It was 2016. TDE was at the height of its powers. ScHoolboy Q, the bucket-hat-wearing street poet of South Central, was coming off the massive success of Oxymoron and needed something to cement his status as more than just Kendrick’s right-hand man. Then came "THat Part."
The song hit like a sledgehammer. It wasn't just the beat, which felt like creeping through a dark alley in a high-end sports car. It was the collaboration. Getting Kanye West on a track during that era was a massive statement. But let’s be real—the moment the song dropped, the internet went into a collective meltdown, and not all of it was praise. People didn't know what to make of Ye's contribution.
The Weird Genius of ScHoolboy Q THat Part
When you listen to ScHoolboy Q THat Part, the first thing that grabs you is the atmosphere. Cardo, Yung Exclusive, and Cubeatz crafted a production style that felt murky. It’s "luxury trap" but with a grim, West Coast edge. Q slides onto the track with that signature aggressive nonchalance. He’s talking about orange Volkswagens, "Kobe" levels of success, and the lifestyle of a man who has seen too much to be impressed by fame.
Then, Kanye happens.
"Beggar act a fool, James Harden with the range." That line alone set the tone for one of the most polarizing guest verses of the decade. Kanye wasn't rapping with the surgical precision he showed on My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy. He was doing something... different. He was repeating "OK, OK, OK, OK, OK, OK!" like a broken record player that somehow stayed in rhythm.
Some critics called it lazy. Others? They saw it as a stroke of avant-garde brilliance. Honestly, it’s a bit of both. It’s a verse that shouldn't work on paper. It’s chaotic. It’s repetitive. But in the context of the song’s hypnotic, repetitive loop, it became an infectious earworm that propelled the single to Platinum status.
Why the Black Hippy Remix Actually Saved the Legacy
While the original version with Kanye got the radio play and the mainstream attention, the "Black Hippy Remix" is what true hip-hop heads talk about when they discuss the legacy of the track. If the original was the commercial powerhouse, the remix was the display of raw, terrifying skill.
Jay Rock, Ab-Soul, and Kendrick Lamar joined Q for a version that felt like a lyrical exercise in dominance. Kendrick’s verse in particular—where he references the death of Alton Sterling—turned the "party" track into a sobering reflection on Black life in America.
- Jay Rock brought the grit.
- Ab-Soul brought the conspiracy-laden wordplay.
- Kendrick brought the fire.
- ScHoolboy Q held it all together.
That’s the beauty of this specific moment in TDE history. They could give you a "club" hit that also functioned as a platform for some of the most dense lyricism of the era. It wasn't just about selling records; it was about proving who owned the West Coast.
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The Production Secret: How the Beat Was Made
Most people don't realize that the beat for ScHoolboy Q THat Part almost didn't happen the way we know it. Cardo, the producer behind hits for Drake and Travis Scott, has talked about how the track came together. It wasn't some over-analyzed studio session with fifty people in the room. It was about a vibe.
The track uses these haunting, atmospheric pads that feel like they’re breathing. It’s a soundscape that fits ScHoolboy Q’s Blank Face LP aesthetic perfectly. That album was dark. It was cinematic. It felt like a horror movie set in the streets of Los Angeles.
Think about the "THat Part" video for a second. The visuals—directed by Colin Tilley—featured Q and his crew in a distorted, dreamlike house, with Kanye wandering around a foggy driveway. It looked like a fever dream. That visual identity helped sell the song’s "weirdness." It told the audience: "Yeah, this is supposed to feel a little off-center."
Breaking Down the Lyrics: What "THat Part" Actually Means
"THat Part" isn't just a catchy hook. In street slang, it’s a way of saying "exactly," or "I’m with you on that." It’s an affirmation. Q uses it as a punctuation mark for his lifestyle.
"Me No. 1, tell 'em get in line... THat Part."
It’s an assertion of dominance. He’s telling the industry that despite the weird flows and the experimental production, he is at the top of the food chain.
The song also touched on the realities of the music business. Q has always been vocal about the struggle of balancing his "gangster" roots with the expectations of being a global superstar. You can hear that tension in his voice. He’s not just rapping; he’s barking. It’s the sound of a man who earned his spot the hard way and isn't about to let it go.
The Kanye Verse: A Masterclass in Subverting Expectations
Let’s go back to Kanye. You’ve probably heard people joke about the "Chipotle" line.
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"Bout to go to Chipotle, went to Taco Bell and I ordered some pupusas."
It makes zero sense. Chipotle doesn't sell pupusas. Taco Bell definitely doesn't sell pupusas. But that’s the point. At that stage in his career, Kanye was obsessed with the idea of the "unfiltered" thought. He wanted to sound like a guy just talking to his friends, not a polished rapper.
While some felt it cheapened the track, ScHoolboy Q himself defended it. He knew that Kanye’s presence brought eyes (and ears) to the project that wouldn't have been there otherwise. It was a strategic masterstroke. It turned a great song into a cultural moment.
The Lasting Impact on the Blank Face LP
You can't talk about ScHoolboy Q THat Part without looking at the larger body of work, Blank Face LP. Often cited as Q’s masterpiece, the album was a sprawling, 72-minute journey through the psyche of a Crip turned superstar.
"THat Part" served as the lead single that bridged the gap between the "radio-friendly" Q and the "gritty" Q. It proved that you didn't have to make a pop song to have a hit. You could make something strange, dark, and lyrically dense, and if the "vibe" was right, the world would follow.
Interestingly, the song has aged remarkably well. In an era where "mumble rap" became a pejorative term, "THat Part" showed that you could play with cadence and repetition without losing the essence of lyricism. It was a precursor to the more experimental sounds we see from artists like Baby Keem today.
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Understanding the Nuance
There’s a lot of revisionist history when it comes to this track. Some people act like it was an instant, unanimous classic. It wasn't. There was a lot of debate. Many felt Q was "selling out" by getting Kanye. Others felt Kanye ruined the song.
But looking back with the benefit of a decade’s worth of perspective, it’s clear that "THat Part" was the peak of a specific era of rap. It was the moment where the underground and the mainstream collided in a way that felt authentic. It didn't feel like a forced label collaboration. It felt like two artists who respected each other's weirdness coming together to make something that would bother people—and that’s exactly what art is supposed to do.
How to Revisit the Track Today
If you’re going back to listen to ScHoolboy Q THat Part, don't just stop at the Spotify version. You need to consume the whole experience to really "get" it.
- Watch the Music Video First: The visuals are essential to understanding the intended atmosphere. The way the camera moves mimics the flow of the beat.
- Listen to the Black Hippy Remix Immediately After: This provides the "lyrical" counterpoint to the original’s "vibe." It’s a 1-2 punch that shows the full range of TDE.
- Check the Lyrics on Genius: There are subtle references to LA gang culture and Q’s personal history that are easy to miss on the first few listens.
- Compare it to Blue Lips: Q’s 2024 album, Blue Lips, shows how his style has evolved since "THat Part." You can hear the DNA of this 2016 hit in his newer, even more experimental tracks.
The influence of this song is everywhere. From the way rappers use repetition today to the "dark" aesthetic that has become a staple in modern hip-hop, "THat Part" was a trendsetter. It wasn't just a song; it was a statement of intent from ScHoolboy Q. He wasn't just part of the conversation—he was the one leading it.
To truly appreciate what Q did here, you have to look at the landscape of 2016. Rap was changing. The old guard was being challenged by the "SoundCloud" generation. Q found a way to stay relevant to the kids while keeping the respect of the OGs. He did it by being himself. Strange, aggressive, and undeniably talented. THat part.