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Black Hippy

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Black Hippy
Top: Kendrick Lamar, Jay Rock
Bottom: Ab-Soul, Schoolboy Q
Background information
OriginLos Angeles, California, U.S.
GenresHip hop
Years active
  • 2008–2022
  • 2024[a]
LabelsTop Dawg
Past members
Websitetopdawgmusic.com

Black Hippy was an American hip hop supergroup[1][2][3] from South Los Angeles, California, formed in 2008. The group consisted of West Coast rappers Ab-Soul, Jay Rock, Kendrick Lamar and ScHoolboy Q.[4] Black Hippy was constructed after all of its members had signed to Carson-based indie record label, Top Dawg Entertainment (TDE).

The collective ultimately never created albums together; the members were frequent collaborators, regularly appearing and contributing to each other's respective solo projects, oftentimes not even crediting one another as a guest vocalist or featured artist.

Lamar has previously stated that the group would never face demise due to the solidification of each member's career. However, in 2022, he parted ways with TDE, thus breaking up the group.[5][6] Black Hippy reunited on June 19, 2024 at Lamar's The Pop Out: Ken & Friends concert.

History

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Formation and career beginnings (2008–2011)

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The group was formed in 2008, when all of its members were signed to Top Dawg Entertainment, a Carson-based independent record label.[2][4] The idea of forming a group came from Schoolboy Q, who said he was "slacking in [his] music": "I figured if I could be in a group I could just write one verse and I could be good", he added.[7] Schoolboy Q, the last of the four to join the label, admitted to initially being intimidated when he first started going to the studio, but eventually the tenacity of his collaborators rubbed off on him.[7] In 2011, Black Hippy received co-signs from West Coast hip hop legends Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg; while hardcore hip hop artist Tech N9ne, called them "the new N.W.A", and revealed he had hopes of signing the group to his Strange Music imprint.[8][9]

Solo albums (2012–2016)

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In March 2012, MTV announced that Kendrick Lamar closed a joint venture deal with Interscope Records and Aftermath Entertainment. Under the new deal, it was announced Lamar's major label debut album, Good Kid, M.A.A.D City (2012), would be jointly released via Aftermath, Top Dawg and Interscope.[10][11][12] On August 9, 2012 the music video for Ab-Soul's "Black Lip Bastard (Remix)", which features the rest of Black Hippy, was released.[13] In the summer of 2012, the group performed at the annual hip hop festival Rock the Bells.[14] In late 2012, the group collaborated once again to remix Lamar's singles "The Recipe" and "Swimming Pools", which were included on Good Kid, M.A.A.D City. On December 20, 2012, the lineup for the 2013 Paid Dues hip hop festival was revealed, announcing Black Hippy as the headliners.[15]

In March 2013, Black Hippy became the first hip hop group to have all members make XXL's annual Top 10 Freshmen list; with Jay Rock appearing on the 2010 issue, Kendrick Lamar on the 2011 issue and Ab-Soul, alongside Schoolboy Q, on the 2013 issue.[16][17][18] In April 2013, Black Hippy covered RESPECT. magazine, which hit newsstands on the 30th.[19] Also in April 2013, it was reported that Kendrick Lamar added dates to his good kid m.A.A.d city concert tour, revealing his upcoming US dates will feature all four members of the Black Hippy crew.[20] On May 23, 2013, in anticipation of their tour together, Black Hippy released a remix to Atlanta-based rapper Rocko's 2013 single "U.O.E.N.O.".[21][22]

Following the highly acclaimed TDE cypher at the 2013 BET Hip Hop Awards, which featured Black Hippy rapping alongside their TDE label-mate Isaiah Rashad, the group appeared on the cover of the October/November issue of XXL.[23] In December 2013, Black Hippy performed at Power 106 and Footaction's 2013 Cali Christmas event.[24][25] During a February 2014 interview with Lamar, Schoolboy Q, Anthony "Top Dawg" Tiffith and Dave Free, there was talk of a debut effort from the Black Hippy collective, to possibly have been released during 2014.[26]

On March 16, 2015, Lamar released his second major-label album, To Pimp a Butterfly, which received rave reviews from music critics. In June 2015, Ab-Soul, Jay Rock and Schoolboy Q, appeared alongside Lamar, in the beginning of his music video for "Alright", To Pimp a Butterfly's fourth single.[27] On September 11, 2015, Jay Rock released his long-awaited second album, 90059. The album features the first Black Hippy posse cut since 2013, titled "Vice City".[28] Aside from Schoolboy Q's July 2016 album, Blank Face LP, its single featuring Kanye West, "That Part", was remixed by Black Hippy.[29]

Disbandment and reunion (2022–2024)

