Though
YoungBoy Never Broke Again affiliate
Quando Rondo released his debut studio album,
QPac, in January of 2020, enough transpired in a short amount of time to keep the rapper churning out new material that reflected on his harrowing life journey. Mixtape
Still Taking Risks is one of several projects
Quando released after
QPac, and its weary tone speaks to the weight of the controversies and criticism the rapper faced in the months leading up to its release. The 18-song project includes no features, just
Quando alone on all tracks. While still using a sound built on autotuned melodic flows and instrumentals with rich production, there's a newfound heaviness that wasn't there on earlier releases. Live instruments on some tracks add to the emotional depth of the arrangements, and
Quando's delivery varies from pained singing on tracks like "No More" and "Okay" to speedy couplets on "I Know" or aggressive, angsty bars on "Purple Baby." Along with various lesser conflicts, the event that cast the largest shadow over
Quando Rondo since the release of his first album was his involvement in the November 2020 altercation that resulted in the death of Chicago rapper
King Von.
Quando addresses the night in question on "End of Story," the title possibly a reference to
Von's series of songs that began with his 2018 single "Crazy Story." In a nearly screamed cadence,
Quando asserts he and his cohort acted in self-defense and shows support for his friend who pulled the trigger. ~ TiVo Staff