma”, meaning that suffering from depression and bad thoughts and healing them with drugs causes a never-ending cycle of pain. Beautiful and meaningful song.
“Blank Face (feat. Anderson Paak)” (Prod. By Tony Russell & Sounwave) – This beautiful duet with Anderson Paak sees him and Q talking about how they were raised and the issues in the world today. Paak particularly has an excellent feature with some very strong singing. The beat is light but pretty, with backing vocals, guitar stabs, and very little in the way of drums. Another strong song.
“Overtime (feat. Justine Skye & Miguel)” (Prod. By Frank Dukes, Yung Exclusive & Cardo) – This song feels painfully out of place. On an album where Q is primarily talking about coming up in a bad neighborhood and doing illegal things, a smooth, somewhat awkward song about banging a girl just doesn’t fit. This song reminds me of a worse version of “Studio”, and Q actually admitted that the song was only made for the label and he didn’t really want to make it. Miguel’s feature is pretty good, but that is really the only saving grace.
“Tookie Knows II (feat. TF & Traffic)” (Prod. By Nez & Rio) – The instrumental for this song is essentially the perfect loop for talking about crime and jail life. A sinister piano loop and quick, choppy drums lay a foundation for three strong verses. Everyone’s performance is strong here. It’s a good way to close the album out.
Blank Face LP is interesting in that it deals with typical ScHoolboy Q topics in an atypical manner. The production on this album is very strong and very unique. A lot of dusty, grimy samples and drums are used as well as more modern and trap-influenced sounds. This album is at its best when it’s being creative while exploring topics that Q regularly talks about. The dark, violent, gangsta ScHoolboy Q music is the best kind.
Every song on this album has its own individual identity, which makes the project feel more diverse than his past work. There are some misses on the album, but for the most part it is a well-constructed project with excellent production and strong messages.
BEST SONGS: By Any Means, Groovy Tony/Eddie Kane, Ride Out, Str8 Ballin
WORST SONGS: Overtime, THat Part, Kno Ya Wrong, Lord Have Mercy, Big Body
OVERALL: 8/10
