As this is my first review for this artist and I have minimal context for this juncture in his career, instead I’ll recap the year thus far, because this is also my first proper review for 2024. It’s been a slightly below-average year on the whole. Swoope released an album centered around the death of his mother that has some moving moments, but is pretty sleight, outside of a strong Lecrae feature and some inspired Gospel turns. ericdoa’s mixtape has strong hooks and not much else. The Juelz remix album goes hard. Gupi dropped two very good breakcore EPs, the second one being much better than the first. This is the first major release of my year so far. Does it raise the bar?
You fucking bet it does! Pop, with an electrifying Rico Nasty feature and a hard left turn in the production, sets the tone for an abrasive, raucous listen. THank god 4 me is a slippery west coast stomper that the artist glides over masterfully. Blueslides slows things down for some introspective jazz rap anchored by Q’s voice and the interplay between some gorgeous piano and upright bass. By the time the saxophone introduces itself the atmosphere is already pristine. The TDE veteran sounds seasoned as he ruminates on the pitfalls he avoided and, despite his success, the struggles that still dog him and those close to him. It is at this point in the album that the album’s dual nature becomes most apparent. Following this thoughtful song comes Yeern 101, a scorching single verse of lyrical flexing that showcases Q’s prowess as an emcee. Fellow Black Hippy alum Ab-Soul joins on Foux, another song that presents Q’s Janus-faced appeal. This track is in some ways the fulcrum of the album. Q presents both the Apollonian and Dionysian sides of his music, juxtaposing his lust for pleasure and the perspective that age has given him. Soul’s contribution is solid as well.
This album is not flawless, of course. Love Birds could grow on me. It’s got a great bassline & Q sounds good but I do not care for the features. Movie is a glorified interlude with one decent verse. Nunu is straight up terrible. Rap songs in 6/8 are rarely good but this one is a real stinker, as is Back n Love, which contains the worst hook and the worst feature on the album. Its the worst kind of Trap music: no melody and nothing to grab onto, just oppressive, disjointed noise. Schoolboy Q sounds great on his verse but it’s not enough.
Those are really the only complaints I have, though! Cooties is some real shit, despite not being very fun to listen to. oHio is fantastic with a fantastic trap skitter on the front half an a non sequitur jazz outro that sounds outstanding. Freddie Gibbs sounds as great as ever too. First should have been a single, it’s not amazing but a serviceable trap beat and Q rapping with charisma on 10 goes a long way. This may sound like a backhanded compliment, but Lost Times coming after the worst tracks on the album is excellent sequencing, juxtaposing the artist’s more mature current day mindset against the obligatory “I got hoes” flexing that precedes it. Same for Germany ‘86, an even better track with a great sample. Time Killers is a brief but grimy slice of west coast rap. Finally, Pig feet has the best production on the album. And it’s the best song I’ve heard all year. You will hear more about it in January 2025.
Blue Lips earns a solid 8/10 from me. While it will take time before I’m sure, it might be better than Mr. Morale. It’s certainly an easier listen, and most significantly it’s the first great album of 2024.
intentionalnachos 