Last year saw rapper Kendrick Lamar almost instantaneously transform from an underground respected lyricist to a billboard-topping Grammy nominee. Before the release of his 2012 album, Good Kid, M.A.A.D. City, the Compton native was hardly known by the popular music world, only receiving recognition from a few aware hip-hop artists and rap nerds who were willing to look deep enough to find him.
The same can be said for most other artists signed to Top Dawg Entertainment (T.D.E.), the independent record label featuring Kendrick and his associated “Black Hippy” group. The label is composed of rappers that have not yet gotten the recognition that they may deserve; as is exampled by Kendrick’s immediate rise to fame once the rest of the world caught on to how talented he truly was.
Besides Good Kid, M.A.A.D. City, T.D.E. has released no other full-length albums for major label distribution, so it has really been a waiting game to see if another one of the label’s artists can rise to fame in the way that Kendrick was able to.
This question may be answered on February 25th, with the release of T.D.E. rapper Schoolboy Q’s major label debut, Oxymoron.
The 27-year-old Los Angeles native has released 4 singles in promotion of the album. The most noteworthy of which, “Collared Greens” (featuring Kendrick Lamar), and “Man of the Year” were able to crack the Billboard Hot 100. Will this momentum be enough for Schoolboy Q to step into the hip-hop foreground? It can’t yet be seen; regardless the album will deserve a listen from even semi-knowledgeable rap fans.
Why You Should Check it Out:
Schoolboy Q’s creative intentions seem to differ from his label counterpart Kendrick Lamar when it comes to beats. Schoolboy seems more comfortable on more up-tempo and trap influenced tracks, as exampled by singles “Man of the Year” and “Yay Yay”. However, his concerns in regards to lyricism and song structure seem more similar to Kendrick’s style. He raps frequently about the difficult life associated with growing up poor in Los Angeles, as well as the sometimes damaging financial greed that comes from the want to improve one’s situation. Of course as with Kendrick, these themes are portrayed in more of an ironic style, although it is clear that Schoolboy is still at times very concerned with making money and bragging about his past.
All of these factors combine to form songs that have lyrical merit similar to Kendrick’s, although they may often be portrayed through beats with an even more popular rap appeal. This quality sets up Oxymoron to be an album that can entertain popular rap fans and underground fans alike.