Review: Schoolboy Q

Schoolboy Q @ Koko, London 31.05.14.

An enthusiastic and lively set from newcomer Little Simz  (★★★), who seems at home on stage, somewhat appropriate considering that she is from North London; at twenty-years-young she manages to get the audience on her side with tracks taken from her first EP E.D.G.E.

Strengthening the nights’ bill further, is fellow Top Dawg Entertainment label-mate, Isaiah Rashad (★★★★), who is openly welcomed by a full crowd. Cuts from his debut EP Cilvia Demo are performed well with the likes of R.I.P. Kevin Miller and Shot You Down becoming mass singalongs; he closes his set with the latter and jumps in the audience ready to watch the main act. Indeed, perhaps it’s because this is Schoolboy Q’s first ever tour in London (before this he had only performed once in the country, supporting Kendrick Lamar’s slot at last years’ iTunes Festival), and the crowd certainly know it – from the energy that the crowd give to Schoolboy they seem to have been waiting a long time for this moment. Mosh pits, crowd surfing, and lots of impassioned rap-alongs from the audience manage to elevate the atmosphere to ecstatic. Schoolboy himself has never been the greatest rapper, and live, he occasionally misses a line or two to catch his breath, but, it’s largely irrelevant as there’s an energy tonight that refuses to wane.

The rapper makes an interesting and well-received speech about the use of the n-word at his gigs, noting that he knows no-one in the audience is racist – all of them ‘pay for his daughter’s bills’ – and it’s a nice touch that negates any ill-feeling that could creep up during mass-singalongs such as Blessed (the chorus’ refrain consisting of Bless my nigger, stay blessed nigger repeat times ten).

His songs seem to suit the live setting, as aggressive and dark tracks such as Gangsta and the gloriously unhinged There He Go inspire the crowd to go crazy; the encore Prescription/Oxymoron sees Q get directly involved as he launches himself into the crowd, donning his trademark ski-mask. It’s a fitting end to the night as it serves as a reminder that Schoolboy Q and his fans are wonderfully in tune with each other (★★★★).

Schoolboy Q setlist

Fuck LA

Hands On The Wheel

#BETiGOTSUMWEED

Druggy’s Wit Hoes Again

The Purge

Collard Greens

Gangsta

Blessed

Hell of a Night

Brand New Guy [A$AP Rocky cover]

Work [ASAP cover]

mAAd City [Kendrick Lamar cover]

Break the Bank

There He Go

Yay Yay

Man of the Year

–

Prescription/Oxymoron

Isaiah Rashad setlist

Soliloquy

Webbie Flow (U Like)

Ronnie Drake

R.I.P. Kevin Miller

Modest

Shot U Down