Soulo’s highly-anticipated fifth album is here, with contributions from Jhené Aiko, DJ Premier, James Blake, Hit-Boy, Joey Bada$$, & many more.
Ab-Soul
Ab-Soul Lights Up “Herbert” Ft. Big Sean, Jhené Aiko, SiR, Punch & More
When Top Dawg Entertainment shoots, they never miss, and Ab-Soul continues his reign with Herbert. The California icon is back with his first project in six years, and it is an offering that once again highlights Ab’s talents. Artists like Jhené Aiko, Big Sean, Joey Bada$$, SiR, and even TDE’s president Punch make appearances on the record. It’s a lyrical giant from one track to the next, and fans have already taken to social media to dissect his bars.
Once again, Ab gets personal in his rhymes, and in a recent interview, he was asked if it is “invasive” for strangers to treat the rapper as if they know him.
Read More: Ab-Soul Calls DJ Premier Collab A “Dream Come True”
“No. That’s fine. But that’s why this album is for everyone who’s not a fan of mine that really knows me,” he told Vulture. “This album is for them. But it’s kind of in an organic, creative way. It’s one of those things where it still ends up translating universally, even as I’m talking specifically to my close friends and family.”
Additionally, it looks as if we’re about to get a one-on-one interview between Charlamagne Tha God and Ab. A teaser of the intimate chat was shared by the rapper and it looks as if he’s addressing just about everything with the famed radio host.
Read More: Ab-Soul Opens Up About Surviving Suicide Attempt
What are your first thoughts on Herbert? Let us know your thoughts on Ab-Soul’s latest in the comments.
Tracklist
- Message in a Bottle ft. Lance SkiiiWalker
- No Report Card
- Hollandaise
- Moonshooter ft. Joey Bada$$
- FOMF
- Goodman ft. Punch
- Do Better ft. Zacari
- Gang’Nem ft. Fre$h
- The Wild Side ft. Jhené Aiko
- Art of Seduction ft. Ambré
- Bucket
- Go Off ft. Russ & Big Sean
- Fallacy ft. ALEMEDA
- Herbert
- Church on the Move
- It Be Like That ft. SiR
- Positive Vibes Only
- Gotta Rap
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Ab-Soul Clears The Air About A Rumored Kid Cudi Diss On His Song ‘Church On The Move’
Ab-Soul appeared on the Rap Radar Podcast to clear the air about a suspected diss he made towards Kid Cudi. Ahead of the release of his first album in six years, Herbert, dropping tomorrow, Ab-Soul denied that he did — instead claiming the “cudi” word usage was a street term.
“It seems like you still have the competitive spirit on there like you’re firing some shots off in the verse,” Brian “B.Dot” Miller, one of the show’s hosts, commented about a line in Ab-Soul’s song, “Church On The Move.”
“Which shots? What do you mean?” Ab-Soul asked.
“It sounded like you were talking to a specific rapper,” Miller added. “It sounded like you were talking about Kid Cudi. You mentioned a name, and you said a lot of things in there.”
“You think I would diss Kid Cudi? The great Kid Cudi? On a song called ‘Church On The Move’?” Ab-Soul replied. “Peace be unto you. Come on, B.Dot. And y’all trust this guy with the lists?”
“There goes my credibility,” Miller joked back.
“No, look. Listen. ‘Cudi’ is a term that we use. It’s kinda on some Cr*p sh*t, you know what I’m saying?” Ab continued.
Watch the full moment of Ab-Soul replying to the supposed “Church On The Move” Kid Cudi diss above.
Ab-Soul Denies Dissing Kid Cudi On “Herbert”
We’re officially only 24 hours away from receiving a new album from Ab-Soul. It has been six years since the Carson, Calif. rapper blessed fans with an album, so the anticipated arrival of Herbert has Hip Hop on the edge of its seat. The reclusive emcee has emerged with a press run to promote the project, and while speaking with the Rap Radar Podcast, Ab cleared up rumors about allegedly taking a verbal jab at Kid Cudi.
“It sounded like you were talking to a specific rapper,” said Brian “B.Dot” Miller. “It sounded like you were talking about Kid Cudi. You mentioned a name, and you said a lot of things in there.”
Read More: Ab-Soul Drops “Herbert” Cover Art & Tracklist
Ab-Soul seemed a tad confused and denied referencing Cudi. On a track, Ab mentions “cudi,” clarifying that it’s a street term.
“You think I would diss Kid Cudi? The great Kid Cudi? On a song called ‘Church on the Move’?” the rapper asked. “Peace be unto you. Come on, B.Dot. And y’all trust this guy with the lists?”
“No, look. Listen. ‘Cudi’ is a term that we use. It’s kinda on some Crip sh*t, you know what I’m saying?”
