Out of all of the great music from massive artists that is supposed to come out in 2024(Ariana Grande, Rihanna, A$AP Rocky, and so many more come to mind), Schoolboy Q’s album is the one I have been looking forward to the most. Anyone who knows me knows about my love for Schoolboy Q’s music; he is easily one of my favorite rappers ever, and he is an artist whose music has resonated with me since I first started listening to him. Unfortunately, I have hardly been able to talk about Schoolboy Q on this blog. His last album Crash Talk came out slightly before I started this blog five years ago, and he has mainly done one-off features since then(I did highlight my admiration for him in a post I made late in 2019, so if you love Schoolboy and like this review go read that one after you are done here). Since he first emerged, Schoolboy has been one of the most unique and interesting rappers in Hip Hop. Everything about his music stands out. From his diverse instrumentals to his crazy vocals to his raw and powerful lyricism, Schoolboy Q is an artist who carves his own lane. After debuting in the early 2010s with the excellent projects Setbacks and Habits & Contradictions, Schoolboy Q dropped what is considered one of the best rap albums of the 2010s, Oxymoron, in 2014. He followed this record up with Blank Face LP in 2016, which is someone considered to be even better than Oxymoron. These records are so different from each other and so different from what anyone else in Hip Hop was doing at the time, and they cemented Schoolboy Q as one of the greats in Hip Hop. Crash Talk was not quite as beloved as those two records. However, it is still a great album that shows Schoolboy Q’s ability to progress with the times(the context around the release of this album affects its sound for sure, as Schoolboy Q has said he re-recorded the whole project after his friend Mac Miller died because Mac helped him make the first version and it made him feel bad). Schoolboy Q has finally returned to the Rap game in 2024 with his new record BLUE LIPS. The rollout for this album has been awesome; Schoolboy Q has done a ton of promo for the record through videos on social media and YouTube, once again showing that there is no one like him in Hip Hop. With that being said, here is how I feel about Schoolboy Q’s new album BLUE LIPS. Please let me know in the comments below what your favorite songs are on BLUE LIPS, and also comment on how you feel about the album as a whole.
‘Funny Guy’ begins BLUE LIPS on a pretty calm and peaceful note. The instrumental for this one is funky and simple; it is driven by an old-school R&B-style guitar riff that is complemented by bell-like sound effects that are put on a soft drum beat that comes in and out. Schoolboy Q’s vocals on this track are sing-songy and understated. Even though they are quietly delivered(for the most part), they are captivating because of how catchy they are. Everything about this track feels like an opener. Even though it is friendly sounding, it has this energy about it that makes it seem like something huge is coming. On ‘Funny Guy,’ he raps about wanting to have fun and get back to his rambunctious self. It is almost like he is warning everyone that he is back. ‘Pop,’ which features Rico Nasty, has an interesting component to the track that we will find frequently on the rest of the album. This track has a pretty subdued introduction section to the track with a sound pretty unlike the rest of it. The introduction of ‘Pop’ has a rumbling Country Western sound driven by a heavy synth-driven melody put on a Folk-style drum beat. Schoolboy’s vocal performance during this part of the song is pretty laid-back, matching the feeling of the instrumental. As Schoolboy’s flow and vocal inflection start to get more fierce and frantic, the instrumental gets super mean. The rest of the instrumental for ‘Pop’ has an unsettling Boom-Bap sound driven by really menacing synths. Both Schoolboy Q and Rico Nasty’s performances on this track are super brash, matching the feeling of the instrumental. I love how they literally yell during portions of their performances, and it makes me think this one would be awesome to see performed live. In other words, this track is a total banger. On ‘Pop,’ Schoolboy Q and Rico Nasty have not changed as they have become famous; they are just as belligerent and combative as they always were. ‘THank god for me’ is a track fans have been waiting for. It was previewed a few months ago at a Boiler Room performance a couple of months back, and since then those who saw that performance have been clamoring for it. ‘THank god for me’ begins with a nonchalant old-school R&B-style introduction that is pretty similar to the groovy instrumental we heard on ‘Funny Guy.’ Schoolboy Q’s flow during this section of the track is actually pretty similar to his flow later in the track, but it is delivered in a way more casual manner than it is on the rest of the track. After the introduction, the instrumental takes on a gritty underground Trap sound with a raucous energy. This portion of the song is driven by a sample of the iconic Project Pat song ‘Chickenhead.’ Towards the end of the track, the instrumental switches back to that R&B-style melody and drum pattern we heard at the beginning of the track. Schoolboy Q’s vocals during the outro are just as high-key as they are during the bulk of it though, giving this part of the song an uneasy feeling because of the contrast in vocals and instrumental. ‘THank god for me’ is super interesting because it provides so many different feelings as a listener because of how it is constantly changing. On ‘THank god for me,’ Schoolboy Q is calling out his opps and asserting himself as a titan in the Rap world and the Trap world. ‘Blueslides’ really brings the energy back down for a brief moment, which is nice after the chaos of the last two tracks. This instrumental is very understated and uncomplicated. It consists of a Jazzy piano melody and Soft Jazz drumbeat and a sweet vocal sample that comes in and out. Schoolboy Q’s performance on this song is smooth yet determined. The way he flows on this track draws in the listener and commands attention. ‘Blueslides’ is meant to be a tribute to Mac Miller through its title and lyricism. On this one, Schoolboy Q raps about his mental health, going back and forth between praising himself and mentioning his fears in life. Schoolboy Q turns the energy right back up with ‘Yeern 101.’ This instrumental is so crazy and intense that it is almost unsettling. The synths and sound effects that drive the melody are so dark, that the bass drives the Boom-Bap style beat(until the end of the track when it switches to a Horrorcore Trap beat) completely rattles. This one kind of feels like a futuristic version of a Wu-Tang song. Schoolboy Q’s vocal performance on ‘Yeern 101’ is just as s as the instrumental. His flow and tone on the track make it all the more dominant sounding. On ‘Yeern 101,’ Schoolboy Q is bragging about his rockstar life, using so many fun metaphors to get his point across.
After a very brief introduction that consists of a sample of the popular Tik Tok Jazz-Pop track ‘Can I Call You Rose’ by the Sacred Souls, ‘Love Birds,’ which features fellow Top Dawg Entertainment artists Devin Malik and Lance Skiiiwalker, takes on a super aggressive instrumental with an experimental Boom Bap sound that is sort of similar to the one of the last track. This portion of ‘Love Birds’ is slower, more metallic, and frightening than ‘Yeern 101’ though, especially because of the screeching vocal samples that come in and out. The ‘Can I Call You Rose’ comes back a couple of times throughout this track and serves as the basis for the instrumental that closes the song out. Schoolboy Q and Lance Skiiiwalker do their thing on ‘Love Birds’(Lance Skiiiwalker’s singing portions provide a nice buffer), Devin Malik stands out the most. His quirky flow and tone sound so interesting on this instrumental as they contrast it greatly. On ‘Love Birds,’ Schoolboy, Devin, and Lance sing and rap about how their status and prowess can get them anything(or any woman) they want in life. ‘Movie,’ which features Az Chike, is one of two songs on the album that are under 2:00. This one honestly feels like an interlude in a way because of how brief it is and how it breaks up the intensity of the record(and because of the fact Az Chike is the lead artist on the song). This track has a retro G-Funk instrumental that sounds like it came right out from the 1990s. ‘Movie’ is so late 1990s-coded that I could definitely see Snoop Dogg or 213 rapping on this instrumental back in the day. The rap flows from Schoolboy Q and Az Chike smoothly as the instrumental. This song has the energy of driving with the top down on a warm summer night on the way to turn up somewhere. On ‘Movie,’ Schoolboy Q and Devin Malik rap about how their wild lifestyles are so cool that they should be documented. ‘Cooties’ has an essence to it that is pretty similar to ‘Blueslides’ it brings reels things back in a bit, consisting of a pretty breezy sound that has a classic Jazz feeling to it. Schoolboy Q’s vocal performance on this track is pretty mellow as well and sits nicely on this instrumental. This song is not as riveting as the rest of the record has been, but that is okay because like ‘Blueslides’ it provides a nice buffer in this project. On ‘Cooties,’ Schoolboy Q raps about how far he has come and how it is amazing how he has been able to do what he has done in his life. ‘oHio,’ which features Freddie Gibbs, has immediately emerged as a fan favorite, and it is not tough to see why. This song has the same kind of frantic and all-over-the-place energy as the song ‘THank god for me.’ Like that track, this song goes from breezy and light at the beginning, to abrasive and harsh in the middle, to breezy and light again to close things out. The classic Jazzy R&B-style instrumental at the beginning of the track is just as captivating as the atmospheric Trap instrumental we get in the body of the song. Every bit of ‘oHio’ is so engaging and fun to listen to; this especially goes for vocal performances from Schoolboy Q and Freddie Gibbs. Schoolboy Q changes his flow and tone throughout the track as the instrumental changes, always matching the energy of that part of the track. Freddie Gibbs sounds awesome on that Jazz instrumental that closes the track out. His gruff and low tone contrasts the instrumental so well, making his verse hit so hard. On ‘oHio,’ Schoolboy Q and Freddie Gibbs are flexing on their peers, stating that they have already won at life because they have accomplished and accumulated everything they could dream up. ‘Foux,’ which features Ab-Soul, is a track for long-time fans of Schoolboy Q. This track is the latest edition in the series of tracks Schoolboy Q and Ab-Soul have made throughout their careers. The bridge on this track even samples the iconic ‘Marijuana, Hydro, Pussy Hoe, Ass Titties’ hook that was a part of their iconic tracks ‘Druggies Wit Hoes’ and ‘Druggies Wit Hoes Again.’ This song has one of the weirdest and most interesting instrumentals of the album so far. Even though it is pretty mild and warm, there is something about it that is unsettling. The melody for this one is provided by a singular slow Jazzy piano riff with nothing else attached to it(besides the end of the track where some saturated synths come in). The drums for this track are so off-kilter and strange. They have a marching band tempo to them, and the way they cut in and out makes the song feel dark when paired with this melody. The rap performances from Schoolboy Q and Ab-Soul on ‘Foux’ are among the best on the album, which is saying something. Their quick and authoritative flows contrast the instrumental and make them feel so dirty. On ‘Foux,’ Schoolboy Q and Ab-Soul rap about what they always do in this series of tracks, which is doing hard drugs with women.
‘First’ is a song that I feel is getting overlooked a bit from this album so far(because there are so many other great songs). I personally think this is one of the best tracks on the record, though, and I could see it end up being a sleeper hit when the dust settles. ‘First’ is as complex and intricate as anything on this album. Like so many tracks, the instrumental is all over the place, with the first half of the track having a grating Memphis Trap sound, and the second half having a weird experimental Boom-Bap sound. Because of how different the two halves of the songs are, it is almost like two songs in one. The best thing about ‘First’ is how much Schoolboy Q’s flow and tone change in the song. His rapping style matches the distinct sections instrumental so well and makes this song an experience to listen to. On ‘First,’ Schoolboy Q is rapping about his rags-to-riches story and how he has been great at everything he has tried to do in his life. ‘Nunu’ is another song with an energy similar to ‘Blueslides’ and ‘Cooties.’ It reigns in the tumultuous energy of the instrumental and shows a more welcoming side to Schoolboy Q’s artistry. The instrumental for this one has an experimental Jazz sound that is charming but also a bit anxious. The melody, which is provided by a cozy guitar riff and is complemented by various chime-like sound effects, is lovely. The drums, however, are a bit unbalanced, which is what gives the song an apprehensive element. Schoolboy Q’s rapping style ‘Nunu’ is a bit off of the beat and strange as well, which fits into the experimental Jazz element of the song because it is inviting and bothered at the same time. On ‘Nunu,’ Schoolboy Q raps about how he is back at the top of the rap game and how you can not get rid of him no matter how long he is away because of how special he is. ‘Back n Love,’ which is a second song that features Devin Malik(who mainly contributes to the chorus), is another track that is emerging as a fan favorite. Once again, it is not tough to see why, as this is a song from the album of mine as well. The instrumental for this song interpolates one of the most iconic(and one of my personal favorite) underground Trap songs of all time. This instrumental reworks the epic track ‘Look At Wrist,’ by Father, ILoveMakonnen, and KEY!. Not only does the instrumental feel like a modern and ever more underground version of ‘Look At Wrist,’ Schoolboy Q even interpolates the awesome ‘Wrist Wrist Wrist!’ hook on that track. ‘Back n Love’ is the kind of icky and fierce track that will get anyone hyped up when it comes on. This song has the kind of energy that would get any social function jumping when it comes on. Schoolboy Q’s rap performance on this track is just as rambunctious as the instrumental and makes the song feel all the more powerful. On ‘Back n Love,’ Schoolboy Q raps about how he has got his passion back for life and how he feels more motivated than ever to take back his throne in Hip Hop. ‘Lost Times,’ which features Jozzy and is produced by The Alchemist, is an additional track that reels the energy back in and calms things down a bit. This song is pretty different from what most people would expect from Schoolboy Q. The influence from The Alchemist is poignant, as this track has a sound that is way closer to what he is known for than anything else(that being said, it does not seem out of place and still fits into the theme of the record). ‘Lost Times’ has a triumphant sound that is complex yet subdued. This instrumental is driven by a Jazzy piano riff with a heavenly sound that is complemented by bright synths. The drums on this song are very faint, which makes the vocal performances hit harder. Schoolboy Q’s rapping style on this track is distressed and potent. His tone and flow contrast the pleasant sound of the instrumental and vocals from Jozzy. On ‘Lost Times,’ Schoolboy Q reminisces on his life, rapping about the hard times he has gone through and how he has come so far.
