TQ - 'Paradise' (Capitol/Gracie) Released 27/10/08

Perfection is a dish best served unannounced. With that said, it’s very rare these days to find an R&B/soul album with flawless material contained throughout. But one has slipped through the net, and hopefully with the help of its lead single is soon going to be popping up all over the charts.

TQ is the Westside crooner whose vocals steer away from the G-Funk genre that his side of the U.S. is renowned for. His delivery and twang hold more of a Motown type of feel to them. With fans of Teddy Pendergrass and Prince adopting this soul star as one of their own, you can only imagine the type of impact this man makes. Back with his fourth official release, TQ takes you on a journey through his thoughts on his streets with people that he knows. While he has had a lot of success with previous projects, such as his debut album ‘They Never Saw Me Coming’ which featured the smash hit single ‘Westside’, this is the first album that he’s released without record company restraints. He’s free and at liberty to do whatever he likes with his music now that he’s following the independent route.

Containing rider music, summer tunes, street anthems, and female frolics, ‘Paradise’ is the well rounded album that TQ has been desperately searching for. Putting his soul on deck for all to see, ‘A Little Bit Of Love’ plays like a CNN news break. Touching upon his patriotism, but questioning the state of his Country and the rest of the world, he lyrically depicts everything that’s wrong with the world we live in and begs the question, “Can we get a little bit of love?” Aside from the easy on the ear production, his soothing vocals deliver a severe message but as delicately as you could possibly imagine. ‘Whatchagondo?’ is another cut with an underlining serious message, but again it’s laced with a harmonious instrumental that features some simple yet inventive piano playing, as well as the occasional addition of strings.
 
Keeping his ghetto pass tight to his chest, the Krayzie Bone featured ‘Paradise’ is like a hood national anthem. Racy with a pace similar to soldiers marching at double time, TQ drops knowledge on the war zone he grew up in, California. Throughout he continues to shout out those that have left this earth and taken up residence in the sky. With mentions of close friends, artists such as Aaliyah and Jam Master Jay are also brought in to conversation. With a touching piece of synth-esque production, this is a great introduction in to TQ’s Magnum Opus.

Tracks such as ‘In my Lap’ and ‘Ebony Eyes’ are lady loving cuts, but it’s the album’s first single ‘Sexy’ that has the game won. Everything from the timeless beat work to the emotionally inspiring wordplay leaves you wondering why this cut isn’t already killing the charts. Suitable for the car, the club, the crib, and the workplace, this track is like a drug. It’s addictive. While you can capture your own visuals from hearing it, there is also an accompanying (almost) XXX rated video available for play on TQ’s myspace page.

It’s an unfair world when acts like Chris Brown and Rihanna dominate the charts and airwaves with tired and repetitive records, especially when an album of this caliber doesn’t get the recognition it deserves. Hopefully once ‘Sexy’ gets a UK push things will be different.