Herbert Anthony Stevens IV was born on February 23, 1987, in Los Angeles. He spent the first four years of his life in Korea while his father was in the military, right up until his parents split and he and his mother subsequently moved back to the United States, to live in his grandmother's house in Carson, California.[2] He once recalled being five years old: "I was serious into video games and basketball, at five. But video games for sure. Five… What was that, Nintendo? Sega. Sonic the Hedgehog. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles on TV. But I know early on, I really, really liked Michael Jackson, like we all did. Newborn babies loved Michael Jackson."[3] At the age of 10, Stevens contracted Stevens–Johnson syndrome, which caused him to be hospitalized and is the origin of his dark lips and light-sensitive eyes.[3] In his adolescent years, Stevens was severely teased about his condition.[4]
Stevens encountered music at a very young age, due to his family owning a record store.[5] Stevens also began crafting his rapping skills at an early age: "I was on BlackPlanetfreestylechat, rapping my ass off. Text battle. It is a very interesting world. I think that it still exists online, where you freestyle but you type it. They call it keystyle. I think that is where I developed my rhyming skills. I had been rapping a little earlier, maybe around 12 [years old], but when I hopped online and into that culture, that textcee culture. It really got me going as far as being a rapper."[3]
Stevens claims to have written his first verse when he was 12 years old, to the beat of Twista's "Emotions".[6] Rapping continued on as a hobby for Stevens, whose parents "saw a bright, college-type future" for him and enrolled him in advanced classes.[3] It was not until Stevens graduated from high school that he began to take a career in music seriously.[6]
In 2007, Stevens officially became part of the TDE roster. In 2008, Stevens made a brief cameo appearance in the music video for his TDE-mate Jay Rock's commercial debut single, "All My Life (In the Ghetto)". Also in 2008, he began recording music for his debut mixtape, at the TDE Recording Studio: House of Pain. In December 2008, Stevens released his first music video, for a song from the mixtape, titled "A Day in the Life", through YouTube.[10] The mixtape, entitled Longterm, was released in January 2009. It was the first in a series, that Stevens claimed would have four installments: "When I did the first Longterm I knew that there would be four of them. When I did the first one. So there will be four of them: Longterm 1, 2, 3, and 4. So right now we're at two. You'll have to wait for the next one. That's for the next Ab-Soul interview.".[11]
In 2009, he formed supergroup Black Hippy, with his frequent collaborators and TDE label-mates Schoolboy Q, Jay Rock and K-Dot. Stevens released his second mixtape, and the sequel to his first, on June 28, 2010. The tape, titled Longterm 2: Lifestyles of the Broke and Almost Famous was highly acclaimed and featured Stevens singing on several songs.[12]
In February 2011, Ab-Soul revealed he was working on an album titled Longterm Mentality, and subsequently released "Hell Yeah", a track featuring Schoolboy Q.[13] On February 22, 2011, Stevens released another promotional recording taken from the album, "Moscato", a collaboration with another fellow Black Hippy, Kendrick Lamar.[14] In February 2011, Stevens also embarked on the "Road to Paid Dues" concert tour, after being enlisted by fellow American rapper Murs.[15]
On March 21, 2011, Stevens released the music video for a song titled "Nothin' New", in promotion for the album.[16] On March 25, he released "Gone Insane", the fourth track liberated that was taken from the album.[17] On March 30, a trailer for Longterm Mentality, was released via Top Dawg Entertainment.[18] On April 1, 2011, he released the music video for "Gone Insane", directed by Top Dawg in-house directors Fredo Tovar and Scott Fleishman.[19]
Stevens has stated the respective independent albums of his label-mates partly inspired material on Longterm Mentality: "I compare [the process behind] Longterm Mentality to the process with all of my joints. Kendrick's OD had come out and Q's Setbacks had come out. I had these bodies of work to go off of as references, as inspiration. I hear what Kendrick is talking about, I hear what Q is talking about, I heard what Jay Rock was talking about. So how am I going to piece this all together and add my own two cents, too? How do I continue the sound but have my individuality as an artist? It's the same challenge every single time."[20] Stevens released his first independent album, under Top Dawg Entertainment, exclusively through iTunes on April 5, 2011. The album subsequently peaked at #73 on the US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums.[21] The album, although its title is Longterm Mentality, is not the third part of his Longterm series.[11]
Black Hippy members Ab-Soul (left) and Schoolboy Q in April 2012.
