The ScHoolboy Q song that left him in no doubt “that’s why he’s Kanye West”
ScHoolboy Q is an often overlooked emcee. The West Coast rapper rose out of the California hip-hop scene in the mid-2000s and, with the help of Anthony Tiffith at Top Dawg Entertainment, released impactful such as including SchoolBoy Turned Hustla and Gangsta & Soul.
During a 2016 appearance on the HOT 97.0 show Ebro In The Morning with Ebro Darden, Peter Rosenberg, and Laura Stylez, the California lyricist spoke about his then-latest project, the Blank Face LP, and specifically addressed the Kanye West verse that he bagged for the track ‘That Part’.
During this period, despite having not fully gone off the rails, many were still discussing Kanye’s erratic behaviour and what was perceived as a drop in the quality of his music and more importantly, his lyrics.
‘That Part’ was the leading single of the LP. As such, SchoolBoy Q understandably wanted West to deliver his best verse for the track. However, many older hip-hop heads were concerned that his verse showed a lack of skill and creativity. Still, SchoolBoy Q insisted that although, at first, he was worried when he heard the verse in its entirety, the flair is what made it distinctively Kanye.
Speaking with Peter Rosenberg about the lyrics that uninspiringly begin, “Okay, okay, okay, okay, okay, okay”, ScHoolboy Q admitted, “I had just woken up, and [the verse] was in my messages. I woke up, I’m listening, and I’m just like, ‘Bruh, can I just get a [normal] verse from Kanye West?!’”
He continued, “When I heard it, I was just like [confused]. My heart just kept breaking with every ‘Okay’, and then I was like ‘Oh, I get it’. Then I played it again, and I was like, ‘That’s why he’s Kanye West!’”
The Blue Lips creator even admitted that any time he performs the song live, he has to include the Kanye West verse, which is a part of the song that has since become a fan favourite. Telling the hosts about his experiences, ScHoolboy Q added, “When I perform it at the show, that’s the best part! I have to perform Kanye West’s verse. The whole place just screams, and it sounds crazy! It just turns it up so much.”
Most would say that since 2016, Kanye has changed drastically and, primarily due to his divorce from Kim Kardashian, has become mentally unstable and musically subpar. ScHoolboy Q hasn’t called upon Kanye West again, and it appears that he no longer needs to as his most recent project, Blue Lips, has been certified as one of the best hip-hop albums of the year, receiving acclaim from both critics and fans alike.
Although the Kanye West feature may have been used to bolster the single of the Blank Face LP, the track only reached number 40 on the Billboard Hot 100. Still, it was a good listen.