Review Summary: Black Hippy has created another album that , like Kendrick Lamar's Section 80 should not be overlooked
If you've heard of Kendrick Lamar and taken interest in him ,chances are you have stumbled upon Schoolboy Q and the Black Hippy crew. Each Black Hippy member has their own unique contribution to the reinvention of west coast hip hop. Schoolboy Q might just be the most odd , he has an awkward flow , drug fueled subject matter and the past of being a Compton Hoover Crip. Habits and Contradictions is an example of Q finding his voice and proving ground that he can stand next to Kendrick.
The production on Habits and Contradictions is a combination of weed induced spacey melodies and dark, claustrophobic drum kick dominated beats in one consistent package. In Dave Fee's ''How we Feeling'' it feels as if it was made for a Kid Cudi who was locked in a room full of all the drugs you could possibly imagine. More upbeat tracks like ''Druggys wit Hoes'' with a heavy bass line and a boom clap , keeps Habits and Contradictions from turning into another stoner rap album. While ''Hands on the Wheel'' takes a sample from Lissie's cover of Kid Cudi's Pursuit of happiness that I imagine will become an anthem for anyone about to smoke a J with some buddies.
When it comes to lyricism Schoolboy Q is all over the place , his flow is unpredictable, he raps about getting high, small scale story telling about his time going up in South Central and of course sex and Women. ''Oxy Music'' possibly the most stand out track in the first listen is about Q's history selling Oxy. The track ''Blessed'' is the most honest track on the album with an opener like '' What's it like for a nigga like me, livin out his backpack needin a new place to sleep'' and the chorus speaking about the idea like ''we all blessed my nigga, don't stress my nigga''. It shows that Q is able to spread his talents across the lyrical spectrum.
Habits and Contradictions reveals that Q can stand his own ground next to Kendrick Lamar and contemporary West Coast hip hop all together. This release is more than worth taking a listen because it will probably become a new favourite for the contemporary hip hop following.
