The man known as Quincy Hanley – better known to the Hip-Hop world as Schoolboy Q – is seeing his name grow exponentially it seems with each song release. And where, on the surface, it may possibly appear it has spawned overnight, the growth and maturity of Q is something that’s been in the works for quite some time. In present day terms, he’s apart of one of the game’s most powerful and respected up and coming crews in Black Hippy/Top Dawg Entertainment. Where fellow members Jay Rock, Ab-Soul and Kendrick Lamar saw solo recognition (and continue to), Q’s time to shine is evolving as he establishes himself as a highly productive member of the team as well as creative and innovative solo artist.

The TDE affiliation rings bells, yet Schoolboy’s connection with Tyga and the G.E.D. movement is where his career saw his roots planted. And prior to that, the material for Q’s music was cultivated on the streets of Los Angeles which involved a role in its infamous gang banging culture, as he noted in  a 2012 Complex interview.. Using music as an escape from the streets and the dead end it affords so many who flirt with its temporary treasures, Schoolboy’s catalog kicked off with 2008’s Schoolboy Turned Hustla – he attended several colleges before ultimately dropping out – followed by Gangsta & Soul some 10 months later. By the time he released Setbacks in January of 2011, the sharpness in his flow and natural adaptation to his style of music was becoming more apparent. Schoolboy sounded focused and more importantly, he was sounding comfortable. Fans were beginning to catch notice to as his brand of music began standing on its own feet as opposed to those around him.

The momentum had reached such a peak that by the time his most recent project dropped, Habits And Contradictions, it received widespread coverage and acclaim from blogs and publications alike. With Q and his entire camp continuing to sharpen their crafts, the possibility of him not even being near his peak is a beautiful possibility, but also a scary realization for the rest of the game. It’s either rapping or back to the streets. And Q’s just too damn good to ever let that happen.

Must Read: Black Hippy: A View From The Center