ScHoolboy Q released a new single last week which served as the first leak off his upcoming album Oxymoron. The single made waves in the blogosphere, and just two days ago, Q saw even more success when he was named a 2013 XXL Freshman, along with fellow Black Hippy/TDE rapper Ab-Soul. While the rapper was in New York recently he woke up early for an interview with Power 105's The Breakfast Club and spoke on Oxymoron, as well as growing up and making the decision to focus on rap, his drug usage, and more.
Q revealed on the radio show that he grew up in a middle class family thanks to his mom, but still ended up gang banging and selling drugs because his mom often worked at night, leaving him to his own devices. The rapper said,"it was kinda tough, my mom made it middle class. I lived in the ghetto but my mom had the better job than the other kids' moms. But this is the thing, my mom worked nights and my pops is like never around, so when my mom would go to work at night, I'm outside with the homies chillin'."
Q continued to explain how he did go to school and get good grades (hence the rap name), however he also did some "dumb shit." "But I sold drugs and I gang banged and I did all this dumb shit," he said.
Eventually the TDE rapper started taking rap more seriously, and that was when he saw all the love people gave Kendrick. "'08, '09, I saw Kendrick, he had dropped one of his tapes and I was his hypeman," he said. "We was doin' little shows, wasn't really gettin' money, but I saw the people was showing him so much love, and everybody just walking by me like, we don't care you was on stage."
On the success of the Black Hippy crew, who are all on the come-up, and especially with the success of Kendrick Lamar, ScHoolboy Q said it just makes him need to do better. "It's crazy man. I'm glad his [Kendrick's] album did what it did and people love it, because now it makes me have to drop something either better or just as good. What I look like putting out an album that was aight after good kid, m.A.A.d city, and everybody done gave it these high ratings," he continued, "So I'm just taking my time and making sure it's right, which it is coming out right, and it's almost done."
Finally he explained his album title, although he wouldn't divulge a release date for Oxymoron yet. "Oxymoron, it's a safe album title, honestly. It's a safe album title so no matter what I talk about on the album it's gunna make sense. My last album was called Habits & Contradictions so it's a run-on from my last album," Q explained.
Check out the full interview below (in two parts), where he also talks about fellow rappers he likes, what drugs he's tried (he say everything except Oxycontin & cocaine), and more.