Here’s a Full Rundown on ScHoolboy Q’s Blue Lips Album Before It Drops

ScHoolboy Q is finally back. After five years since releasing a new project, Q is gearing up to drop his sixth studio album, Blue Lips on Friday (March 1). Since unleashing CrasH Talk in 2019, a lot has happened, and the TDE rapper has been very open about it all. While Q supporters wait a few more days for new music, here is the full rundown of Blue Lips before it drops.

ScHoolboy Q Gives First Update on New Album

ScHoolboy Q first confirmed the existence of a new project in June of 2023. The rapper retweeted a clip of Back On Figg podcast hosts on X, formerly known as Twitter. In the clip, the hosts confirmed they'd been in the studio with ScHoolboy, and that the rapper was in the mixing process for a new album.

"We been in the mixing process of ScHoolboy Q’s album," the hosts said. "That s**t is coming very, very soon. The album sounding fire. We just now letting y’all know. This is something big right now. We have been in the studio with my brother every week. The album sounding fire."

Q retweeted the clip and wrote, "My guys." A fan then asked if ScHoolboy was capping about a new album, to which he replied in a since-deleted tweet: "I'm actually not."

ScHoolboy Q Previews New Song During Kal Banx Boiler Room Set

In August of 2023, Q stopped by his friend Kal Banx's Boiler Room set in Los Angeles, and took over the boards for a moment to preview a new song. The energy in the room was palpable as Q and Banx jumped around to the lively new song, which still has yet to be released. ScHoolboy's fellow TDE peers SiR, Isaiah Rashad and Ab-Soul were also seen moshing around with the rapper.

"S**t a n***a like me can't die, I'm alive, too live/I've been poppin' this s**t since ’Nam/Three times, four times, if I go right now I'm fine," Q spits on the track.

ScHoolboy Q Officially Announces Blue Lips

After months of radio silence, ScHoolboy Q officially announced his new album, Blue Lips, on Feb. 1, 2024. Q announced his sixth studio album would drop on March 1, and he revealed a tracklist for the project via a trailer on his website. The 37-second video revealed the new album will have 17 songs, and included the tracklist for the LP. However, no guest appearances were revealed.

Q also revealed the definition of the title of his forthcoming LP. The multifaceted dictionary definition of Blue Lips is: "adj. 1. speechless, especially as the temporary result of shock or some strong emotion. 2. (of a person or mood) shocked, speechless, or embarrassed; the crowd gave me blue lips. n. 1. a particular attitude toward or way of regarding something. 2. coon; they were coonin. v. 1. become fully aware of (something) as a fact; understand clearly."

ScHoolboy Q Drops "Blueslides" and "Back in Love" Featuring Devin Malik

Mere days after announcing Blue Lips, Q gave fans their first look at the project by dropping off two new songs on YouTube on Feb. 6: "Blueslides" and "Back in Love" featuring Devin Malik. The former was notably a tribute to the late Mac Miller, whom Q was very close with up until his death in 2018.

"Lost a homeboy to the drugs, man, I ain’t trying to go backwards/But I realize that hurts and think, 'Was it worth it?'/Man, I gotta shake this s**t, wake up and move with a purpose," Q raps.

ScHoolboy Q Debuts New wHy not? Vlog Series

On Feb. 9, ScHoolboy debuted a new vlog series titled wHy not? which gave fans a behind-the-scenes look at the making of Blue Lips. The first vlog episode followed Q as he went to the studio and to the golf course, and included some snippets of new tunes presumably on Blue Lips.

Q then dropped off the second episode of the vlog series on Feb. 13, in which he previewed the song "Cooties" that will appear on the album.

ScHoolboy Q Jokes About Blue Lips Being Like a GoFundMe to Raise Money After Flooding Damage

ScHoolboy Q hopped on X, formerly known as Twitter, on Feb. 14 to jokingly announce that Blue Lips would now serve as a GoFundMe to raise money because of storm damage he experienced at his Los Angeles home. California had experienced record-breaking storms in early February, and Q asked his fans to help him fund repairs.

"Bro, y’all better buy every f***ing album,” the rapper can be heard saying in a video as he shows fans the damage his home has experienced. “Every f***ing vinyl […] Y’all better buy every f***ing T-shirt; y’all better buy two albums a piece. I don’t even got that living room no more, I don’t even got a kitchen. My gym all f***ed up. Bruh, y’all better buy two of each, cuz. Oh my god, water, homie, that storm f***ed me up. Storm f***ed me up, bro."

ScHoolboy Q Confirms Freddie Gibbs "Washed" Him on Blue Lips

Freddie Gibbs will make an appearance on Blue Lips. On Feb. 15, ScHoolboy Q revealed that Gangsta Gibbs has a feature on the album. He even admitted that Gibbs washed him on his own track.

Gibbs flexed his own lyrical prowess on X by sharing the meme of Wee-Bey from The Wire realizing something. Gibbs wrote the caption: "I got n***as like."

Q reaffirmed Gibbs flex by commenting: “U Lokey wasHed me 2 and I don’t know How to feel about dat…”

Gibbs replied: “We make classics bro congrats on the album glad to be a part of it."

