Black Hippy

History

Formation and career beginnings (2008–2011)

The group was formed in 2008, when all of its members were signed to Top Dawg Entertainment, a Carson-based independent record label. 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. 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. In 2011, Black Hippy received co-signs from 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.

Solo albums (2012–2016)

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. On August 9, 2012, the music video for Ab-Soul's "Black Lip Bastard (Remix)", which features the rest of Black Hippy, was released. In the summer of 2012, the group performed at the annual hip hop festival Rock the Bells. 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.

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. In April 2013, Black Hippy covered Respect magazine, which hit newsstands on the 30th. 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. 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.".

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. In December 2013, Black Hippy performed at Power 106 and Footaction's 2013 Cali Christmas event. 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.

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 Butterflys fourth single. 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". Aside from Schoolboy Q's July 2016 album, Blank Face LP, its single featuring Kanye West, "That Part", was remixed by Black Hippy.

Disbandment and one-time reunion (2022–2024)

In February 2022, in an interview with Mic, TDE president Terrance "Punch" Henderson confirmed the disbandment of Black Hippy. 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."

Black Hippy reunited only once 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". On November 22, 2024, Kendrick Lamar released his sixth studio album, GNX, which included the track, "heart pt. 6" (the sixth installment of Lamar's "Heart" series). On the track, he confirmed that he was the cause of the end of Black Hippy. He furthermore claims that his creative differences with the group were what caused them to go their separate ways.

Discography

Singles

;As featured artist

Guest appearances

;Album appearances together

Videography

Notes

References

References

1. (September 16, 2015). "Status Ain't Hood: Jay Rock Stands In The Shadows Of Giants".
2. [http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/music_blog/2010/08/jay-rock-kendrick-lamar-absoul-and-schoolboy-q-form-quasi-super-group-black-hippy.html 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. (September 14, 2015). "On the unexpected success of Kendrick Lamar's Black Hippy posse".
4. Insanu Ahmed. (February 3, 2012). "Who Is Schoolboy Q? – His group, Black Hippy". [[Complex (magazine).
5. Cutsforth, Ross. (2022-02-21). "TDE president, Punch, talks why the Black Hippy album never happened".
6. Savoy, Starr. "Top Dawg Thinks Black Hippy 'Owe Y'all an Album or EP,' Teases TDE Compilation and More 2023 Releases".
7. Andrew Noz. (February 20, 2012). "Black Hippy: A View from the Center « The FADER". [[The Fader]].
8. (July 2011). "Tech N9ne on Black Hippy: 'That's The New N.W.A. To Me' [Video]". blog.therealtechn9ne.com.
9. Andreas Hale. "BLACK HIPPY: NO COSIGNS NECESSARY". The Well Versed.
10. Nadeska Alexis. (March 8, 2012). "Kendrick Lamar, Black Hippy Ink Deals With Interscope And Aftermath". MTV.
11. (2012-03-08). "Kendrick Lamar & Black Hippy Sign To Aftermath & Interscope | Get The Latest Hip Hop News, Rap News & Hip Hop Album Sales". HipHopDX.
12. "Report: Kendrick Lamar, Black Hippy Sign with Aftermath & Interscope". Billboard.
13. (August 9, 2012). "Ab-Soul – Black Lip Bastard (rmx) f. Kendrick Lamar, ScHoolboy Q & Jay Rock (Video)". 2DopeBoyz.
14. (August 19, 2012). "Black Hippy Perform "Black Lip Bastard (rmx)"Black Hippy Perform "Black Lip Bastard (rmx)" Live at Rock the Bells 2012 (Video)". 2DopeBoyz.
15. Sean Lynch. (December 20, 2012). "Paid Dues 2013 Lineup Announced; Black Hippy To Headline". MTV.
16. (March 1, 2010). "XXcLusive: XXL's 10 Freshmen for '10 Cover Revealed – XXL". Xxlmag.com.
17. (February 22, 2011). "XXL Presents 2011′s Freshman Class – XXL". Xxlmag.com.
18. Fletch. (March 27, 2013). "XXL Freshman Class 2013 Cover Revealed – Page 2 of 2 – XXL". Xxlmag.com.
19. Paine, Jake. (April 18, 2013). "Black Hippy To Cover Next Issue of RESPECT Magazine". HipHopDX.
20. (April 20, 2013). "Kendrick Lamar Expands Tour". Pitchfork Media.
21. (May 22, 2013). "Listen: Kendrick Lamar, Schoolboy Q, Ab-Soul, Jay Rock Remix Rocko's "U.O.E.N.O"". Pitchfork Media.
22. (May 23, 2013). "Kendrick Lamar, Schoolboy Q, Ab-Soul & Jay-Rock – "U.O.E.N.O. (Black Hippy Remix)"". Stereogum.
23. (October 16, 2013). "Kendrick Lamar, ScHoolboy Q, Jay Rock & Ab-Soul Are on New XXL Cover". Xxlmag.com.
24. (December 15, 2013). "Black Hippy at Cali Christmas (Full Performance)". 2DOPEBOYZ.
25. (December 14, 2013). "Watch Cali Christmas 2013 w/ Black Hippy, J. Cole, Rick Ross & B.o.B". 2DOPEBOYZ.
26. "Top Dawg's Kendrick Lamar & ScHoolboy Q Cover Story: Enter the House of Pain".
27. (June 30, 2015). "VIDEO: Kendrick Lamar – 'Alright'". Rap-Up.
28. (August 17, 2015). "Jay Rock's "90059" To Feature A New Black Hippy Posse Cut". Hotnewhiphop.com.
29. (2016-07-08). "Schoolboy Q – "THat Part (Black Hippy Remix)" (Feat. Kendrick Lamar, Jay Rock, & Ab-Soul)".
30. (2022-02-18). "Punch on TDE's transformation, SZA's growth, and Kendrick Lamar's swan song".
31. Cummings-Grady, Mackenzie. (2024-06-20). "Black Hippy Reunite at The Pop Out - Ken & Friends Concert".
32. (July 16, 2016). "THat Part (Black Hippy Remix) - Single by ScHoolboy Q on Apple Music".
33. (August 11, 2010). "Black Hippy – Zip That Chop That". YouTube.
34. (December 19, 2010). "Black Hippy – On Some Other Shit (prod by Dj Wes)". YouTube.
35. (July 22, 2011). "Jay Rock – Say Wassup ft, Ab-Soul, ScHoolBoy Q & Kendrick Lamar aka Black Hippy". YouTube.
36. (August 9, 2012). "Rocksmith Presents Ab-Soul – Black Lip Bastard (Black Hippy Remix) (Official Video)". YouTube.
37. (June 30, 2015). "Kendrick Lamar - Alright". YouTube.
38. (Sep 10, 2015). "Jay Rock - Vice City feat. Black Hippy". YouTube.