‘Germany ‘86’ is probably the most balmy and floating song of the record so far. ‘Germany ‘86’ has a 1970s Funky Psychedelic Rock sound that makes me think of artists like Sly and The Family Stone or Steve Miller. This may be the most easy-going and smoothest song of the record. It has the same energy as songs like ‘Cooties’ and ‘Blueslides’ and amplifies it by ten. Schoolboy Q’s vocal performance on this track is a bit poignant and hoarse, which provides an interesting contrast from the luscious feeling of the instrumental. On ‘Germany ‘86’ Schoolboy Q pays tribute to his mom while also talking about some hardships he has gone through in his life that have made him into the man he is today. Schoolboy Q brings back the intensity with ‘Time killers.’ This is one of the most challenging and riveting songs on the record. It is a strange experimental Jazz cut that has a very sinister tone. The melody that drives this track, which is provided by a variety of instruments and synths and is complemented by screeching vocal effects, is silky and dark. It has a very ominous tone to it. This melody is put on a strange, raspy, off-tempo drum beat that adds the dire energy of the melody. Schoolboy Q’s rap performance is upfront and striking, taking the vigorous energy of ‘Time killers’ over the top. On ‘Time killers,’ Schoolboy Q raps about how crazy his life has been and how he is proud of everything he has accomplished. The threatening tone we got on ‘Time killers’ is amplified by 10x on the song ‘Pig feet,’ which features Childish Major. This song has such a larger-than-life feeling to it that makes it think it will be an absolute hit. Similar to ‘Pop’ and ‘THank god for me,’ ‘Pig Feet’ has the kind of massive sound that gives it an anthemic feeling. This is the kind of track you could play at any function and get the place absolutely rocking because of how huge its sound is. The instrumental for ‘Pig Feet’ is pretty simple, but so effective. This song is driven by a mean and foreboding piano riff melody that is put on a distorted and heavy Trap beat. The vocal performances from Schoolboy Q and Childish Major add to the power of this track and make it so enjoyable. I really love how frenzied and extreme the vocals are on ‘Pig Feet,’ as they truly take it to another level. On ‘Pig Feet,’ Schoolboy Q raps about how he is still as hood as ever and that he does not forget the streets that he came from. Schoolboy Q closes things out on an abrupt note with the song ‘Smile.’ At 1:11, it is the shortest song on the album. This song is like a joyous flash in the pan. Similar to the opening track, it has a super bright and light sound. I especially like the horns that complement the guitar-driven melody on this track, because it makes the song feel so snug. On ‘Smile,’ Schoolboy raps about his affection for his girl and how she makes all of his problems seem better. After how heavy and complex a lot of this record is, ‘Smile’ is a nice way to end this record, as it brings BLUE LIPS to a succinct and gratifying conclusion.
Going into BLUE LIPS, I(and so many other Hip Hop fans) have extremely high expectations. Admittedly, Oxymoron and Blank Face LP are two of my all-time favorite Hip Hop albums, and even though I do not put them on the level of those two, I enjoy his other three albums so much and also still listen to music from them. Putting out your first album in 5 years will always come with a lot of pressure, and I am happy to say that Schoolboy Q completely knocked it out of the park with BLUE LIPS. There is not a single bad or even average song on this album in my opinion; every song is very good to great. Schoolboy Q shows his eclecticism and diversity as an artist through the absurdly wide variety of sounds on BLUE LIPS. Even though the instrumentals are all over the place, the album still flows so well. All of the vocal performances on the album are excellent, with Schoolboy and his features making every song so captivating. I did not even talk about the lyricism much in my review, but the lyricism is exceptional as well. Schoolboy Q lets us into his mind more than ever on BLUE LIPS, and the record is full of wordplay that shows Schoolboy Q’s technical skills as a rapper. BLUE LIPS is a showcase of Schoolboy Q’s immense talent, and I have to say it will be tough for many albums(if any) to top this one for me in 2024.
EAST SIDE VIBES 