Soon after the release of Schoolboy Q's second independent album, Habits & Contradictions (2012), Stevens began promoting his second independent album, releasing a song titled "Black Lip Bastard", on January 17, 2012. The song was produced by TDE in-house producer Willie B.[22] On February 28, 2012, Ab-Soul, alongside Schoolboy Q, appeared on Sway Calloway's #SwayInTheMorning radio show, where Ab-Soul called "Black Lip Bastard": "pretty much one of the title tracks",[23] The first song that appears on the album, to be released was "Showin' Love", also produced by Willie B.[24]
On May 1, 2012, Ab-Soul released another music video, for a new song titled "Empathy", the song features vocals from Stevens' late longtime girlfriendAlori Joh (December 16, 1986 - February 6, 2012), who had committed suicide earlier in February.[30] Joh's death had a huge impact on Stevens and the recording process of Control System.[31] On May 4, 2012, it was revealed "Black Lip Bastard" was remixed and would feature his Black Hippy cohorts, Rock, Lamar and Schoolboy Q.[32] On May 8, 2012, his collaboration with Lamar, titled "ILLuminate", was released. The day before the album's release Ab-Soul revealed the track listing and released snippets from the album. The album, as written on the back cover, is "Dedicated to the beautiful soul of Loriana Angel Johnson aka Alori Joh".[33]
Control System was released exclusively through iTunes on May 11, 2012, under Top Dawg Entertainment. The album sold approximately 5,300 units in an abbreviated week, debuting at number 83 on the Billboard 200 and appearing on several other Billboard charts as well.[34] The album sold an estimated 3,700 the next week.[35] During 2012, Stevens toured with the rest of Black Hippy and fellow American rapper Stalley, on BET's Music Matters Tour.[36]
In late 2012, Stevens was featured on Joe Budden's mixtape A Loose Quarter on the track "Cut From a Different Cloth". The song received praise as one of the best songs on the project. Budden has since announced that he and Ab-Soul have recorded many songs together which will be seeing the light of day in the near future. Budden went on to praise Ab-Soul as "one of the best things going in hip hop right now".[37]
In October 2012, American singer-songwriter and record producer JMSN, who previously produced "Nibiru" for Stevens earlier in August, for what his label called "TDE Fan Appreciation Week", announced he and Stevens would be releasing a collaborative project together.[38] The lead single for their collaborative album, which was set to be titled Unit 6, was officially released via iTunes on January 22, 2013.[39] The single, titled "You're Gone", features vocals from both artists, as well as production from JMSN.[40] On March 26, 2013, it was announced that Ab-Soul would be featured on XXL's 2013 Freshman Class issue, alongside Schoolboy Q and other up-and-coming rappers.[41]
On August 6, 2013, after a near four-month hiatus, Stevens released a new song produced by Willie B, titled "Christopher DRONEr", alluding to former LAPD police officer Christopher Dorner. Along with the song, he announced he was working on a new solo project.[42] The following day he would speak to XXL and say that he and JMSN had finished the Unit 6 album, however their management could not "see eye to eye", so the project was ultimately shelved for a possible later release, with Stevens saying: "As of right now it's sounding like prequel to my album." He went on to confirm that JMSN and Jhene Aiko, will appear on the upcoming solo project.[43] On October 17, 2013, Stevens stated that he was close to finalizing the project.[44] Then later that week, he confirmed that the project had been turned in for mixing and cleared up rumors that it was titled Black Lip Pastor.[45][46] With the release of the 56th Annual Grammy Awards nominations, it was revealed Stevens was nominated for Album of the Year for his participation on Macklemore&Ryan Lewis' debut album, The Heist.[47]
On January 2, 2014, Stevens revealed he had turned in two projects to his label Top Dawg, before the year 2013, was over: "I turned in 2 projects last year, yea I know what your thinking, let's see where this year takes me…" he tweeted.[48] On January 6, 2014, in an interview with Bootleg Kev, when speaking on the album Stevens stated: "Ali is mixing it right now," and that they were waiting on the perfect way to present the project, as a result of creative releases such as Nipsey Hussle's Crenshaw.[49] He also revealed the album is about progression and confirmed there would be appearances from his TDE label-mates, as well as production from hip hop producer Statik Selektah.[49] On April 11, 2014, Stevens announced he was also working on the third installment in the Longterm series.[50][51][52]
Ab-Soul performing in Brooklyn in 2015.
