Joel Q Gives Powerful Testimony w/ Release “Take This With You”

The title “Take This With You” already suggests what the album is carrying, memories, lessons, scars. Joel Q doesn’t attempt to hide the weight. Rather, he folds these into his lyrics with humility, letting us see both what hurts and what endures. This makes many moments feel intimate, you’re not just listening, you’re witnessing..

There’s a constant tension between what’s going on inside Joel Q, his doubts, his reflections, his vulnerability, and what’s going on externally, the city, the environment, expectations. This push/pull gives the album its emotional core. He doesn’t simply ruminate, he responds and adapts..

The way Joel Q writes drawing from his life, speaking plainly, yet not linearly lets the listener in without feeling like every line is over explained. There is space in his delivery, pauses, and breathing room that let the weight of what’s unsaid matter as much as what he says. As with his broader activism (“drill is dead,” wanting more substance, calling for transformation), this album feels like more than just music, it’s part of a movement, a conversation. Even tracks aimed at energy and rhythm seem to carry that undercurrent..

“Take This With You” feels like a rite of passage. It’s Joel Q staking his claim as someone who isn’t content just to reflect the world around him, he wants to reshape it. The album doesn’t always land like a blockbuster, but more like a deeply personal letter, one that demands attention through sincerity, not flash. For listeners who appreciate hip-hop that leans into introspection, community, struggle, hope, and who want more than just bravado, this album delivers. It’s not perfect, but that’s where the value & foundation shines through the album’s overall point. To reflect on character, intent, & glimpses of a voice learning it’s full strength..

Our favorite records to listen to are “Hope You Get The Message”, “God’s Favorite”, “Give It Away”, & “Just Do It” ft Femdot & MfnMelo. Take a listen & let us know what you think..