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In February 2022, in an interview with Mic, TDE president Terrance "Punch" Henderson confirmed the disbandment of Black Hippy.[30] According to him, member Kendrick Lamar's departure from the imprint was what signaled the end of the group after nearly 14 years of activity. He stated: "We definitely wanted to do a Black Hippy album. But it was such a learning experience for us, everything was new. The timing never really panned out. When one guy would be recording his album, another guy would be on tour. Everybody was never in the same timeframe. So we didn’t want to hold back; we wanted to keep going and just push further into their individual careers. In hindsight, I wish I would’ve pushed the Black Hippy album more. That was always my goal, personally. You would have to ask everybody individually to see if that’s what their goal was."[5]

Black Hippy reunited on June 19, 2024, at Lamar's The Pop Out: Ken & Friends concert, performing "Money Trees," Win," "King's Dead," "6:16 in LA," "Collard Greens," "That Part," and "King Kunta."[31]

Discography

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Singles

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As featured artist
List of singles as featured performers, with selected chart positions, showing year released and album name
Title Year Peak chart positions Album
US US
R&B 		US
Rap
"That Part (Black Hippy Remix)"[32]
(Schoolboy Q featuring Black Hippy) 		2016 — — — non-album single
"—" denotes a title that did not chart, or was not released in that territory.

Guest appearances

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Album appearances together
List of non-single songs Black Hippy has collectively appeared on
Title Year Album Album artist(s)
"Try Me" 2008 Schoolboy Turned Hustla Schoolboy Q (also featuring Punch)
"Welcome to C4" 2009 C4 Kendrick Lamar (also featuring BO)
"Top Dawg Cypha" Gangsta & Soul Schoolboy Q (also featuring Lil Louie)
"TDE Roll Call" 30 Day Takeover Jay Rock
"I Do It 4 Hip Hop"
"Shadow of Death" 2010 Black Friday
"Rolling Stone" 2011 Setbacks Schoolboy Q
"Constipation" Longterm Mentality Ab-Soul
"Say Wassup" Follow Me Home Jay Rock
"Black Lip Bastard (Remix)" 2012 Control System Ab-Soul
"The Recipe (Remix)" Good Kid, M.A.A.D City Kendrick Lamar (also featuring Dr. Dre)
"Swimming Pools (Remix)" Kendrick Lamar
"Vice City" 2015 90059 Jay Rock

Filmography

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Music videos
List of music videos, showing year released and director
Title Year Director(s)
"Zip That, Chop That" 2010 Matt Plunkett & Joseph Donaldson[33]
"On Some Other Shit" Calmatic[34]
"Say Wassup" 2011 Fredo Tovar[35]
"Black Lip Bastard (Remix)" 2012 The ICU[36]
"Alright" 2015 Colin Tilley[37]
"Vice City" 2015 Joe Weil[38]

See also

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Notes

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  1. ^ 2024: One-off reunion

