The Best of Underground Hip-Hop

First of all I need to let you know I spent more time on this album review then any album review I’ve ever done in the past.  I enjoyed this album a lot, but it would have been a lot better if he cut some songs from it.  This album has everything from songs that are painfully average to easily some of the best songs of 2012, and everything in between.  Fortunately it has nothing that straight up sucks ass.  I feel Q could have made this a really outstanding album, but he came a little short on some aspects.  Regardless though, it’s a enjoyable album overall.

Also keep in mind that like many other hip-hop artists, Schoolboy Q smokes weed on the daily, and this is definitely reflected in his music.  Many of the songs can only be fully appreciated while stoned or drunk (preferably stoned) since this is the mind state he was in while he made the song.  Obviously these songs can be enjoyed sober, but you must keep in mind they are more tailored for the unsober mind.

My Album Rating: 7.9 out of 10

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(Keep in mind each song rating is out of 10)

My Song Ratings:

Sacrilegious (9.9) - The lyrics are very provocative and deep.  The production/beat is mindblowingly chill yet aggressive at the same time.  This is what I would call passive-aggressive hip-hop at its best.  The song is quite profound.  Definitely best enjoyed unsober.  This is also the type of song that gets better the more you listen to it.  Without a doubt, you will find this somewhere on my “best hip-hop songs of 2012” list.

2 Raw (ft. Jay Rock) (8.3) - A somewhat straightforward song, but it has some very unique aspects sprinkled in.  The chorus is its weak point and could be better.  His flow is solid, but there is the occasional wack line

Oxy Music (8.3) - This song immediately starts with an extremely aggressive and negative attitude that lingers like a dark cloud, and it keeps this feeling strong until the last verse.  Unfortunately this also limits the songs overall potential since keeps the song from manifesting any real variety of sound.

My Hatin’ Joint (7.7)- Some what average, but Q keeps it lyrically interesting throughout the whole song.

How We Feeling (8.0) - He was obviously really fucked up when he made this, so unless you’re really fucked up as well you can’t fully appreciate its extremely slow and drugged out feel.  The beat sounds like it took some acid.

Druggys Wit Hoes Again (ft. Ab Soul) (8.8) - This goes really hard.  This is something I definitely appreciate on a lyrical and instrumental level.  Plus, if you were to play this at a party you could definitely dance to it.

Sexting (9.1) - The instrumental is bonkers, and Q’s flow effortlessly rides the beat like one of his “hoes”.  Easily his best song about his women.

Nightmare On Figg St. (6.8) - This at first feels like an old wutang song, but it looses it’s appeal.  Still enjoyable though.

There He Go (8.6) - A damn unique song with a solid beat. The production is pretty amazing.  The lyrics could definitely be better though.  You need to listen to it a few times before you fully appreciate it.

My Homie (6.4) - This is a painfully average sounding song.  The story aspect is what keeps the song from being complete shit.  No matter how many times I listen to this, I’m never really feeling it.

Hands On The Wheel (ft. A$AP Rocky) (9.5) - You need to be really fucked up to enjoy this song to the fullest.  Even though it’s based off of Kid Cudi’s classic song “Pursuit of Happiness” in multiple ways, it embodies a fairly distinguished sound.  The first couple times I heard this I wasn’t sure how I felt about it, but it grew on me.

Gangsta In Designer (No Concept) (7.4) - Enjoyable, but the instrumental and Q’s flow feel too one dimensional.  The chorus is also too simplistic for my taste.

Groovline Pt. 1 (ft. Dom Kennedy & Curren$y) (6.7) Like the previous song, this also feels somewhat one dimensional in sound, and the chorus is also fairly lackluster.  Currency’s verse definitely helps this song for the better.

Tookie Knows [Interlude] (7.0) - He definitely could have tried harder to make a better intro.  Compared to any Cunninlynguist interlude, this is fairly subpar.

Raymond 1969 (8.3) - This song has a very dark persona, and doesn’t shy away from being jagged and rough.  The lyrics are pretty damn raw.

Sex Drive (ft. Jhene Aiko) (7.5) - The beat strangely reminds me of the legend of zelda.  Being said, the legend of zelda has more complexity in it’s gameboy tunes than this song’s beat.  It stays way too consistent…which hinders the song from being great.  Regardless though, it has a pretty unique sound and an enjoyable feel.

NiggaHs.Already.Know.Davers.Flow (5.9) - The beat is fairly grimy and pretty unique, but unfortunately it doesn’t meld with Q’s clean flow.  Q’s straight line bars should have been spit over a lighter instrumental, and the beat would be better suited to a darker/grimier flow.  The lyrics also are way too consistent.  You only can say “you already know” so many times before it gets really obnoxious.

Blessed (ft. Kendrick Lamar) (8.9) - This is a great song.  Kendrick Lamar definitely kills it.  I still feel it’s missing something that would make it a classic.  Q also has some of his best lyrics on this track.

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In your opinion, who is the most underrated hip-hop artist in the game right now?

I’m taking this as a poll and posting the results tomorrow.

179 of you voted in yesterdays poll for “the most overrated rapper in the game right now”, and people are still replying.

The winner is, with no real surprise: Lil Wayne

I have to agree with this verdict, especially after he released Tha Charter IV.  It had some decent parts on it, but overall it really sucked…yet it still broke online sales records.  If that isn’t being overrated, I don’t know what is.  Honestly though, I used to have respect for him way back in 2006 and 2007.  La La La was one of my favorite songs back in the day.  It was back when Wayne had more personal stuff to talk about, and you could actually relate to what he was saying.  In 2007 he released something like 70 free songs, and a bunch of them were really outstanding.  Now that he’s filthy rich, he no longer has the ability to relate to the average person, so he fills his songs with metaphor after mediocre metaphor and statement after meaningless “I smoke weed” or “I got money” statement.  I would have respect for him if he still had direction, but he isn’t motivated to make solid songs like he did when he first started making music…back when he was trying to make a name for himself.  He proved he doesn’t even have to put out any real effort to sell big, and he still has millions of dumbass fans that defend his weak efforts.

Personally I feel Nicki Minaj is even more overrated though.

P.S. - for those who put Kendrick Lamar…please kill yourself…you have no real comprehension of hip-hop and shouldn’t voice your opinion since you don’t know shit.

In your opinion, who’s the most overrated rapper in the game right now?

I’m taking this as a poll and posting the “winner” tomorrow.