The passing of rapper Mac Miller in September 2018 devastated the hip hop community. Following the tragedy, Schoolboy Q, a close friend of Miller’s, released an album, CrasH Talk, in April 2019. Q originally had plans to debut the album in November 2018. However, he pushed the date back because of Miller’s unexpected passing. While promoting his new album, Q spoke about his friend in an emotional interview with The Breakfast Club co-host Charlamagne tha God. Schoolboy Q | Photo by Roy Rochlin/Getty Images Schoolboy Q and Mac Miller’s past Mac Miller, real name Malcolm McCormick, moved to Los Angeles in the summer of 2012 and recorded a mixtape, Macadelic. He formed a tight group of rappers, which included Tyler the Creator, Earl Sweatshirt, Kendrick Lamar, Ab-Soul, and Schoolboy Q. They initially started hanging out as friends until they began collaborating on music together. ScHoolboy Q Talks New Album, GRAMMYs & TDE Release System with Zane Lowe https://t.co/6anLq4GHtd pic.twitter.com/spqdSIuECj — Gifted Muzik (@Gifted76) February 10, 2017 Schoolboy Q and Zane Lowe In February 2017, Schoolboy Q told Beats 1 radio host Zane Lowe his album is “90 to 95 percent done.” However, a week after Miller’s passing, he decided to delay the album. He explained that promoting the album would involve people asking him about Mac Miller. Q said he would not want to answer questions, and he still isn’t ready as he broke down while speaking about writing music with Mac Miller no longer here. Schoolboy Q breaks Down while talking about Mac Miller Schoolboy Q has never spoken publicly about the passing of Mac Miller until this interview. He says losing Miller differs from gang violence claiming a friend’s life because he viewed Miller as “pure.” Q says Miller came to the studio and listened to CrasH Talk shortly before his death. ScHoolboy Q shared some words for Mac Miller in the note accompanying 'CrasH Talk.' He also wrote to Nipsey Hussle: “A man tHat was supposed to grow up Hating me cHanged my life for tHe better… I LOVE U and GODS neva die.” pic.twitter.com/oWO7hXpqdH — Pigeons & Planes (@PigsAndPlans) April 28, 2019 “I can never write a song…” Q’s voice trails off as he turns his back to the camera and cries for a few seconds, before wiping his eyes. Schoolboy Q says he does not want to look like he is exploiting the situation. However, he has not finished grieving. “To this day, I don’t understand how I can’t call him no more.” Schoolboy Q on Mac Miller Schoolboy Q also speaks on Nipsey Hussle’s passing The sudden killing of Nipsey Hussle also stunned the rap community. Schoolboy Q and Nipsey Hussle claimed different sets, so they weren’t able to make music together. However, Q says the murder still upset him and his friends. “He got kids. All he was trying to do was help people.” Schoolboy Q on Nipsey Hussle He says Nipsey was one of the “realest” guys he knows. He also remembers Nipsey being the first person to congratulate him on his previous album, Blankface. The fact that Nipsey Hussle said it to him in person instead of over text or social media made him memorable to Schoolboy Q. Critics upset Schoolboy Q when they attacked him for not posting pictures of Nipsey Hussle on social media. Q lashed out on his Instagram story, explaining he “grieves in real life,” not on social media. Schoolboy Q admits he came out of character and acted “weak” and “insecure” by defending himself.<doc-sep>Schoolboy Q's anticipated conversation with Charlamagne Tha God has been released in full. Above, catch the 39-minute CrasH Talk: A Conversation WitH Lenard 'CTHaGod' McKelvey via YouTube. About 17 minutes in, Q is asked about the 2018 death of friend Mac Miller. "Yeah, that Mac shit, bruh," Q said. "To this day, I just don't understand how I can't call my n***a no more. Losing a friend to gangbanging is way different to losing a friend that's, like, an innocent little, like, little kid that's super pure." Q also recalled the last time he spoke with Mac, which was a FaceTime conversation while he was in the studio and Mac was shooting a video. "I played him CrasH Talk before he passed," Q said, later clarifying that Mac got to hear the songs in person at the studio, not over FaceTime. "He came to the studio, but this was the last time I talked to him, it was on FaceTime." Asked what he missed most about Mac and whether he had the time to grieve, Q took a moment of reflection. "I