Schoolboy Q - Oxymoron album review: superb tales of hard knocks and street

This is the point at which LA rapper Quincy Hanley says hello to the mainstream and waits to see what it makes of him. In fairness, this release has been a long time coming, and Hanley's work on a plethora of mixtapes and indie albums since 2008 has ensured that his sound is honed and focused.

While the cartel of A-list producers and collaborators will receive some of the credit for Oxymoron's punch and polish, the real rumble is provided by Hanley's keen eye for detail and his knack for turning his observations into distinctive verses.

Beneath the gangsta rubric writ large , you'll hear superb tales about the hard knocks and the never-ending street hustle. Hoover Street, Prescription and The Purge contain lines as gritty and hardbitten as any that have rolled towards us from those particular frontlines in years.

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