Schoolboy Q facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Schoolboy Q
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Schoolboy Q in 2014
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Quincy Matthew Hanley |
| Born | October 26, 1986 Wiesbaden, West Germany |
| Origin | South Central Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Genres | West Coast hip hop |
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| Years active | 2007–present |
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Quincy Matthew Hanley (born October 26, 1986), known by his stage name Schoolboy Q (stylized as ScHoolboy Q), is an American rapper from South Los Angeles, California. He started recording music in 2007. His first two mixtapes, ScHoolboy Turned Hustla (2008) and Gangsta & Soul (2009), became popular in his local area.
After joining the record label Top Dawg Entertainment, Hanley released his first studio album, Setbacks (2011). His next album, Habits & Contradictions (2012), also received good reviews. Both albums did well on the US Billboard 200 music chart as digital downloads.
Hanley then signed with Interscope Records for his third album, Oxymoron (2014). This album was highly praised and reached the top of the US Billboard 200 chart. It featured popular songs like "Collard Greens" (with Kendrick Lamar) and "Studio" (with BJ the Chicago Kid). "Collard Greens" became a huge hit, selling millions of copies and being his first song on the Billboard Hot 100.
His later albums, Blank Face LP (2016) and Crash Talk (2019), also received good reviews and reached the top three on the Billboard 200. His sixth album, Blue Lips, was released in 2024.
Schoolboy Q was also part of a hip hop group called Black Hippy. Other members included Ab-Soul, Jay Rock, and Kendrick Lamar. He has been nominated for five Grammy Awards.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Quincy Matthew Hanley was born on October 26, 1986, in Wiesbaden, West Germany, on a United States Army air base. His parents separated before he was born. His mother gave him a unique last name, choosing one randomly. His father stayed in the Army, while Hanley and his mother lived in Texas for a few years. They later settled in South Central Los Angeles, California.
Hanley played American football from age six until he was 21. He played various positions like receiver and cornerback. He went to John Muir Middle School and graduated from Crenshaw High School. After high school, he attended several colleges, including Glendale Community College and Los Angeles City College.
Musical Journey
Starting His Music Career (2006–2009)
Hanley has shared that he wrote his first rap verse when he was 16. However, he didn't become serious about music until he was 21. Music became a way for him to express himself. In 2006, he started working with Top Dawg Entertainment (TDE), an independent record label based in Carson. He recorded at their studio and worked with their artists.
His first time at TDE's studio, Hanley worked with Jay Rock and Ab-Soul, who would later become his bandmates in Black Hippy. This led to Hanley signing a record deal with TDE. On July 29, 2008, he released his first mixtape, Schoolboy Turned Hustla. In 2009, he officially signed with Top Dawg Entertainment. He then formed the group Black Hippy with Kendrick Lamar, Jay Rock, and Ab-Soul.
Independent Albums (2010–2012)
In 2010, Schoolboy Q toured and worked on his album Setbacks with the rest of Black Hippy. On January 11, 2011, TDE released Setbacks, his first independent album. It was released only on iTunes and received great reviews. The album reached number 100 on the US Billboard 200 chart. A few weeks later, Hanley decided to give the album away for free on Twitter.
Setbacks helped Schoolboy Q become more well-known and gain many fans online. He performed his first headline show on March 11, 2011, in West Hollywood, California.
His next album, Habits & Contradictions, was released in 2012. It quickly climbed into the iTunes Top 10 Albums chart. The album debuted at number 111 on the US Billboard 200 chart. It sold nearly 4,000 digital copies in its first two days without much advertising. Music videos for songs like "Hands on the Wheel" (with ASAP Rocky) and "NigHtmare on Figg St." followed the album's release.
In 2012, Top Dawg Entertainment partnered with Interscope Records and Aftermath Entertainment. This marked a new phase for Hanley, as he was no longer an independent artist.
Oxymoron and Major Label Success (2012–2015)
In June 2012, Hanley announced he was working on his first album with a major record label. He would be the second member of Black Hippy to release a commercial album with Interscope, after Kendrick Lamar. From September to November, Hanley performed as a supporting act for ASAP Rocky's tour. He also toured with rappers Wiz Khalifa, Mac Miller, and Kendrick Lamar.
In June 2013, Schoolboy Q performed at the BET Experience Music festival. He shared the stage with Kendrick Lamar, Snoop Dogg, and Miguel. On June 11, 2013, he released "Collard Greens", the first song from his album Oxymoron. In August 2013, Hanley appeared on BET's 106 & Park to show the music video for "Collard Greens." He also performed "White Walls" with Macklemore and Ryan Lewis on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno.
In October 2013, Schoolboy Q performed "Collard Greens" at the BET Hip Hop Awards. He also joined his Top Dawg label-mates in a rap cypher. In November 2013, it was announced that Schoolboy Q's song "Man of the Year" would be on the soundtrack for the video game NBA Live 14. This song was later released as a single. In 2014, The Heist, an album he was featured on, was nominated for Album of the Year.
On January 24, 2014, Schoolboy Q performed "Man of the Year" on NBC's Late Night with Jimmy Fallon. He then announced a three-month tour to support his new album, starting in March 2014. His label-mate Isaiah Rashad and rapper Vince Staples joined him on tour.
In April 2014, Schoolboy Q was a musical guest on Jimmy Kimmel Live!. He performed "Studio" with BJ the Chicago Kid and also "What They Want." He also appeared on the cover of The Source magazine.
