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9.1
63039
9.1 |
Consequence Of Sound
It deserves the term “rap opera” more than most “rock operas” deserve theirs. It’s something special, just like it was always planned to be
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8.5
63016
8.5 |
The 405
Make no mistake, Oxymoron is rather brilliant, and provides a perfect foundation to build upon in later releases. An exciting release from an exciting artist
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8.2
63041
8.2 |
Billboard
Cold cynicism comprises 99 percent of Q's worldview, and he's going to do his best to synthesize that gloom into barking anthems. But that one percent of romance still exists within Quincy Hanley's heart, and he wisely makes room for it on "Oxymoron"
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8.0
63061
8.0 |
PopMatters
Unlike his previous efforts Oxymoron picks a brand of momentum and sticks to it, avoiding the peaks and surprises that have so often signified a ScHoolboy Q project
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8.0
63142
8.0 |
The FT
Boasts an ecumenical range of styles, from the gothic East Coast menace to the dirty south bounce
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8.0
63203
8.0 |
FasterLouder
Oxymoron is still a cracking album, and sure to sit near the top of the tree for hip-hop albums in 2014
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8.0
63014
8.0 |
Rolling Stone
Unflinching first-person dispatches from the front lines
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8.0
63023
8.0 |
The Line Of Best Fit
ScHoolboy Q pits image against reality and myth against misery, trying to make a space for himself among the densely tangled contradictions of existence
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8.0
63287
8.0 |
The Irish Times
The real rumble is provided by Hanley’s keen eye for detail and his knack for turning his observations into distinctive verses
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8.0
63775
8.0 |
Clash
All killer, no filler – and despite some tracks here not quite translating to radio, in the album context nothing feels out of place
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7.8
63105
7.8 |
Pitchfork
Oxymoron is a victory in that Q’s sound has made the jump to the majors fully intact in an era where major label debuts often take a chop shop approach to assembly
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7.5
63040
7.5 |
Pretty Much Amazing
The height at which Oxymoron’s target is set is not very impressive, but the precision and showmanship with which it’s hit deserves commendation
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7.5
63015
7.5 |
A.V. Club
Like Lamar, he’s a big-ideas rapper with an ear for immaculate production and a rare sense of artistry, but unlike his prestigious pal, he’s an unrepentant deviant, a former Crip who plays the bad guy all too convincingly
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7.0
63017
7.0 |
Sputnik Music (staff)
Oxymoron is so heavily riddled with great tracks, its only major flaw is that it sometimes tries too hard to make hits
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7.0
63018
7.0 |
All Music
This LP requires a surprising amount of patience, especially for an album with "featuring 2 Chainz" on its track list
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7.0
63112
7.0 |
Spin
Full of well-rapped and witty lyrics about doing dirtbaggy things over top-shelf, endlessly fascinating, forever-morphing beats
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7.0
63226
7.0 |
No Ripcord
It’s an album more to enjoy than analyse, with Q’s elastic voice and verbal gymnastics a sheer pleasure to listen to over an excellent production that's widely varied
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7.0
63611
7.0 |
Fact
While Oxymoron is never dull, thanks to Q’s indisputable skills as a rapper and beat selector, by its conclusion you’ll wish he’d given less of its runtime over to his gangsta persona and more to exploring his own identity
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6.0
63393
6.0 |
The Quietus
The problem is that for all the clever moments – and there are a notable number – the album drags too often
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6.0
63395
6.0 |
State
Oxymoron proves there’s life in the genre yet, and the latest gangsta rapper with his eye on the big prize gives way more than his 50 Cent’s worth
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6.0
63283
6.0 |
The Music
An impressive debut, and very much of its time
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6.0
63115
6.0 |
The Guardian
The production is usually fantastic, from the wall of elastic electronic noise conjured by Pharrell Williams on Los Awesome to the reggae-influenced bassline of single Collard Greens
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6.0
63029
6.0 |
Slant Magazine
In spite of how good it all sounds, there's a rehearsed quality to Oxymoron, the sense that the artist is checking boxes instead of just letting it rip
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