ScHoolboy Q Drops New Song "Yeern 101"

The MC also returned with another track off Blue Lips on Feb. 15. Q dropped off the music video for "Yeern 101," in which the TDE rapper is seen playing golf, walking the red carpet and cruising in an old school Volkswagen Beetle with his friends.

"I'm a drop-top n***a ’cause the sun won't burn/Wanna live like Wop, but the stripes ain't earned/I'ma get it right now, I ain't waitin' no turn," Q raps on the opening verse.

Vince Staples Says Blue Lips Is ScHoolboy Q's Best Album Yet

Vince Staples contributed to the excitement surrounding Blue Lips on Feb. 16. The Long Beach, Calif. rapper had gotten an early listen of Q's new LP, and said on X it was definitely worth the wait.

Staples showered Q in praise when he responded to a fan asking Vince whether he'd appear on the TDE rapper's latest album.

“No but I heard it and hit several dance moves it’s his best yet," Vince wrote.

ScHoolboy Q Reveals Album Cover for Blue Lips

Q revealed the cover for his forthcoming LP on Feb. 16. He used social media to unveil the striking artwork. The very literal cover art is a close look of someone's blue lips with their mouth open. They show off a gap-toothed smile. The "Parental Advisory" notice sits directly in the middle of their mouth.

Along with revealing the cover art, ScHoolboy also announced a new round of merch, including hoodies, t-shirts, and Blue Lips colored vinyl.

ScHoolboy Q Confirms He's Never Leaving Top Dawg Entertainment

On Feb. 20, a fan wrote to Q on X asking whether or not Blue Lips would be the rapper's last release with Top Dawg Entertainment. The question was likely due to Kendrick Lamar's 2023 album, Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers, being his last release with TDE.

"Never leaving," Q said while plugging in the URL for his website.

ScHoolboy Q Wants to Play His Album for Jay-Z

Jay-Z has heard Q's highly anticipated project. Q returned to X to try and manifest a meeting with none other than Jay-Z. The California-bred rapper said he wants to make sure Hov hears the finished project.

"I wisH I could play tHis album for jay z," ScHoolboy wrote with a fingers-crossed emoji.

However, when a fan asked whether he'd choose to play the album for Jay-Z or receive $500,000 instead, ScHoolboy simply replied:  “Half a mill wtf. I ain’t dat crazy.” The fan's comment refers to the debate from rap fans if they'd choose to receive advice from Hov or get some money.

ScHoolboy Q Drops "Cooties" and "Love Birds"

ScHoolboy Q continued his Blue Lips rollout by dropping videos for his new songs "Cooties" and "Love Birds" featuring Devin Malik and Lance Skiiiwalker on Feb. 20.

ScHoolboy Q Drops the Third Part of wHy not? Vlog Series

On Feb. 22, Q dropped the third part of his ongoing wHy not? vlog series. The latest episode finds ScHoolboy enjoying the Super Bowl, hitting the golf course and navigating the extensive water damage his Los Angeles, Calif. home experienced earlier in February. Of course, he was also in the studio adding the finishing touches to Blue Lips.

ScHoolboy Q Shuts Down Idea of an Interview With Bobbi Althoff

Numerous rappers have been sitting down for interviews with Bobbi Althoff in recent months. Q confirmed that he would not be one of them on Feb. 22. When a fan on X said they needed the TDE rapper to stop by Althoff's show, Q laughed at the prospect.

"I need a @ScHoolboyQ and Bobbi Althoff interview! That’d be LEGENDARY!" the fan tweeted.

"F**k outta here," Q wrote with the laughing emoji.

Looks like there will be no Bobby Althoff interview for the Blue Lips rollout.

ScHoolboy Q Hosts Blue Lips Listening Event in Los Angeles

On Feb. 25, ScHoolboy Q finally played the album in full for a lucky fans at a listening event in Los Angeles. During the event, Q played new music and even some unreleased tracks. He reminded his fans that despite the heavy subject matter discussed on the album, he was in good spirits.

"Y'all think I'm like super sad and s**t, b***h, I am not sad," Q clarified. "Y'all got me f***ed up. I rap about my life and I think a lot of rappers don't rap about their life no more so I come off as sad sometimes, but, b***h, I'm rich as f**k out here. I go home to my kid, I play golf, I rap every day, I'm still one of the hardest working muthaf**kers on the planet. I swear to god I'm never gonna retire ever in life."

ScHoolboy Q Plays Blue Lips for Jay-Z

With less than a week to go before the release of Blue Lips, Q announced on Instagram he succeeded in getting Jay-Z to hear the project. On Feb. 26, ScHoolboy posted a photo of himself alongside Hov, and wrote in the caption that the Roc Nation mogul was impressed with the project.

"Hov: 'naw braH run data back' ME: 'ok cool'. s/o @iamstillpunch THIS FRIDAY MARCH 1st BLUE LIPS."

Stay tuned for ScHoolboy Q's new album, Blue Lips, on March 1.