2014 artist to watch #18 SchoolBoy Q

TDE member Schoolboy Q has one of the most anticipated hip hop albums Oxymoron dropping this year in 2014. Q has overcome many obstacles in his life and with his brash style has definitely garnered attention as an artist to watch for 2014. Though a lock to shake up the game in 2014,no one is more unimpressed with ScHoolBoy Q's past life as a gang banger than the rapper himself. The 27-year-old West Coaster talked about his former affiliation with L.A.'s Crips gang during a Hot 97 interview this week.

 Joining was an "accident" according to Q. He was only 12 at the time, and following a friend's lead. "My homie said he was about to do it, I'm like, 'I'ma go too let's' go,'" he explained.

To get put on, aspiring members have to "grow up in the set," and know "more than one person" already down. "You gotta be kickin' it with 'em," he added. "Gotta be going to school with them or something. He know your momma, your auntie, or somethin."

He went on to break down more intricacies of being a Crip, wars within the gang, adapting to violence, and how he feels about the experience today. In hindsight, putting his life in danger wasn't worth it. "It's embarrassing for me to even really be talking about it like in detail. From me going to what I was to now, I look at it as [stupid]. Like why would I go on and do that type of stuff … take time away from my daughter."

Q's daughter, Joy, fronts one of two of her father's Oxymoron covers and inspired the title. "The oxymoron in this album is that I'm doing all this bad to do good for my daughter. That's why I'm robbing, that's why I'm stealing."

Elsewhere in the chat, Q talked about delaying his album, getting good grades (he had a 3.3 GPA in high school), and why TDE isn't like other music crews. With the exception of the Wu-Tang Clan, TDE differs from fellow rap clicks because they all started together. "None of them n----s had the bond like us," he said. "We came up sharing food, sleeping on the same couch … our bond is way different."

Here's his new vid Man Of The Year