There have been a number of stories over the years detailing survival tactics in Southern California, from Compton’s Most Wanted’s “Growing Up in the Hood” to Ice Cube’s “How to Survive in South Central” and many others. Recently, Kendrick Lamar’s entire good kid, m.A.A.d. city album was dedicated to the subject. None has been more potent than ScHoolboy Q’s vivid and grim coming of age story in Hoover St. In the video, Q simply let’s the lyrics speak for themselves as he’s created a short film that plays out the narrative of the song. It is not melodramatic by any stretch. Instead, its potency lies in the cool and detached way he discusses such formative milestones as watching an uncle wither away from drug abuse, finding guns as a child and eventually entering the world of gang banging. This is the epitome of Q’s excellent take on the new Gangsta Rap. Check out the video.

Related: Who’s Realer Than Schoolboy Q These Days? Watch Him Decode Hoover St (Video)