By Joy Zhang ’14

Rapper Schoolboy Q dropped his third studio album “Oxymoron” on February 25, after multiple delays. The California rapper repeatedly changed the release date so he could perfect his work, and he assured his fans that the album would be better than fellow rapper Kendrick Lamar’s critically acclaimed “Good Kid, M.A.A.D City.” To say that “Oxymoron” was overly hyped is an understatement.

Many had high expectations for “Oxymoron” due to the extensive time put into it, the amazing singles that were dropped throughout the months, and the big name artists that appear on the album (Raekwon, Tyler the Creator, Kendrick Lamar, Jay Rock and Pharrell Williams). Unfortunately, fans feverishly waited for months only to be disappointed.

The singles “Collard Greens,” “Hell of a Night,” and “Man of the Year” were released in a span of eight months. These songs excited fans because they have fast, hard-hitting beats and lyrics oriented towards having fun, being successful, and acquiring money and girls, making them ideal to bump in a car or blast at parties. However, the rest of the songs on “Oxymoron” juxtapose the upbeat style of his previously released singles with a gloomy tone.

“Oxymoron” opens with “Gangsta,” which features a stellar instrumental that includes a piano melody. Several gang, gun and drug references are made throughout the song … it really is everything gangster.  Then the album takes an odd turn with “Los Awesome.” The beat is energetic and frantic, not “Gangsta” at all, but it does sound good. Sadly, the lyrics disappoint because they are forgettable, middle-school rhymes.

“What They Want,” “Hoover Street,” “Prescription/Oxymoron,” “The Purge,” “Blind Threats,” “Break the Bank,” and “F**k LA” revert back to the darker feel that was demonstrated in “Gangsta.”  The songs are all very similar because they discuss Schoolboy Q’s struggles with drug addiction, the allure of money, and how he grew up around violence and gangs, later becoming a product of his environment. Since half of the album was dedicated to talking about the same issues, “Oxymoron” got boring and repetitive.

Several tracks on the album seem to be recycled, sharing similar lyrics with his other songs. Schoolboy Q didn’t make anything that was groundbreaking or innovative because he seems unwilling to go outside his comfort zone.

“Oxymoron” doesn’t impress like Schoolboy Q’s previous work, “Setbacks” and “Habits & Contradictions.” His 2011 and 2012 albums featured a range of songs that balanced different styles with ease. It appealed to pop lovers, ladies, rebels and the pensive crowd. “Oxymoron” fails to do this; a handful of the songs are upbeat and danceable and the rest are dark. It lacks the variety that most people loved about Schoolboy Q’s past projects. “Oxymoron” should’ve been a step up from “Setbacks” and “Habits & Contradictions,” but it’s actually a downgrade.