Why Did South Central LA’s ScHoolboy Q Delay CrasH Talk?

CrasH Talk is the fifth studio album from ScHoolboy Q, the rapper raised in South Central Los Angeles, and it was released on April 26, 2019, through Top Dawg Entertainment and Interscope Records. It debuted at No. 3 on the Billboard 200 with about 81,000 album-equivalent units, giving Q his third top-10 album.

The long road to release

CrasH Talk followed 2016’s Blank Face LP and took a while to land. Q told Zane Lowe on Beats 1 in early 2017 that the album was close to finished, and TDE CEO Anthony “Top Dawg” Tiffith said in July 2018 that it was 90 to 95 percent complete. The project was first planned for November 2018 but was pushed back after the death of Mac Miller, a close friend and frequent collaborator. The title and release date were finally revealed on April 15, 2019.

Born Quincy Matthew Hanley on a U.S. Army base in Wiesbaden, West Germany, Q grew up on 51st Street in South Central LA and came up alongside Kendrick Lamar, Jay Rock and Ab-Soul in the TDE crew Black Hippy. His 2014 album Oxymoron had already reached No. 1 on the Billboard 200.

Singles, features and producers

The rollout started with “Numb Numb Juice” on March 13, 2019, which peaked at No. 55 on the Billboard Hot 100. “Chopstix” with Travis Scott followed on April 8, and “Crash” arrived as a promotional single two days before the album. “Floating” with 21 Savage went to rhythmic radio in June 2019 and reached No. 67 on the Hot 100. Its video, directed by Dave Free and Jack Begert, follows Q through a hectic schedule without 21 Savage on screen.

The guest list includes Travis Scott, 6lack, Ty Dolla Sign, YG, 21 Savage, Kid Cudi and Lil Baby, with additional vocals from Kendrick Lamar and Mac Miller. Production came from a deep bench that includes Boi-1da, DJ Dahi, Sounwave, Cardo, Jake One, Illmind and a pre-fame Baby Keem. Sessions took place in Burbank, Santa Monica, Hollywood and even Sydney, Australia.

Chart performance and reception

Only P!nk’s Hurts 2B Human and Hillsong United’s People sat above CrasH Talk in its debut week. The album also topped Billboard’s Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart, Q’s third straight No. 1 there, and it was later certified Gold by the RIAA.

Critics were generally positive. The album holds a Metacritic score of 69 based on seven reviews. Pitchfork gave it a 6.7 and called it comfortable listening in the way a long-running sitcom is, while NME pointed to its slower tempo and more reflective mood. AllMusic praised its lean running time but questioned the “Chopstix” collaboration.

Quick answers

When did CrasH Talk come out? April 26, 2019, on Top Dawg Entertainment and Interscope.

Why was CrasH Talk delayed? It was set for November 2018 but was pushed back after Mac Miller’s death.

Where did CrasH Talk chart? It debuted at No. 3 on the Billboard 200 and No. 1 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart.

Sources

Hypebeast — “ScHoolboy Q Debuts at No. 3 on Billboard 200 Charts”

Complex — “Schoolboy Q Shares Video for 21 Savage Collab “Floating””

Wikipedia — “Crash Talk”