Blank Face LP (2015–2016)
On February 24, 2016, TDE founder Top Dawg announced that Schoolboy Q's fourth album would be released before the summer. On April 5, 2016, Schoolboy Q released a song called "Groovy Tony." A follow-up song, "That Part" featuring Kanye West, was released on May 13, 2016.
On May 31, 2016, Schoolboy Q shared that his second major-label album would be released on July 8, 2016. On June 14, 2016, he revealed the album's title, Blank Face LP, and its cover art. He later joked that the first cover was a "trolling" joke and showed the official album cover. In June 2016, Schoolboy Q performed "That Part" and "Groovy Tony" on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.
CrasH Talk (2016–2019)
On December 18, 2016, Schoolboy Q announced he would release an album in 2017. In February 2017, he shared that his new album was almost finished. He said the project would show his growth and how his life changed after becoming famous. He mentioned wanting to help his friends and being a present father.
In June 2017, Schoolboy Q revealed he had made "like 50 songs" while recording his fifth studio album. On July 31, 2018, Top Dawg confirmed the album was "90-95% done."
On September 15, 2018, Schoolboy Q announced that the album was delayed because of the death of his friend and collaborator Mac Miller. On April 15, 2019, Schoolboy Q announced the title of his fifth studio album, CrasH Talk. The album was released on April 26, 2019, and debuted at number 3 on Billboard's Top 200 chart.
Blue Lips (2020–present)
Schoolboy Q first mentioned his sixth studio album in January 2020, saying he would release another album that year. On July 20, 2020, he was featured on a song called "Pac-Man" by the virtual band Gorillaz.
In 2021, Schoolboy Q played a fictional version of himself in the animated show The Freak Brothers.
He hinted at updates for an upcoming album throughout 2023. On February 1, 2024, he released the official trailer for his new album, Blue Lips, which also included the list of songs. The album was released on March 1, 2024.
Musical Style and Influences
Influences
Schoolboy Q looks up to rappers like Nas, 50 Cent, Jay-Z, The Notorious B.I.G., Kurupt, and Tupac. He says Nas is his favorite rapper of all time. In many interviews, Schoolboy Q has stated that 50 Cent is the main reason he started taking rapping seriously. He even said 50 Cent might have saved his life. He also admires hip hop mogul Sean Combs, who he sometimes calls "Puffy."
Rapping Technique
Schoolboy Q has said he learned his rapping style from Jay-Z. He explained that Jay-Z always has a new sound and flow. Schoolboy Q tries to do the same, not sticking to traditional rapping rules. He believes that when you rap with too many rules, it can sound boring. He might pause for two bars or rap for an unusual number of bars, like 14 instead of 16.
He also mentioned that he gets a lot of "aggression" in his music from 50 Cent. Schoolboy Q is known for being very flexible with his rapping, which you can hear on his albums Setbacks and Habits & Contradictions. One writer described his style as stretching words like "Silly Putty" or slurring them before quickly returning to a fast pace.
Personal Life
Schoolboy Q has three children. His first daughter, Joyce "Joy" Hanley, was born on April 24, 2009. His second daughter was born on January 4, 2019. He has mentioned Joy in many of his songs, and she has appeared in several of his music videos. Joy was also featured on his album Oxymoron, appearing on the cover and having speaking parts throughout the album. In July 2024, he confirmed the birth of his third child.
Hanley loves playing golf and often plays 5-6 times a week. He started playing in 2018 because of a bet with a friend. He plays at the Calabasas Country Club. In 2022, Hanley partnered with Topgolf for commercials. He even competed in a PGA tour event, the 2022 AT&T Pebble Pro-AM.
He is a fan of the Los Angeles Angels baseball team, the San Francisco 49ers football team, and the NRG Esports Valorant team. On October 3, 2019, Schoolboy Q shared on Twitter that he has some Honduran family background.
Discography
- Setbacks (2011)
- Habits & Contradictions (2012)
- Oxymoron (2014)
- Blank Face LP (2016)
- Crash Talk (2019)
- Blue Lips (2024)
Awards and Nominations
Schoolboy Q has received several awards and nominations for his music.
- BET Awards
- 2014: Nominated for Best New Artist.
- BET Hip Hop Awards
- 2014: Nominated for Best Collabo, Duo or Group for "Studio".
- 2014: Nominated for Album of the Year for Oxymoron.
- 2014: Nominated for Rookie of the Year.
- BMI R&B/Hip-Hop Awards
- 2014: Won Most Performed R&B/Hip-Hop Songs for "White Walls" (with Macklemore).
- 2015: Won Most Performed R&B/Hip-Hop Songs for "Studio" (featuring BJ the Chicago Kid) and "2 On" (with Tinashe).
- BMI London Awards
- 2017: Won London Pop Award Songs for "That Part".
- Grammy Awards
- 2014: Nominated for Album of the Year for The Heist (as a featured artist).
- 2015: Nominated for Best Rap/Sung Collaboration for "Studio" (featuring BJ the Chicago Kid).
- 2015: Nominated for Best Rap Album for Oxymoron.
- 2017: Nominated for Best Rap Album for Blank Face LP.
- 2017: Nominated for Best Rap Performance for "That Part" (featuring Kanye West).
- MTV Video Music Awards
- 2014: Nominated for Artist to Watch for "Man of the Year".
Images for kids
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Schoolboy Q's signature
See also
In Spanish: Schoolboy Q para niños
