Although Kendrick Lamar has long solidified his spot as the top dog in TDE’s roster of rappers, the debate for runner-up is about as clear-cut as a botched surgery. Ab-Soul is a sunglasses-donning prophet to his dedicated followers, Jay Rock brings unparalleled grit in an undeniably west coast fashion and Isaiah Rashad, the label’s relative newcomer, dazzled on his 2014 extended play debut Cilvia Demo. Last but not least, there’s Schoolboy Q, a lovable rapper straight out of Hoover Street with underrated versatility and an ability to create mainstream hits (“Studio,” “Man of the Year”). On his fourth studio album, Blank Face LP, Q crafts his most complex and transparent project to date, a beautiful and haunting portrayal of the social background that turned Quincy Matthew Hanley into Schoolboy Q.
Complete with 17 songs clocking in at a 74-minute runtime, Blank Face LP is packed with unwavering emotion and passion. A single line from Anderson .Paak during the beginning of the album’s scintillating first track, “TorcH,” summarizes Q’s message and desire: “I’ll trade the noise for a piece of divine.” That noise, gang-fueled gunfire and accompanying screams of pain and fear, is the reality of the harsh Los Angeles streets that raised Q. Schoolboy understands that rap music is his vehicle to acquire his desired divinity, evident in the lyrics of the Swizz Beatz-produced produced “Lord Have Mercy”: “Guess I’m bein’ a real n—- like I’m ‘posed to be/ But bein’ real never once bought the groceries and/Top told me keep rappin’, you’ll make it hopefully/And hope was all that I needed, dreamin’ myself to work/This workin’ affair was better than bullet holes in my shirt.” Now an established success, Schoolboy Q is able to offer stunning self-assessment through reflecting on the road that got him here.
A major contributing factor to the exceptionalism of Blank Face LP is Q’s ability to be both a hard-hitting gangsta rapper and a funky, melodic presence. The aforementioned duality of Schoolboy is perfectly exemplified in “JoHhn Muir”, a standout track that Q is rumored to have entirely freestyled. As the song begins, Q rides the booming Sounwave production as he emphatically declares “Bellin’ through the mothafuckin’ street, y’all/Never had a mothafuckin’ weed card/I’m down to flatline a n—-, never been soft/Bellin’ through the mothafuckin’ street, y’all.” By the time the hook comes around, the beat switches to more of a dulcet, heavenly sound complete with groovy horns as Q poetically recites “Bellin’ through the mothafuckin’ street, y’all/Bellin’ through the mothafuckin’ street, y’all/ We love, we go/ We rise, we low/ Our pride, we show/ We love, we go.” This is where Schoolboy Q is at his best, straying from more radio friendly tracks like the Miguel featured “Overtime” and honing in on the nostalgia and pain of the neighborhood that raised him.
Blank Face LP is a triumph, with Schoolboy Q pushing forward in the race to become Robin to Kendrick’s Batman in the world of TDE. Songs like “Dope Dealer,” “Ride Out” and “Big Body” are surefire aux-cord favorites, while tracks like “By Any Means” and the previously mentioned “JoHn Muir” resonate as gorgeous, ghetto poetry. Alongside the massively popular “THat Part,” both “WHateva U Want” and “Overtime” have serious potential to be in constant rotation on the heavyweight hip-hop stations. Schoolboy has truly delivered, presenting a project in Blank Face LP with all necessary components for success. So, as the album begins to make noise both critically and commercially, it’s time for Q to sit back, celebrate and enjoy that piece of divine.