Read More: Ab-Soul Eviscerates L.A. Leakers Freestyle Over Tupac & Biggie Beats
We’ve received a flurry of singles from Herbert recently, and Ab-Soul’s stellar look on L.A. Leakers only emphasized the hype surrounding the record. Herbert hosts looks from Jhené Aiko, Joey Bada$$, Punch, and more. There were hints that Jay-Z could be making an appearance, as well, but we’ll have to wait to hear if that materializes.
Are you excited to hear more from Ab-Soul? Check out the video of the rapper addressing Kid Cudi rumors above.
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Ab-Soul Laces 2Pac & Biggie Classics for LA Leakers Freestyle
Herbert drops this week!
Ab-Soul Eviscerates L.A. Leakers Freestyle Over Tupac & Biggie Beats
Six years is a long time for fans to wait for a new album, but Ab-Soul delivers when the timing is right. The Top Dawg Entertainment icon is one of the most respected emcees in this generation of Hip Hop, and with each new release emerges witty rhymes that captivate listeners. Unlike his peers, Ab is a more reclusive figure in Hip Hop, often choosing to live a life of privacy than display details on social media. His fans connect with him through his art, and Herbert is a long-awaited project that once again sets the Los Angeles rapper apart from the rest.
In anticipation of Herbert‘s Friday (December 16) release, Ab-Soul visited the L.A. Leakers at Power 106 for his first-ever appearance on the freestyle series. He lit fire to two classic productions: Tupac Shakur’s “Hit Em Up” and Biggie’s “Who Shot Ya.”
Read More: Ab-Soul Drops “Herbert” Cover Art & Tracklist
Additionally, Ab-Soul expounded on his creative process in a recent interview with Vulture. The outlet mentioned “Gotta Rap,” his collaboration with DJ Premier, citing that it felt “purposeful.”
“Ah, yeah, but to be more precise, I was just trying to restore the feeling of Hip Hop in this climate,” the rapper replied. “I intentionally tried not to listen to much music during this process so I didn’t have too much external influence. I wanted it to sound like me, and what I wanted it to sound like; you could easily just get influenced by what you’re hearing, cadences and flows.”
He added: “I just wanted it to all come from me as naturally as possible. I’m glad you put it that way, but I never stopped loving rap.”
Read More: Ab-Soul Hints At Jay-Z Feature On “Herbert”
Herbert also hosts looks from SiR, Big Sean, Jhené Aiko, Ambré, Zacari, Punch, Joey Bada$$, and more. Stay tuned in with HNHH to hear Herbert as soon as it drops on December 16.
Quotable Lyrics
First off, love yo b*tch and the clique you claim
Top Dawg, we the squad runnin’ every-thang
They will never understand what we did for this sh*t
The real lyricists that unified the Bloods and the Crips
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Ab-Soul Opens Up About Surviving Suicide Attempt
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.
Ab-Soul’s ‘Herbert’ Has A Packed Tracklist Featuring Big Sean, Joey Badass, Russ, And Jhené Aiko
Ab-Soul has unveiled the tracklist for his upcoming album, Herbert, which will be his first new record drop in six years. And it doesn’t disappoint. With 18 tracks in total, Ab-Soul’s album boasts collaborations with Big Sean and Russ (“Go Off”), Joey Badass (“Moonshooter”), Jhené Aiko (“The Wild Side”), and many more noteworthy performers.
Producers on next week’s Herbert include Sounwave, DJ Premier, James Blake, Hit-Boy, Boi-1da, and DJ Dahi, according to The Fader.
In addition to the announcement, Ab-Soul shared a new trailer for Herbert, directed by Omar Jones. The trippy visuals highlight religious themes, from a plane flying over a church to Ab-Soul showing prayer hands. There’s also a voiceover. “I watched his vision improve,” the woman mentions in the video. “He said she the heart, but he’s so kinetically connected, he’s invisible glue.”
Watch the Herbert trailer above. Below, find the album art and tracklist.
1. “Message In A Bottle” Feat. Lance SkiiiWalker
2. “No Report Card”
3. “Hollandaise”
4. “Moonshooter” Feat. Joey Badass
5. “FOMF”
6. “Goodman” Feat. Punch
7. “Do Better” Feat. Zacari
8. “Gang’Nem” Feat. Fresh
9. “The Wild Side” Feat. Jhené Aiko
10. “Art Of Seduction” Feat. Ambré
11. “Bucket”
12. “Go Off” Feat. Russ and Big Sean
13. “Fallacy” Feat. Alemeda
14. “Herbert”
15. “Church On The Move”
16. “It Be Like That” Feat. SiR
17. “Positive Vibes Only”
18. “Gotta Rap”
Herbert is out 12/16 via TDE. Pre-order it here.