As Q so bitingly put it, “It’ll be some white guy from Idaho trying to tell you about your culture.” As I sat in my apartment in Madison, Wisconsin, his grievances with my archetype forced me to in this instance question the merit of my own opinion.
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In the same Vulture interview, Q directly addressed “internet dweebs” such as myself, whose musical sensibilities are too anti-commercial (and prejudiced) to give his new approach the respect it deserves. My critique thus far, especially in light of the fact that I am a hipster white dude, is in a lot of ways trite and played-out. The particular subgenre of rap that Chopstix embodies isn’t what I’m expecting when listening to a Schoolboy Q release, no matter the quality of the track itself.
![schoolboy q chopstix album cover schoolboy q chopstix album cover](https://amusic.tv/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/schoolboy-q-chopstix-600x375.jpg)
On the other hand, part of me wishes that this track in particular had been on, for example, a Travis Scott record, and not a Q release. I will listen to it for a long time, and enjoy it thoroughly. On the one hand, this song’s existence is clearly a net positive, even for a jaded listener such as myself. Q has no problem flexing, creeping, and flowing over this trackt, his dark humor perfectly tailored to this somehow-sinister anthem.Īfter listening to this song in particular, I was left conflicted. To call this a banger would be an understatement. Q uses this to his advantage, spitting venomously over a murkily produced club rocker of a beat. Scott’s auto-tuned hook is deeply reminiscent of his 2018 release astroworld, one of last year’s most popular records. Q’s use of words like “splash” and “sauce” reference to his clothing once again points us toward the rap of 21 Savage.Ĭhopstix, which features Travis Scott, is another pop-rap anthem. Q’s bars don’t necessarily feel out of place here, but the craft of this song is straight out of Savage’s trap oeuvre. On “Floating”, the album’s 9 th track, Q brings his trademark sinister rhymes to a beat that in reality seems to be tailored to the strengths 21 Savage, who is featured on the song. Shorter songs, harder hitting 808s, and a less introspective force this album out of line with Q’s prior work. Lil Baby, 21 Savage, Ty Dolla Sign, YG, Kid Cudi, and most notably Travis Scott assist in his transition to a new sonic profile. Its cast of features stands as good indicator of Q’s contemporary focal shift. This record is by far his poppiest release to date. That’s not the Q we got on his most recent release, Crash Talk. Though undeniably a student of the West Coast school of rap, his raspy voice and choppy delivery were reminiscent of New York legends like Mobb Deep and The Wu Tang Clan.
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The carefully controlled aggression of his cruelly true-to-life bars were a stark reminder of what rap had been in years past, paired with modern, boundary shifting instrumentals. That darkness had been to me the LA emcee’s musical X factor. In his classic eff-you cadence, Q explained that his biggest regret with his critically-acclaimed 2016 LP Blank Face was that the album was just “besides from a couple of songs, pretty dark.”Īs a long time Q listener, I was frankly a little surprised. Over the course of those three years it seems that the rapper has to a certain extent re-jiggered his creative philosophy, which he discussed in a sit down with New York Magazine’s Vulture. It also means coping with the untimely death of friends in the spotlight, constantly being asked "What’s next?" and navigating fluctuating temperaments for the world to dissect and discuss on the Timeline ©.It’s been three years since the world last heard from TDE signee and LA Rap icon Schoolboy Q. Yet, as his comments to Weiss indicate, there’s more to rap success than praise from legends, mansions, and money there’s devouring darkness, suffocating silence, and unbearable uncertainty. Lyrics like, “ Front row at the Grammys, I'm getting praises from Jay, fuck about this award, I'm happy he knows my name, favorite rapper Nas been told me that I'm the best” or “ Got my daughter that mansion (That mansion) Gave my mother that million (Million)” display how far he’s come since his daughter Joy said, “Fuck rap, my daddy a gangsta ,” on Oxymoron intro " Gangsta."
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In several interviews, Q has stated CrasH Talk is his first album (of five) based around his life as a prosperous rapper and thriving parent. Every record on CrasH Talk that was constructed to be a hit declares: “I’m rich” “I’m famous” “I’m fine.” But the bravado doesn't harmonize with Q's tone or his energy.