His first album in since 2017, Soulo returns on Dec. 16.
Ab-Soul
Ab-Soul Drops “Herbert” Cover Art & Tracklist
Even though we’re about to 2023, the anticipation is high for Ab-Soul’s new album, Herbert. Since the beginning of the year, he’s unloaded a few singles as fans gear up for his follow-up to 2016’s Do What Thou Wilt.
Finally, the rapper shared the official cover art and tracklist for his upcoming effort. Following significant hype, Ab-Soul revealed Herbert will boast 18 songs in total with a slew of features. While no Black Hippy member appears on the project, there is a strong TDE presence with Zacari, Lance Skiiiwalker, SiR, and Punch appearing on the tracklist. In addition, Joey Bada$$ delivers a verse for the album version of “Moonshooter.” Jhené Aiko, Ambré, Big Sean, Russ, and ALEMEDA also join Soul on his new effort.
In addition to the features, Ab-Soul links up with a strong roster of producers, such as Sounwave, DJ Premier, James Blake, Hit-Boy, Boi 1da, DJ Dahi, and more. Additionally, James Blake’s signature ominous sound seems to grace the official trailer for Herbert.
The forthcoming release from Ab-Soul was led by a string of singles throughout the year including “Do Better,” “Hollandaise,” “Moonshooter” (sans Joey Bada$$), as well as the Fre$h-assisted, “Gang’Nem.” Hopefully, we get another single from Soul before the album drops in its entirety next week.
Last week, there was speculation that Jay-Z might have a feature on Soul’s new album. The TDE rapper linked up with the legendary mogul at the Barclay’s Center in Brooklyn during the Nets Game where they took a picture. However, it was Anthony “Top Dawg” Tiffith that hinted that they may have locked in a song together.
The tracklist doesn’t indicate that Jay-Z is on the album but perhaps, it’s a secret feature that we’ll only hear next week.
While we wait for Herbert, check out the full tracklist below. Herbert drops on December 16th.
- 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
Ab-Soul Freestyles Over “Die Hard,” Calls Kendrick Lamar’s TDE Departure An “Evolution”
Ab-Soul is on pace to drop his forthcoming album, Herbert in a little over a week. In recent times, he’s made more media appearances than he has in the past. He showed face on the Joe Budden Podcast earlier this week where he previewed new music, and now, he’s made his way to Sway In The Morning.
As you’d expect, Soulo came through with some bars for Sway. This time, he takes on Kendrick Lamar’s “Die Hard” and adds his own spin to the record. He also makes reference to Kanye West’s infamous visit to Sway’s studios in 2013.
“Yeah, I’m a Pisces but can’t screw the fish, that’s food that’s cool to fish,” he raps. “Class is in session, Sway had the answers all along, that was never a question.”
Ab-Soul’s verse comes a few months after Ye admitted that Sway was actually in the right.
“Shout out to the homie Mr. Morale, that was an honor,” he said. “I don’t think I ever rapped over another one of the homie’s beats before. I was kinda nervous, I ain’t gonna lie. That was like another feeling. I see you, brother.”
Elsewhere, Soul addressed Kendrick’s departure from TDE to establish pgLang.
“I think that’s evolution, man,” he said. “That’s still my brother. I don’t feel a difference. I don’t know how to [explain]. We haven’t spoke on why it happened or why he did it, but I think it’s love, I think it’s growth on his behalf. That’s what he felt like he had to do on his path, on his journey. So I’ma always support him and what he do, you know what I’m saying? But you know who the gang is.”
He reiterated that Kendrick will always be family, regardless what he’s doing musically.
“I don’t care what company he’s with or where they go, if I speak to ’em, it’ll never change,” Soulo continued. “That’s the foundation. I think if you remember that, if you hold onto that, no matter how far you go, I think that’s the practice, to keep that balance. Everything is as it should be. Nothing is out of alignment, at all.”
Check the full freestyle and interview below.
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Ab-Soul, “Moonshooter”
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Ab-Soul Returns With ‘Moonshooter’ As He Prepares To Release His Fifth Album
Top Dawg Entertainment is a label chock-full of elusive figures, but Ab-Soul is probably the most elusive of all. Despite coming to prominence alongside Kendrick Lamar, Jay Rock, and Schoolboy Q as the quartet Black Hippy and drawing every bit as much interest as his peers, he’s had the spottiest output among them, going nearly six years without a release after dropping his fourth album, Do What Thou Wilt., in December 2016.
Today, though, Soul-o returns with his second new solo song of 2022, “Moonshooter.” Following up April’s “Hollandaise,” “Moonshooter” is accompanied by the announcement that Ab-Soul’s next album has been completed. “Album done,” read the caption on Top Dawg’s Instagram post. “Warmup tonight.” On the song, Soul maintains his well-established form, spitting out intricate, sinuous rhymes over a mournful string sample. “I question everything,” he sings on the chorus. It’s familiar territory for fans of the philosophy-spewing Soul, which likely bodes well for the next project.
Before this year, the last we heard from Ab-Soul on the solo tip was 2020’s “Dangerookipawa Freestyle.” In the meantime, he contributed guest verses to songs like Russ’ “Rap City” and made an animated cameo in SiR’s “John Redcorn” video. Now that Kendrick Lamar’s final TDE album is out of the way, though, it looks like Ab-Soul is up next in the lineup, one of the last OGs on TDE as the label shifts its focus to the next generation.
Ab-Soul Returns With New Single “Moonshooter”
Ab-Soul Returns with “Moonshooter” Single, Album Is Done!
The wait is almost over.
Ab-Soul Announces A New Single And Reveals That His Upcoming Album Is Finished
Top Dawg Entertainment marches to the beat of its own slow-paced drum pattern, and no member of the roster displays this fact more than the elusive Ab-Soul. Amidst several TDE releases over the years, the 35-year-old has been noticeably absent, much to the chagrin of fans who have been loud about their desire to hear from him. It appears that all may change soon, as the official Top Dawg Entertainment Instagram page shared a post on Thursday afternoon (September 15) with two pieces of information about the Los Angeles rapper’s imminent musical future, namely a single and an album.
In the post, there is a photo with what appears to be the silhouette of two children standing on top of a roof pointing at a shooting star with a full moon looming in the background. The caption reads “Album done. Warmup tonight. @souloho3” and closes with the phrase “Moonshooter.” Given the contents of the photo, it is safe to assume that Ab-Soul’s impending single will release at midnight on Friday (September 16) and go by that name.
This ought to be pleasing news for his fans, as the rapper has not released an album since 2016’s Do What Thou Wilt. The rapper shared “Hollandaise” in April of this year and appeared on sparse features over the years, but has otherwise been mostly incognito. It looks like Ab-Soul is ready to fully come out of hiding.
Check out TDE’s Instagram post teasing the album and single above.
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