West Coast Legacy

Daaaamn! South Central is in the house once again. Schoolboy Q goes hard; his flow is razor sharp, his punchlines hit like fists, his producers drop beats that rattle and scream like hollow points, and when all’s said and done, he’s carrying on a legacy nearly 30 years deep.

When good kid, m.A.A.d city dropped in 2012, Kendrick Lamar shot to stardom like clockwork — rightly so, that album popped — and reminded the listening public that South Central rap glory didn’t die with Dre’s Chronic 2001. Born on a German military base in 1986, Schoolboy Q moved to L.A. when his parents split at a very young age. But birth rights aside, he can spit with the best of them, Lamar included. No, seriously, they have a song together; it’s called “Collard Greens” and it’s dope as shit. Hey, that’s Interscope for ya.

Astute hip-hop fans will remember that there is a split between the East and West Coasts, manifested in cadence, sound and influence. Schoolboy Q is a West Coaster, but cites East Coast rappers as his biggest influences, specifically Nas. And when you look closer, his steez is not unlike that of a Washington Heights resident. But at the end of the day, it’s all about that flow, flow, flow — like a 40 poured out for the homies. And right now he’s just getting started. Soon enough, Schoolboy Q will be up on top of the charts. Trust me, I’m a doctor.

Schoolboy Q plays with Isaiah Rashad and Vince Staples 7 pm Saturday, April 12, at WOW Hall; $25 adv., $30 door, $100 meet & greet. Schoolboy Q will perform a second show at 11 pm.