References

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  1. ^ "Status Ain't Hood: Jay Rock Stands In The Shadows Of Giants". September 16, 2015.
  2. ^ a b Jay Rock, Kendrick Lamar, Ab-Soul and ScHoolboy Q form quasi-supergroup Black Hippy | Pop & Hiss | Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles Times. (March 11, 2012)
  3. ^ "On the unexpected success of Kendrick Lamar's Black Hippy posse". The Daily Dot. September 14, 2015.
  4. ^ a b Insanu Ahmed (February 3, 2012). "Who Is Schoolboy Q? – His group, Black Hippy". Complex. Retrieved February 6, 2012.
  5. ^ a b Cutsforth, Ross (February 21, 2022). "TDE president, Punch, talks why the Black Hippy album never happened". Tone Deaf. Retrieved November 25, 2023.
  6. ^ Savoy, Starr. "Top Dawg Thinks Black Hippy 'Owe Y'all an Album or EP,' Teases TDE Compilation and More 2023 Releases". Complex. Retrieved November 25, 2023.
  7. ^ a b Andrew Noz (February 20, 2012). "Black Hippy: A View from the Center « The FADER". The Fader. Archived from the original on June 14, 2012. Retrieved July 10, 2012.
  8. ^ "Tech N9ne on Black Hippy: 'That's The New N.W.A. To Me' [Video]". blog.therealtechn9ne.com. July 2011. Archived from the original on October 21, 2013. Retrieved July 14, 2012.
  9. ^ Andreas Hale. "BLACK HIPPY: NO COSIGNS NECESSARY". The Well Versed. Archived from the original on December 6, 2011. Retrieved March 10, 2012.
  10. ^ Nadeska Alexis (March 8, 2012). "Kendrick Lamar, Black Hippy Ink Deals With Interscope And Aftermath". MTV. Archived from the original on April 11, 2012. Retrieved March 8, 2012.
  11. ^ "Kendrick Lamar & Black Hippy Sign To Aftermath & Interscope | Get The Latest Hip Hop News, Rap News & Hip Hop Album Sales". HipHopDX. March 8, 2012. Archived from the original on January 25, 2013. Retrieved October 14, 2015.
  12. ^ "Report: Kendrick Lamar, Black Hippy Sign with Aftermath & Interscope". Billboard. Retrieved October 14, 2015.
  13. ^ "Ab-Soul – Black Lip Bastard (rmx) f. Kendrick Lamar, ScHoolboy Q & Jay Rock (Video)". 2DopeBoyz. August 9, 2012. Retrieved August 10, 2012.
  14. ^ "Black Hippy Perform "Black Lip Bastard (rmx)"Black Hippy Perform "Black Lip Bastard (rmx)" Live at Rock the Bells 2012 (Video)". 2DopeBoyz. August 19, 2012. Retrieved August 20, 2012.
  15. ^ Sean Lynch (December 20, 2012). "Paid Dues 2013 Lineup Announced; Black Hippy To Headline". MTV. Archived from the original on February 5, 2013. Retrieved December 26, 2012.
  16. ^ "XXcLusive: XXL's 10 Freshmen for '10 Cover Revealed – XXL". Xxlmag.com. March 1, 2010. Archived from the original on February 9, 2013. Retrieved June 20, 2014.
  17. ^ "XXL Presents 2011′s Freshman Class – XXL". Xxlmag.com. February 22, 2011. Retrieved June 20, 2014.
  18. ^ Fletch (March 27, 2013). "XXL Freshman Class 2013 Cover Revealed – Page 2 of 2 – XXL". Xxlmag.com. Retrieved June 20, 2014.
  19. ^ Paine, Jake (April 18, 2013). "Black Hippy To Cover Next Issue of RESPECT Magazine". HipHopDX. Retrieved April 18, 2013.
  20. ^ "Kendrick Lamar Expands Tour". Pitchfork Media. April 20, 2013. Retrieved March 8, 2015.
  21. ^ "Listen: Kendrick Lamar, Schoolboy Q, Ab-Soul, Jay Rock Remix Rocko's "U.O.E.N.O"". Pitchfork Media. May 22, 2013. Retrieved March 8, 2015.
  22. ^ "Kendrick Lamar, Schoolboy Q, Ab-Soul & Jay-Rock – "U.O.E.N.O. (Black Hippy Remix)"". Stereogum. May 23, 2013. Retrieved March 8, 2015.
  23. ^ "Kendrick Lamar, ScHoolboy Q, Jay Rock & Ab-Soul Are on New XXL Cover". Xxlmag.com. October 16, 2013. Retrieved June 20, 2014.
  24. ^ "Black Hippy at Cali Christmas (Full Performance)". 2DOPEBOYZ. December 15, 2013. Retrieved June 20, 2014.
  25. ^ "Watch Cali Christmas 2013 w/ Black Hippy, J. Cole, Rick Ross & B.o.B". 2DOPEBOYZ. December 14, 2013. Retrieved June 20, 2014.
  26. ^ "Top Dawg's Kendrick Lamar & ScHoolboy Q Cover Story: Enter the House of Pain". Billboard. Retrieved June 20, 2014.
  27. ^ "VIDEO: Kendrick Lamar – 'Alright'". Rap-Up. June 30, 2015. Retrieved June 30, 2015.
  28. ^ "Jay Rock's "90059" To Feature A New Black Hippy Posse Cut". Hotnewhiphop.com. August 17, 2015. Retrieved October 14, 2015.
  29. ^ "Schoolboy Q – "THat Part (Black Hippy Remix)" (Feat. Kendrick Lamar, Jay Rock, & Ab-Soul)". Stereogum. July 8, 2016. Retrieved February 8, 2024.
  30. ^ "Punch on TDE's transformation, SZA's growth, and Kendrick Lamar's swan song". Mic. February 18, 2022. Retrieved November 25, 2023.
  31. ^ Cummings-Grady, Mackenzie (June 20, 2024). "Black Hippy Reunite at The Pop Out - Ken & Friends Concert". XXL. Retrieved June 20, 2024.
  32. ^ "THat Part (Black Hippy Remix) - Single by ScHoolboy Q on Apple Music". iTunes. July 16, 2016.
  33. ^ "Black Hippy – Zip That Chop That". YouTube. August 11, 2010. Retrieved June 20, 2014.
  34. ^ "Black Hippy – On Some Other Shit (prod by Dj Wes)". YouTube. December 19, 2010. Retrieved June 20, 2014.
  35. ^ "Jay Rock – Say Wassup ft , Ab-Soul , ScHoolBoy Q & Kendrick Lamar aka Black Hippy". YouTube. July 22, 2011. Retrieved June 20, 2014.
  36. ^ "Rocksmith Presents Ab-Soul – Black Lip Bastard (Black Hippy Remix) (Official Video)". YouTube. August 9, 2012. Retrieved June 20, 2014.
  37. ^ "Kendrick Lamar - Alright". YouTube. June 30, 2015. Retrieved June 30, 2015.
  38. ^ "Jay Rock - Vice City feat. Black Hippy". YouTube. September 10, 2015. Retrieved September 10, 2015.
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