When you listen to a Q album, you expect a couple things: 1. Great raps, 2. Great beats, and 3. Great cohesion. This has been the case since one of Q’s first mainstream releases, Setbacks in 2011. That trend continued all the way up until 2019’s CrasH Talk. While there are some gems on it, it wasn’t what we wanted from Q after waiting three years since Blankface LP. But there was still enough to be eager for new Q. Years came and went, singles and features dropped, but we were all waiting for the signal that new Q was coming. Then, we finally got our word, he announced an album and a track list, and the entire world got excited. Q was back! He then dropped previews of songs on the album, not singles, but previews. “Blueslides,” “Back n Love,” “Yeern 101,” “Cooties,” and “Love Birds.” All of them sounded phenomenal and it looked like Q was about to have album of the year 3 months into it. He sounded refreshed, dialed in, and reenergized. “Blueslides” saw Q reflect on his upbringing, losing friends, and missing out on important moments in his kids’ lives in order to provide for them. Calling back to his mentality on Oxymoron, doing bad things in order to do good. I was fully in, but especially when I heard “Love Birds,” I cannot communicate how excited I was when I heard that song for the first time. Featuring a hook from fellow TDE member Lance Skiiiwalker over the smoothest beat I’ve ever heard in my entire life, Lance laments over a relationship gone sour, then the beat drops and the drums come in and you’re teleported to another universe. Lance sings in harmony with Q and you’re just suspended in time. I was so ready to have that song on repeat for hours and hours, then the album dropped…

I want to preface this by saying that I love Q, he’s been in my top ten ever since I heard “Collard Greens” in 2013. Blankface LP in one of the best albums ever made and nothing has come close to knocking it off my top ten. I say that to say, my expectations for this album were so high. Maybe that’s where I messed up, but regardless, I was ready for this to be the best album ever. The album starts off fine with “Funny Guy.” Over a very whimsical, Willy Wonka sounding beat, Q “throws paint at a wall to see what sticks,” his words, not mine. Funnily enough, it works, I’ll randomly find myself saying “bring the dope, bring the hoes, bring the money bags in” or “y’all niggas suck,” for no reason throughout the day. At the end of the song my ears were so intrigued to see what direction Q was heading in, then “Pop” comes on and I had a confused face on the whole time. The first half sees Q rap menacingly over basically just a bassline and you’re anxiously waiting for what’s coming next. But the rest of the song features a lot of Q rapping violently, but it doesn’t sound like his heart is in it. He breaks his verses routinely, repeats phrases for no reason to the point where you’re just waiting for this gimmick to be over and the next one to start. Rico Nasty comes in and does the exact same thing and nobody cares. It’s just loud. The song ends and the audio whiplash you get is insanity.

My first time listening to “THank God 4 me“, by the second beat switch, of which there are many, I thought, “Oh my god, I might not like this album.” Then, the feeling continued until I got to “Foux.” Thank the universe for Ab-Soul. But in the middle of this loud gobbledygook was “Love Birds,” the song I was staying up all night thinking about. Surely this song would be the saving grace…right? Nope. The song starts how it does in the video, but of course, there’s another fucking beat switch, and you just know whatever is about to follow is not going to be as good as what you came there for. Q raps about having money, wanting his homies to be freed and how he’s more mature. So, it begged the question from me, “How is this supposed to be better than CrasH Talk? It sounds the exact same.” I wish I could properly explain how angry I was when that beat switch happened but thank Jesus at the end of the song the part we all came there for ends it out. I was so ready to hear Q over those drums, but he didn’t even do that. I couldn’t believe it.

Speaking of, why are there so many beat switches on this album? Do artists not realize that a total switch of feeling, and tempo can only work if both beats are sick? This does not happen on this album, yet the only consistent things about it are that you’re dreading the moment it happens, because it’s not a matter of if, but when. Seriously, the beat changes on “oHio” three-fucking-times.

I know what you’re thinking, “Damn, Deshaun do you like anything about this album??” Yes! Every song from “Foux” to “Smile” is what this album should’ve been. When I first heard “Foux” I was so scared that it would get ruined somehow, but it only got better and better. My goodness, Q and Soul rapping over breakbeats and that haunting vocal harmony and piano combo is what I needed in my life, and I didn’t know it. I’ll say it again, thank the universe for Ab-Soul. Soul does what he does best, he’s like a chameleon, he fits anywhere. He does what he wants with verse, yelling, dropping the beat out, chanting his nickname. Just completely having fun over it, it’s so great. Plus, chanting “marijuana, hydro, pussy hoe, ass, titties,” is so much fun. The second half of “First” features Q rapping over drum-less production and holy shit, dude. This is the most calculated Q sounds up to that point. This is what 37-year-old Q sounds like in his purest form. He manipulates words to fit the rhyme scheme, he raps energetic at first, but when he gets to the more somber topics, he sounds kind of over it. He went through these experiences, but they’ve left him aloof. Just another day in his life.

“Back n Love” features another useless feature, not saying it’s bad, but could you imagine this song as the full song without Devin Malik? Would’ve been perfect. Ending the album with “Smile” is a good send off, but its ridiculously short. We need more Q rapping over elevator muzak. But this section isn’t enough to make this not mid to me. Which sucks!

You’re undoubtedly going to see a lot of praise for this album, even Q said this album is better than Blankface and while I wholeheartedly disagree with him, at the end of the day it’s his art and he can feel how he wants about his creations. I don’t see this as a return to form, but as a journal entry of how Q feels at the moment. He’s reflecting on his life and how blessed he is while also acknowledging the obstacles and mistakes he’s made in the process. He seems reenergized and like he’s having fun with it. I can’t ask for much more than that.

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