2022 turned out to be a highly productive year for the TDE camp but Ab-Soul is coming to close things out on a high note.
Though the roster typically has a few releases throughout the year, the heavy hitters came out to play in 2022. Kendrick Lamar emerged with his critically acclaimed, Grammy-nominated, Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers. On Friday, SZA finally came through with the follow-up to CTRL.
However, the TDE camp isn’t done yet. Ab-Soul is currently revving up for the release of his upcoming album, Herbert which drops this Friday. It marks his first release in six years, which undoubtedly had fans excited.
Ab-Soul’s opened up about his mental health in the past but in the song and video for “Do Better,” he speaks directly on depression. However, the video also suggests that the Control System artist also survived a suicide attempt.
During an interview with Rolling Stone, the rapper admitted that he nearly took his own life. Without going into too much detail, he said that he wrote much of the album prior to the attempt.
“Most of what you’ve heard, I wrote before … it,” Ab-Soul said. “I just wanna make it clear: You see me smiling, but it’s not funny. I think that’s just my way of healing from it.”
Still, he said that he hopes his testimony can bring hope to others so they don’t feel like they’re going through their own issues alone.
“Me sharing my testimony — if it doesn’t help, it might let you know you’re not the only one going through it,” he said. “That’s what ultimately gives me the courage to put it out there.”
Ab-Soul’s new album, Herbert is due out on December 16th. The rapper’s upcoming project includes appearances from Russ, Joey Bada$$, Punch, and more. He also has production from James Blake, DJ Premier, and others.