ScHoolboy Q turns a solid 29 years old today so it was only right that we put our heads to figuring out 13 of what we think are some of the best records of his career. Whether you agree or disagree, put your picks in the comment section below.
“Hands On The Wheel” Featuring A$AP Rocky
That Kid Cudi “Pursuit Of Happiness” sample layered with A$AP Rocky’s almost perfectly spun flow made this one of the most neatly wrapped singles of Q’s career. D.C. duo Best Kept Secret rolled this one up and made everyone dream of a Q and Rocky duo mixtape.
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“Sexting”
DJ Dahi flexed his way through this trippy, fun-as-hell ode to that hotline bling. Of course, Q provides a doughy yo-yo beat for ScHoolboy to swim through. The result was one a standout track on the TDE emcee’s debut album Habits & Contradictions.
“Druggys WitH Hoes Again” Featuring Ab-Soul
The follow-up to the original “Druggy WitH Hoes” saw both emcee’s go in druggier than before. And right then you realized that Q was the truly fun one of the four horseman. Because, well, you’ve never heard “extra pills” be said so much on a song, ever.
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“PHenomenon” Featuring Alori Joh
Alori Joh was immortalized on the Hip Hop love tome “The Book Of Soul.” Here, her voice is 90s-esque and brilliant, microwaving “PHenomenon” into a 2000s like Ja and Ashanti track gone souled out.
“Studio” Featuring BJ The Chicago Kid
Sometimes Q can come off too loopy. You imagine him as a thugged out Willy Wonka throwing around pills like Oprah does cars and careers. BJ The Chicago Kid’s gospel tones, though, turn this track into a legitimate take on desire. And finally you feel like he just might not get what he wants.
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“Man Of The Year”
Everyone in TDE can spit. They’ve managed to each carve out a signature style for themselves, but on “Many Of The Year” Q elevates his energies to stern perfection. It’s of no wonder, then, why this Nez & Rio track has become his most streamed joint on Spotify and his second highest charting song on the Billboard Hot 100.
“Collard Greens” Featuring Kendrick Lamar
THC provided bouncy production that allowed both King Kendrick and Q to hold their nuts without much care. That “fuck the freckles off your face” line is still hilarious while Lamar shows off his ridiculous ability to rhyme in spanish without much effort.
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“Try Me” Featuring Kendrick Lamar, Jay Rock & Ab-Soul
Another interesting look into the early developmental stages of Q, Schoolboy Turned Hustla still had several bangers under its wing. “Try Me” was early Black Hippy, but all four gave some great bars to a track featuring each other that could only be described as wavy.
“Ezell (40 Glocc Killa)”
There was a moment where Q sent a few shots toward 40 Glocc in defense of Tyga. Though not an effective diss track, it’s comical enough considering the references to Ezell from Ice Cube vehicle Friday.
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“Live Life”
Fans of Q’s Gangsta & Soul mixtape probably gravitate to “Live Life,” which really showcases his coming into his own lyrically. Then there are some of the more personal anecdotes when he rhymes “tattoo my face to disguise my face” or “now I’m on the mic trying to spread life.” Really a great indicator of how far he’s come since then.
“Blessed” Featuring Kendrick Lamar
Q really feels the most comfortable when he delivers those really poignant narratives where he examines his current situation in relation to his dark past. Having K.Dot guest star only adds to the track’s effectiveness.
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“Break The Bank”
Hearing ScHoolboy spit on top of The Alchemist’s sinister piano and drum loop truly lived up to the premise of both working together. “Break The Bank” could be considered his best lyrical performance to date.
“Yay Yay”
Those who purchased the iTunes addition of his Interscope debut Oxymoron know exactly why “Yay Yay” fits on this list. The Boi-1da produced track was initially the first single from Oxymoron before “Man Of The Year” and Kendrick Lamar’s assisted “Collard Greens” took the led.
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Andre Grant is an NYC native turned L.A. transplant that has contributed to a few different properties on the web and is now the Features Editor for HipHopDX. He’s also trying to live it to the limit and love it a lot. Follow him on Twitter @drejones.
Ural Garrett is a Los Angeles-based journalist and HipHopDX’s Senior Features Writer. When not covering music, video games, films and the community at large, he’s in the kitchen baking like Anita. Follow him on Twitter @Uralg.
