REVIEW | Q-Unique

‘Royal Blood‘ is the latest offering from Q-Unique and it’s one hell of a hip hop project. Q’s fifth solo album is a seven track heat rock, solely produced by Jake Palumbo and without a single feature. Q holds down a true solo project spitting as aggressively as he always does, while DJ Presto One brings his skills on the wheels to make the samples and scratches sing. It may only clock in around 20 odd minutes, but in the modern musical landscape, this is where it needs to be. And this is a prime example of quality over quantity. From the jump we get treated to some really dope boom bap production on ‘Bad Meaning Good‘, with horns infused throughout and Q as hungry as ever. The subtle update of Big Pun’s iconic ‘Dream Shatterer’ line, let’s you know he ain’t playing around! ‘Eye Don’t Sleep‘ has a palpable energy seeping through the speakers, the strings, the crisp snare – all work to set a really upbeat, triumphant anthem that Q uses to speak his social commentary with an educated edginess. The introspective, exploration of brotherhood and duality on ‘133rd Psalm‘ is powerful and Palumbo & DJ Presto One...