Edmonton-based rapper and writer Omar “A.O.K.” Mouallem calls Q Without U an art project.

The project is a juxtaposition of children's literature, with playful illustrations by Josh Holinaty and a storyline intended to improve kids' vocabularies, and a rap album (downloadable with a unique code inside the book) that's not for kids at all. Well, maybe just the wily ones.

It's difficult to reconcile the two mediums and audiences, but the themes do intersect. The storybook is about the letters Q and U breaking up “to see other letters;” the album is all about the awkwardness of love, relationships and sex ― whether they be terrific or terrible. Most of the eight songs also match the endearing and immature tone of the story, albeit with adult lyrics and references.

Though it's both his second album and second book, it is a far departure from the non-fiction book Amazing Cats (Folklore Publishing, 2008) and the provocative album If You Don't Buy This CD The Terrorists Win, which garnered rave reviews from international music critics.

Whereas Amazing Cats was commissioned to target a supermarket audience and The Terrorists was for fans of thoughtful, sometimes lyrically-showy rap, Q Without U ― the art project ― targets an art-loving crowd. It's self-published and bound, and it's being promoted through pub and cafe concerts and “local first” craft fairs, including the Royal Bison Craft & Art Fair, where the first copies will be available on November 27 and 28, 2010.