Wish I didn’t take the time to review this one, very disappointing

Let me get this straight firstly, I like ScHoolboy Q and his older stuff (Collard Greens, Hands on the wheel).   I have always respected his contribution on other’s peoples tracks also (X, PMW and Electric Body).   However, this album was a struggle for me to review, I had to split the listening up into two sessions to get through it.   I understand that he is a ‘crip,’ appanetly, so he legitamity was a gangster.  But it just doesn’t seem to suit him and his voice.

All the tracks in this album have that scary, strong bass, slow vibe with gangster lyrics that really mean nothing and have no substance.   I also found his songs to be short, there isn’t enough effort put into them.   This album is just a shit attempt to show off how gangster he is, and despite actually being a gangster, he doesn’t pull it off, it doesn’t match him.   Ironic isn’t it.   I just feel that ScHoolboy has more creative lyricism to offer and that this album was a poor effort.

This may be the type of album that you fully understand the 3rd or 4th listening so I will try it again, maybe with some weed to assist next time.   Perhaps I was too sober when listening to this album lol.

Album Rating= 2/5

Track Reviews

Gang Gang

Abit of a hardcore gangster introduction into the album.   A psychotic beat with a focus on gangster life, material.   Kind of paints a picture of himself as a gangster, drug dealer.   The contrast of this song into the next ‘Tales’ is a pretty transition.   Probably not a song I will be replaying anytime soon.  2/5

Tales

Has a decent beat, drum roll with a kind of laid back mexican feel.   Tells abit of a story, more substance to this one.   Probably won’t ever listen to this again to be honest, doesn’t really excite me in any way.   3/5

CHopstix

Just when I thought it couldn’t get worse let’s add Travis Scott and bloody autotuned chorus, dear god man.   This one is so obviously built to be a commercial track.   Look, I like to comparison of chopstix to a females legs but seriously, another average effort.   Didn’t even want to listen to the end with this one it irritated me that much, over half the song is the chorus, hardly any content in this one.   2/5

Numb Numb Juice

Ok, THIS IS BETTER.   Good energy on this one, hard as fuck beat coming in in the background makes the hair on the back of my neck stand up.   Chorus is interesting, unique.   Flow is switched up throughout the song which keeps your interest in check. Will listen to this one again.   4/5

Drunk (feat. 6LACK)

Decent modern Nas type beat, content is about getting drunk / a buzz.   Not really demonstrating any kind of story just kind of rambling about nothing, not impressed.   2/5

Lies (feat. Ty Dolla $ign & YG)

I got excited about this one due to the features… Ty Dolla Sign did a great job as usual, his peircingly sweet tone got me going at the start, but that fades.   YG’s verse is a sub par effort.   Another shit song.   2/5

5200

I don’t even know what they hell he is going on about in this song, starting to want to stop listening to this album at this point.   There is just no substance in any of these tracks, no story telling, just some random bullshit chorus to paint one picture for the entire song.   That shit isn’t carrying me through too well.   1.5/5

Black Folk

Black Folk doesn’t offer much variation throughout the song beat wise, except in the tone of Schoolboy’s voice.   Decent content, “Who know failure make you better, my adversities turn me to a killer.”   Another average effort.   2.5/5

Floating (feat 21 Savage)

You would think that having 21 Savage, who is fire at the moment, would atleast help you get a decent track on this album.  “You can’t do nothing for me, unless you leaving hickies where my dick be” by 21Savage in his verse made me giggle.   Won’t be listening to this anytime soon again.   3/5

Dangerous (feat. Kid Cudi)

Some nice variation in the in eclectic slow beat, not offering much in the content lyrically.  Not the biggest fan of Kid Cudi myself, this song is abit more interesting than the previous reviewed.   3.5/5

Die Wit Em

Scary, horror type of beat.   Cold, gangster feeling to this song.   Content is nothing special, type of this album with agressive lyrics with no substance.   2/5

Crash

The beat is sampling Royce the 5’9’s beat from ‘Boom.’   Quite frankly it sounded better in Royce’s song.   I do like the ASAP Rocky like deep voice sounds in the background echoíng Schoolboy’s rapping.   Lyrics are about supporting his family and bitching about his peers, gez I have never heard a rapper rap about that before.   2.5/5

Water (feat Lil Baby)

Lil baby kills his verse on this one.   The beat is a bassy with an old fashioned sound supporting it.   Not bad. 3.5/5

Attention

Starts off with a pretty impressive acapella then goes into a trippy repeatative beat.   Tells a story about his childhood and gang life, gets more personal on this one.   I think with time through the beat will do my head in, but this is however one of the best tracks on the album.   4/5

Thank god that is over.