SETBACKS: 77%

HABITS & CONTRADICTIONS: 78%

OXYMORON: 77%

BLANK FACE LP: 82%

CRASH TALK: 62%

Note: This was written after the release of Blank Face LP.

I like ScHoolboy Q, man. To be honest, I think he’s my least favorite MC in Top Dawg Entertainment, but that’s not really saying much because all of TDE’s artists are super talented. I think this latest album of his is an improvement, but I still don’t feel like he’s reached his peak yet. He has a few songs in which he talks about his daughter; I think he could really put together some great music if he explores that relationship more in his songs. Out of all the MCs in Top Dawg Entertainment, he’s definitely the most mainstream sounding. That’s not a bad thing tho. Mainstream doesn’t mean bad. I see a lot of people calling Q trash just because he isn’t as introspective as Kendrick, or as… uh… Woke? Yeah, he isn’t as “woke” as Ab-Soul, but TDE isn’t about being deep and serious all the time. TDE is just about making great music. Maybe Q isn’t uplifting people with songs like i or Alright, but he can still rap his ass off. Q is one of the only MCs still making Gangsta Rap these days. The only other current MCs that come to mind when I think of Gangsta Rap are YG & Freddie Gibbs. Well, Jay Rock is gangsta as hell too. You know what I mean tho. We need people like Q to keep Gangsta Rap alive. Anyway, Q’s career is far from over, so hopefully the next time I update his Marathon he’ll just be improving even more. His discography is already very solid tho. He doesn’t have any duds yet, and he hopefully never will. He’s dope.

Favorite Song: There He Go

Least Favorite Song: Studio

Verdict: 75%

B