On May 5, 2014, Stevens took to Twitter to announce his third album would be titled These Days....[53] On May 30, 2014, Top Dawg management took to Twitter to reveal These Days..., is scheduled for a June 24 release date. That same day, TDE management also unveiled the cover art for the album and released a snippet of a music video for Stevens' song "Stigmata".[54][55] On June 21, 2014, Stevens released a music video for a song titled "Closure", taken from These Days....[56] The album debuted at number 11 on the US Billboard 200 chart, with first-week sales of 21,812 copies in the United States and has received generally positive reviews from music critics.[57]
In October 2014, in an interview with Montreality, Stevens revealed the title for his first in-store retail project would be Longterm 3.[58] In February 2015, Ab-Soul premiered the song "47 Bars" online, produced by The Alchemist.[59] In July 2015, Stevens tweeted that his next album was "almost done."[60] In July 2015, Stevens gave an update on the album: "My album's almost done..." he wrote on Twitter, adding, "It's a love story". He completed the post with the hashtag "DWTW", presumably the album title acronym to which he kept alluding.[61]
On June 8, 2016, via Twitter, Stevens revealed he had completed his upcoming album and turned it in for mixing.[62][63][64] The album, titled Do What Thou Wilt., was released December 9, 2016.[65]
On November 3, 2019, Stevens performed his set at the Day N Vegas music festival and revealed that he "been cookin' the bird up slow", referring to his album. He then ended his set by freestyling and promising a new album in 2020.[66]
On April 20, 2020, to celebrate Top Dawg Entertainment founder and CEO Anthony Tiffith's birthday, as well as start off TDE's Fan Appreciation Week, Stevens released the single "Dangerookipawaa Freestyle".[67]
On April 22, 2022, Stevens released the single "Hollandaise", which was produced by TDE in-house producer Kal Banx.[68]
On November 18, 2022, alongside the release of the single "Gang'Nem", Stevens announced his fifth studio album Herbert, would be released on December 16, 2022.[69]
In June 2023, These Days was removed from Apple Music and Spotify in the United States for currently unknown reasons. However, the album returned to most streaming platforms in July 2023.
Artistry
Influences
Ab-Soul cites fellow American rappers Twista, Canibus, Eminem, Nas and Lupe Fiasco as major influences, with Jay-Z being his biggest influence.[72] He stated: "There are so many others, but those are the ones that came to my mind at this time. Those artists are basically the template to my format as an MC. They all capture me with their music, whether it be the vibe, delivery, cadence, story, or just the lyrics in general."[72]
Stevens dated fellow label mate Alori Joh (born Loriana Johnson) from high school until her untimely and tragic death, where she took her own life by jumping off of a radio tower in Compton, CA. Stevens references the relationship and the fatal loss on his song "The Book of Soul" from his 2012 album, Control System.[74] Since then, Stevens has reportedly dated model Yaris Sanchez. In 2022, he attempted to take his own life by jumping from a highway overpass. A car broke his fall and saved his life. He revealed that his suicidal thoughts were drug-induced and that he would normally not have such feelings.[75]
Control System is the second studio album by American rapper Ab-Soul. It was released on May 11, 2012, by Top Dawg Entertainment. The album features guest appearances from Jhené Aiko, Danny Brown, Schoolboy Q, Jay Rock, BJ the Chicago Kid, Kendrick Lamar, JaVonte, Punch, Ashtrobot and vocals from the late Alori Joh. The album's production was handled by Digi+Phonics, King Blue, Nez & Rio, Skhye Hutch, Curtiss King, Aahyasis, and Tommy Black.