don't wanna look like I'm exploiting the situation," he said. "I got an album out and then I'm, like, crying and shit." Toward the end of the video, Charlamagne circled back to the topic, with Q declaring his previous public explanation of the need to grieve in private as "weak" due to it being inspired by the inconsequential opinions of strangers. From there, Q talked sobriety, the true Oxymoron meaning, and his current position in the game. "I'm famous but I'm not, like, crazy famous so I can still walk places by myself," he said around 23 minutes in. "I always get bothered but it's not like a mob-bothered. It's not like if, like, Kanye or some shit or Kendrick or one of them was to walk through Target and it's gon' be like, the whole store's on them." Q does wish for more respect, noting his name isn't discussed enough. "I like them n***as too that they be saying," he said. "I'm happy though . . . I want everybody to be bigger than me. I wanna be the smallest. I wanna see Isaiah Rashad shoot up past me." Q and Charlamagne also talked Nipsey Hussle ("The first n***a when my first album dropped, the first n***a to tell me congratulations and he did it in person"), reviews, fatherhood, and more. See the full interview up top.<doc-sep>As he celebrates the release of his new album CrasH Talk, ScHoolboy Q is honoring two of his fallen friends. The TDE rapper has penned a pair of heartfelt tributes to Mac Miller and Nipsey Hussle in the booklet for his latest album, which was shared by Genius. Q has shied away from speaking about Miller in interviews, but he does honor his late friend, who passed away last September. “2 MAC. A song or an interview won’t explain How mucH of a brutHA u was… love u and r last convo was all I needed, tHanks for everytHang,” says Q in his short and sweet note. He also remembers Nipsey Hussle, who was gunned down outside his Marathon Clothing store last month. “Neva THought tHis day would come. THanks for wat you done for tHis city,” he writes before commending Nipsey’s work in his community. “Us Growing up on different sides of tHe fence neva cHanged THe way u carried yaself wHeneva we would meet,” adds Q. “We neva called eacH otHer or texted but tHe respect I Had for u can run a maratHon. Wat you did for yo community speaks volume. you did wat most of us inner city kids dont wHen we get paid, u stayed!! U built!!! And gave Hope to tHe people WHen u could’ve easliy left. no longer will I ignore tHe Help my city needs. A man tHat was supposed to grow up Hating me cHanged my life for tHe better. Even more tHan music and for tHat tHank u isn’t enuff. I LOVE U and GODS neva die.” Q’s third major-label album CrasH Talk arrived Friday featuring appearances from Travis Scott, Kid Cudi, 21 Savage, 6LACK, Ty Dolla $ign, YG, and more. “THis tHe Happiest I eva been wit a album dropping,” he tweeted upon its release. “tHank y’all soo mucH #CRASHTALK OUT NOW… positive vibes today… literally smiling ear 2 ear… until tHe next cHapter…”<doc-sep>
ScHoolboy Q has shared a new interview with Charlamagne Tha God. The nearly-40 minute session covers the creation of his new album CrasH Talk, sobriety, and the deaths of Nipsey Hussle and Q's close friend Mac Miller. ADVERTISEMENT The death of Nipsey "fucked me up bad" Q says. "Nipsey was one of the realest niggas, bruh... one of the first niggas when my album [2011's Setbacks] dropped to tell me congratulations." The new record CrasH Talk was originally supposed to be released in November, but was pushed back after Miller's death of a drug overdose. "To this day I don't understand how I can't call my nigga no more," he says. "Losing a soul to gangbanging is way different than losing a friend that's like... an innocent kid... super pure." He did have a chance to play Miller CrasH Talk before his passing — Q says the last time they spoke, they discussed working together on a music video. ADVERTISEMENT The rapper discusses getting off codine syrup and pills to make the new album. "I woke up one morning, I was 250 pounds," he says before marveling, "How am I still here, fool?" His drug use has been longstanding, and bled into the creation of his 2014 album Oxymoron. "The whole [Oxymoron] session, nigga, I don't have one memory from that." Explaining how his drug abuse affected the title, Q says "I was a fuckin' dopehead that was telling you I sold dope. That was the oxymoron." Watch the entire interview above.