Black Hippy Members: What Kendrick Lamar, ScHoolboy Q, Ab-Soul, and Jay Rock Are up to Now

Long before they became rap icons, Kendrick Lamar, Ab-Soul, ScHoolboy Q, and Jay Rock were a part of the rap supergroup Black Hippy. The collective was formed in 2008 and helped springboard the careers of the MCs involved. Black Hippy emerged from the depths of Los Angeles' underground hip-hop scene. The rappers, who were all signed to Top Dawg Entertainment (TDE), quickly garnered attention for their raw, unfiltered lyrics and innovative production.

After years of success, the group split in 2022 with no plans to reunite.

“I’m not making no Black Hippy s**t,” ScHoolboy said during an appearance on The Danny Brown Show, adding, “We’re all kind of on our separate paths right now. Dot is doing his own thing with pgLang. I’m doing my own thing, curating a new artist. I did that part already, I gotta have this second part ’cause I got like 18 more albums to make.”

While each member of Black Hippy has achieved significant solo success, their collective work remains a testament to their skills. Here’s a look at what each member is up to now.

Jay Rock, the first musician signed to TDE, served as the backbone of Black Hippy. Jay is also an accomplished solo artist. His albums 90059 and Redemption provide a gritty, unvarnished look at life in the streets. In 2019, Jay joined forces with Kendrick Lamar, Future, and James Black for “King’s Dead,” a song originally featured on the Black Panther soundtrack. The track also won the Los Angeles native his first GRAMMY Award.

ScHoolboy Q’s career has been in overdrive since Black Hippy broke up. Albums like Oxymoron and Blank Face LP achieved massive success, selling over 1.5 million units combined, according to Best Selling Albums. He released his sixth studio album, Blue Lips, in March, which peaked at No. 13 on the Billboard 200 chart.

Ab-Soul has become known for his esoteric lyrics. His music delves into themes of spirituality, politics, and personal struggle, and he continues to push out hits.

He released Control System and Do What Thou Wilt before taking a hiatus from the rap game. After a two-year delay, Ab-Soul released Herbert in 2022 as an ode to his former self. “The album Herbert is about getting back to self,” he told XXL. “I just kinda feel like I was becoming Ab-Soul more than Herbert.”

Kendrick Lamar has slowly become a hip-hop icon. In addition to releasing a string of Top 10 hits, Kendrick has been praised for his cultural awareness and ability to bring attention to societal issues. He earned critical acclaim and commercial success with albums like good kid, m.A.A.d city, To Pimp a Butterfly, and DAMN.

The Compton native is also the only rapper to ever win a Pulitzer Prize. Despite his mainstream success, Kendrick still gets busy in the studio. His high-profile feud with Drake resulted in a slate of popular diss tracks – including the smash hit “Not Like Us.”