Johnny Reed McKinzie Jr., better known by his stage name Jay Rock, is an American rapper. Born and raised in Los Angeles, he signed with local independent label Top Dawg Entertainment (TDE) in 2005. He secured a major label joint venture deal with Warner Bros. Records and Asylum Records to release his 2008 debut single, "All My Life ". Failing to chart, the mergers fell through and Rock departed from both of the latter labels shortly after. He then signed with Missouri rapper Tech N9ne's label Strange Music in a joint venture deal with TDE in 2011.
Quincy Matthew Hanley, better known by his stage name Schoolboy Q, is an American rapper from South Los Angeles, California. Hanley released his debut mixtape, ScHoolboy Turned Hustla (2008) and its sequel, Gangsta & Soul (2009) the following year. After signing with the Carson-based record label Top Dawg Entertainment, Hanley released his debut studio album, Setbacks (2011) and its follow up, Habits & Contradictions (2012) both to positive reception; both also performed moderately on the Billboard 200 chart as digital exclusives.
Christian Andrew Berishaj, known professionally as JMSN, is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, multi-instrumentalist, music engineer and mixer. His debut album, Priscilla, was released in 2012; he wrote and produced the album himself and directed the music videos accompanying its release.
Section.80 is the debut studio album by American rapper Kendrick Lamar. It was released on July 2, 2011, by Top Dawg Entertainment (TDE). In the years leading up to its release, Lamar previously produced various mixtapes under the moniker K.Dot. In 2010, Lamar released Overly Dedicated, his fourth solo mixtape. Shortly after its release, he began working on Section.80.
Black Hippy was an American hip hop supergroup from South Los Angeles, California, formed in 2008. The group consisted of West Coast rappers Ab-Soul, Jay Rock, Kendrick Lamar and ScHoolboy Q. Black Hippy was constructed after all of its members had signed to Carson-based indie record label, Top Dawg Entertainment (TDE).
Top Dawg Entertainment (TDE) is an American independent record label. Specializing in hip hop and R&B artists, TDE is based in Carson, California. The label was founded in 2004 by record producer Anthony "Top Dawg" Tiffith, who is the chief executive officer. His son, Anthony "Moosa" Tiffith Jr., and Terrence "Punch" Henderson are the presidents of the label.
"The Recipe" is a song by American rapper Kendrick Lamar. It was released on April 3, 2012, as the first single from his major label debut Good Kid, M.A.A.D City (2012). The song, however, only made the deluxe edition of the album.
Dwan Howard, better known by his stage name Curtiss King is an American hip hop recording artist and record producer based out of the Inland Empire. Signed to independent label, Black Cloud Music, King is also known for his productions credits with artists such as Murs, Noa James, Top Dawg Entertainment recording artist Ab-Soul, Glasses Malone, Mack 10 and more.
Longterm Mentality is the debut studio album by American hip hop recording artist Ab-Soul. It was released on April 5, 2011, by Top Dawg Entertainment (TDE), exclusively to digital retailers, serving as Ab-Soul's debut retail release. The album features guest appearances from Jhené Aiko, Schoolboy Q, Kendrick Lamar, Punch, Alori Joh, JaVonté, MURS, BJ the Chicago Kid and Pat Brown, with the production from American hip hop record producers such as Tae Beast, Ayiro, Sounwave, AAyhasis, Context, Alexis Carrington and Tommy Black. Upon its release, the album was highly acclaimed by music critics.
Overly Dedicated is the fourth solo mixtape by American rapper Kendrick Lamar, released on September 14, 2010, via Top Dawg Entertainment. The album features guest appearances from Dash Snow, Jhené Aiko, Schoolboy Q, Ab-Soul, Ash Riser, Dom Kennedy and Murs, among others. The album's production was handled by several TDE in-house producers, including King Blue, Sounwave, Tae Beast and Willie B; other producers such as Tommy Black, Jairus "J-Mo" Mozee, and Wyldfyer, also contributed production. The mixtape had sold a total of 12,000 copies as of October 2012.
