For a while now, fans have been wondering where Schoolboy Q has been since the release of his third studio album “Oxymoron” back in February 2014. Since then, we have seen a resurgence of the TDE gangsta rap genius as he gears up for the release of his “Blank Face LP” on July 8 with his recent singles “Groovy Tony” and “That Part” ft. Kanye West as well as two short films for “By Any Means” and “Tookie Knows II.”
After false rumors of the album art being the famous Michael Jordan crying meme, we have seen a constant flow of music. The blank face theme has been seen in each video release as well as being the underlying message in his short film releases that show a more personal side of the West Coast rapper in his natural habitat of South Central Los Angeles. Sonically we are able to follow a story of Schoolboy Q’s life through the dark and rough times of living that “Gang Banging” lifestyle. It's just icing on the cake being able to visually see where his mindset was while being in Los Angeles because each short film thus far has given the same feel as a hood classic such as “Boyz N Da Hood” or “Menace II Society.”
With all the attention being centered on Schoolboy Q’s latest work, he has definitely set the tone for all other TDE releases. At the top of the year, the label’s CEO Anthony “Top Dawg” Tiffith shared a photo that revealed that SZA, Isaiah Rashad, and Ab-Soul are also finalizing their projects this year. It’s exciting to see how each TDE member is able to follow up with Schoolboy Q’s latest work. It is evident that a lot of time and effort was put into the creation and promotion of the “Blank Face LP” campaign, even more so than Kendrick Lamar’s recent project “Untitled Unmastered.” Although each member exemplifies a different style and vibe it is interesting to see the approach each one takes on their projects as well as the reception from the fans.