Habits & Contradictions
Top Dawg Entertainment/ G.E.D Inc
5/5
A lot more meaning lies underneath the cover of ScHoolboy Q’s newest independent album Habits & Contradictions (HnC). When this Los Angeles native officially released the album on January 14th, he immediately elevated his own capabilities, the reputation of TDE, and contemporary Hip Hop. ScHoolboy Q has already set the bar mighty high for releases in 2012. But, it’s not just the exceptional ebb & flow of the album as a whole. There is a lot more substance Q speaks of and he shares a lot more here than the average rapper talking about “a day in the life”. Apart from the top-notch production, it’s how subliminal, how hidden his implications are that has already put HnC on numerous “best new music” lists.
ScHoolboy Q has been making a name for himself since the release of his first mixtape in 2008, Schoolboy Turned Hustla, and everything from his material, to production, to presence has been on the hasty rise. Q released HnC with his own independent label Top Dawg Entertainment (TDE) and stays loyal to the West along with the accomplished ‘Black Hippy’ affiliates Kendrick Lamar, Jay Rock, and Ab-Soul, all of whom are featured on the 17-track album. HnC is supposedly a “prequel” to Q’s first independent album Setbacks (TDE) released in 2011. Although the order in which the albums were put together are a little unclear, they most definitely make for a compelling story…
These days, it’s rare I listen a whole album and on almost every song I’m infatuated with everything from the words to the beats to the tone of voice. Now, if I could break each track down one-by-one I would because this album deserves it. But besides the fact that I could do that for hours, there are those chosen tracks that keep you coming back for more. The first of these being “Nightmare On Figg St.”. With every fiber of your being you cannot turn your full attention away from the moment that beat drops, courtesy of A$AP Ty Beats. It begins with suspense and ends with a surge that forces you to put that ish right back on repeat. It mirrors exactly what would be the soundtrack to a blazing scene in “Nightmare on Elm Street” if it took place in West Los Angeles, hence the title. Luckily, we were given the equally exciting visuals for it last week, to truly see how Q envisioned his words would come to life.
httpv://youtu.be/LGRHKwFHvNM
Other chosen tracks are “Druggys Wit Hoes Again” (feat. Ab-Soul), “There He Go”, “Blessed” (feat. Kendrick Lamar), “Sex Drive” (feat. Jhene Aiko), and “Hands On The Wheel” (feat. A$AP Rocky) for their lyrical witticisms and hypnotic instrumental value. On each song, every beat drops at exactly the perfect moment under exactly the right words. “Blessed” is the best example of this, though. There is just enough space in-between what’s being said and what’s being done with the beat underneath. There’s just enough breathing room to soak in the lyrics. Other highlights of this include “Gangsta In Designer (No Concept)” prod. by Willie B (of Digi+Phonics), and “NiggaHs.Already.Know.Davers.Flow” prod. by Nez & Rio, both of which I would listen to instrumental versions of all day long!
Besides his music, what I like about Q is what he’s about as an artist. He’s more than gangs and reppin’ that lifestyle. Sure, it’s something he obviously knows about and shares with us . But, we can also hear that rapping doesn’t seem like something he ever really tries to do. He just does it. This is not to mean that he doesn’t put effort into his work. Obviously, he has been working hella hard since 2008 and before that. But HnC is heard as something so natural you couldn’t take the flow out of him unless you sucked his soul dry, even then… Q has claimed that he has always been surrounded by people who were always rapping that it became a natural instinct, a habit.
Now, the title is something to ponder. It’s easy to overlook what ScHoolboy Q must mean by a “habit” & a “contradiction”. Perhaps he’s referencing that a habit, as an action, becomes something so routine, so embedded in daily life that once you realize how accustomed you are, it becomes a contradiction. You realize your doing something but the thought of realizing what you’re doing makes it a contradiction. And of course as heard on HnC, habits can be good and bad. Who knows, Q does like those books so I wouldn’t be surprised if he indulged in a few sociology texts now and then…
West Coast Hip Hop has been resurfacing recently with some strong forces and many more to come. But, I would say that with the release of HnC, as representative of TDE, that Hip Hop has hit a high note and it sounds oh-so beautiful. Prior to this album we’ve been “Blessed” with releases from the rare, raw talents Kendrick & Ab-Soul, whose individual work is dope within itself… But ‘Black Hippy’ represents something more profound because of the way they are able to relate to Hip Hop heads of our generation. The older wave of rap artists have made their own respectable, original mark on music that cannot be re-done or re-made in any way, no sir. However, they aren’t in the same place in life anymore. Q, Kendrick, and Ab-Soul (among others) speak about and for those seeking their own path in life on what to do next. Particularly, kids getting right out of high school and are pretty unsure of themselves. ‘Black Hippy’ can directly relate to 17, 18, 19 year-olds who are in the same space of creating and re-creating their mark on society. Of course, their audience includes people of all ages, but for those buying the albums and incessantly staying on top of their every move are visibly the people that relate most to the lifestyle and the language.
The language. This is something ScHoolboy Q owns that sets him aside from the voices of other current Cali artists. Q has mentioned in interviews that his early teenage years were the most influential and he saturated himself in the East coast sounds of Nas and Biggie. This shines through 100%. You can tell by his wordplay. The wit and clever way he arranges words and fits in well-known references is done in a very poetic manner. A good example of this is sarcastically referencing the well-known sayings of Kanye & Lil’ Jon in “Nightmare On Figg St.”. Q has created his own language with HnC even in the way he spits bars from the chorus in “There He Go”. It’s all about the tone. He speaks in his own way, a way no one can really imitate. His voice, his way is unexpected and unfamiliar, which makes it so remarkable. It’s original and considering how difficult it is today to be completely authentic, I dig every piece of what is original. For this reason, I’m overjoyed to give Habits & Contradictions all five stars!
Review by: Stephanie Nicole Jones – journalist
@Stephnicojones