Oxymoron is the third studio album by American rapper Schoolboy Q. It was released on February 25, 2014, through Top Dawg Entertainment and distributed by Interscope Records. Oxymoron was his first album released under a major record label to music retailers, whereas his previous albums were released independently to digital retailers only.
The discography of Ab-Soul, an American hip hop recording artist, consists of five studio albums, two mixtapes, seventeen singles and 30 music videos. Ab-Soul's first full-length project was a mixtape titled Longterm. The mixtape was released in 2009, as a free download via mixtape-sharing websites.
Digi+Phonics is an African American hip hop production team, composed of California-based record producers Tae Beast, Sounwave, Dave Free and Willie B. They currently serve as the main in-house producers for Carson-based record label, Top Dawg Entertainment. Digi+Phonics work significantly on projects from all the members of hip hop supergroup Black Hippy, who are also signed to Top Dawg and is composed of rappers Kendrick Lamar, Jay Rock, Schoolboy Q, and Ab-Soul. Their best known productions include "Bitch Don't Kill My Vibe" by Kendrick Lamar, "There He Go" by Schoolboy Q, and "Terrorist Threats" by Ab-Soul. They frequently co-produce songs together and put the finishing touches on the projects released by Top Dawg Entertainment.
William Thomas Trenell Brown, known professionally as Willie B or by the stage name The Ichiban Don, is an American hip hop record producer and recording artist from Los Angeles, California. He is an original member of West Coast hip hop production team Digi+Phonics of Top Dawg Entertainment (TDE). He is also a member of the hip hop collective A Room Full of Mirrors, alongside fellow rappers Punch and Daylyt, among others.
Isaiah Rashad Joel McClain is an American rapper. His mainstream breakthrough followed after his performances on the 2012 Smoker's Club Tour alongside rappers Juicy J, Joey Badass and Smoke DZA. He is a founding member of the Chattanooga, Tennessee-based hip hop collective The House, which he formed with rappers YGTUT, Michael Da Vinci (MikeyD), Chris P, and Brian Brown.
These Days... is the third studio album by American rapper Ab-Soul. It was released on June 24, 2014, by Top Dawg Entertainment (TDE). The record serves as the follow-up to his critically acclaimed Control System (2012). The album features guest appearances from Black Hippy affiliates Kendrick Lamar, ScHoolboy Q and Jay Rock; as well as Rick Ross, Lupe Fiasco, Action Bronson and Mac Miller, whose in-house studio is where Ab-Soul recorded the majority of the record, among others.
Do What Thou Wilt. is the fourth studio album by American rapper Ab-Soul. It was released on December 9, 2016, by Top Dawg Entertainment. The record serves as the follow-up to his previous studio effort, These Days... (2014). The album was supported by two singles: "Huey Knew" and "Braille".
Terrence Louis Henderson Jr., better known by his stage name Punch, is an American rapper, songwriter, record producer and record executive from Carson, California. He is best known for being the president of independent record label Top Dawg Entertainment (TDE). He has also executive produced several successful albums, including Kendrick Lamar's Section.80 (2011), Schoolboy Q's Habits & Contradictions (2012), Terrace Martin's 3ChordFold, (2013) and more. Aside from his solo musical career, Punch is a member of hip hop collective A Room Full of Mirrors, alongside fellow rappers Daylyt, Nick Grant, The Ichiban Don, Lyric Michelle, Hari, and more.
Robert Lee Gill Jr., better known by his stage name Reason, is an American rapper and songwriter. He is signed to hip hop record label Top Dawg Entertainment, where he started to gain recognition. His TDE debut, There You Have It, was released on September 28, 2018, a re-release of an album from 2017. His major label debut album New Beginnings was released on October 9, 2020.
References
↑ "Ab-Soul". Thugradio.net. Archived from the original on March 29, 2012. Retrieved March 29, 2012.
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