Schoolboy Q Jokes And Bullies His Way Through New York Show

There are some MCs who approach their live shows with grace and poetic finesse. Schoolboy Q is not one of those MCs. Less than a week after releasing the first track from his upcoming major-label debut, the Top Dawg lyricist hit New York City's SOBs like a punch to the gut on Thursday night for a pair of sold-out shows.

It wasn't pretty, but after fumbling through his intro song, Q turned the energy up, rocking to "Oxy Music" from last year's independent Habits & Contradictions. "I got my hustle dog, I get my hustle off," he rapped, spitting the chorus with an infectious bounce that prompted an early sing-along during his first show, which kicked off well after 9 p.m.

The track's verses, however, were a different story. "I don't know none of this sh--," Q admitted to the crowd after missing a couple of words out of the second verse.

Usually a sloppy performance will spell doom for an emerging rap star still trying to secure a dedicated fan base, but Schoolboy's mishaps were a major part of the draw. He's brash, bullying and unafraid to speak his mind. So when he pulled a fan up onstage and then teased him for looking like French Montana, there was no awkward moment, just pounds, hugs and a whole lot of laughs as he rocked My Hatin' Joint." "Make some noise for French Montana's son," he joked at the end of the song.

The comedy continued when Q threatened to wipe his behind with fellow Black Hippy MC Kendrick Lamar's good kid, m.A.A.d city CD, but Schoolboy quickly brought the focus back to the music, performing the frantic bounce banger "Druggys With the Hoes Again" and A$AP Rocky's "Brand New Guy" without his Harlem rap homey.

Q did get inspirational rapping along to "Blessed" and then the fan-favorite "There He Go." On most nights, Schoolboy would close with "Hands on the Wheel," but with Oxymoron on the way, the rising California rap king has some new material to test out. On Friday he released "Yay Yay," the first drop from his major-label debut; less than a week later, Q ended his set with it. It was a risky move with a huge pay-off.

At the conclusion of Schoolboy Q's coming-of-age drug ode, the music cut off and the crowd from the first show began to file out singing the song's infectious hook in unison. "That yay yay, that yay yay," fans sung as they hit the door.

What's your favorite Schoolboy Q song? Let us know in the comments!