Ab-Soul
Ab-Soul | |
|---|---|
| Born | Herbert Anthony Stevens IV February 23, 1987 Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Occupation | Rapper |
| Years active | 2002–present |
| Known for | Member of Black Hippy; albums These Days..., Do What Thou Wilt., Herbert |
Herbert Anthony Stevens IV (born February 23, 1987), professionally known as Ab-Soul, is a rapper from the United States. He was brought up in Carson, California and became affiliated with the independent label Top Dawg Entertainment (TDE) in 2007. During this period, he co-founded the West Coast hip-hop collective Black Hippy, alongside fellow California artists Jay Rock, Kendrick Lamar, and Schoolboy Q. His third studio album, These Days... (2015), reached number 11 on the Billboard 200 chart. Notably, he remains the only Black Hippy member to maintain an independent status.
Early life
Born in Los Angeles on February 23, 1987, Herbert Anthony Stevens IV spent part of his childhood in Korea due to his father's military deployment before moving to his grandmother’s residence in Carson. At the age of ten, he was diagnosed with Stevens–Johnson syndrome, which caused unique dark pigmentation on his lips and heightened sensitivity to light in his eyes. This condition led to bullying during his teenage years.
Growing up surrounded by music through his family’s record store, Stevens cultivated an early interest in rapping. He refined his lyrical abilities by participating in online freestyle communities known as "keystyle," which helped enhance his rhyme schemes. His first written verse was composed at age twelve over Twista’s track "Emotions." Although initially encouraged by his parents to pursue academic excellence through advanced courses, Stevens dedicated himself fully to music following high school graduation.
2002–2010: Early career and joining TDE
Stevens recorded his inaugural song in 2002. In 2005, he signed with StreetBeat Entertainment but encountered Punch, the president of Carson-based indie label Top Dawg Entertainment (TDE), in 2006. Punch recognized Stevens’ potential to transcend conventional rap boundaries. Prior to joining TDE, Stevens was a member of the rap group Area 51 alongside Brooklyn rapper Snake Hollywood.
By 2007, Stevens officially became part of TDE. The following year, he made a brief appearance in Jay Rock’s debut single video "All My Life (In the Ghetto)" and started working on his first mixtape at TDE’s House of Pain studio. In December 2008, he released the music video for "A Day in the Life" via YouTube. His debut mixtape, Longterm, was launched in January 2009 as the initial installment of a planned four-part series.
In 2009, Stevens co-founded the supergroup Black Hippy with fellow TDE artists Schoolboy Q, Jay Rock, and Kendrick Lamar (K-Dot). On June 28, 2010, he dropped his second mixtape titled Longterm 2: Lifestyles of the Broke and Almost Famous, which garnered critical praise and highlighted his vocal abilities on several tracks.
2011–2012: Longterm Mentality and Control System
In February 2011, Ab-Soul announced the release of his album Longterm Mentality, unveiling tracks such as "Hell Yeah" featuring Schoolboy Q and "Moscato" with Kendrick Lamar. He also participated in the "Road to Paid Dues" tour alongside rapper Murs. Promotional efforts included music videos for "Nothin' New" and "Gone Insane," as well as a trailer distributed through Top Dawg Entertainment.
Stevens credited the independent projects of his label mates as motivation to blend their influences with his own creative style. Released exclusively on iTunes on April 5, 2011, Longterm Mentality reached number 73 on the US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums. Despite its name, it does not serve as the third installment in his Longterm mixtape series.
Following Schoolboy Q's release of Habits & Contradictions (2012), Ab-Soul promoted his sophomore independent album with singles including "Black Lip Bastard," produced by Willie B., which he described as a pivotal track. Shortly thereafter, he released "Showin' Love." In March 2012, he joined Schoolboy Q on #TheGroovyTour starting at San Francisco's Bill Graham Civic Auditorium.
On April 6, 2012, Ab-Soul unveiled "Terrorist Threats," featuring Jhené Aiko and Danny Brown. The album title Control System was revealed on April 17 along with a May 11 release date and accompanied by the music video for "Pineal Gland." On April 24, he released "SOPA," addressing concerns related to the controversial Stop Online Piracy Act.
The May 1 release of the "Empathy" music video featured vocals from Stevens’ late girlfriend Alori Joh, whose passing had a profound impact on the album's creation. A remix of "Black Lip Bastard" featuring fellow Black Hippy members was previewed on May 4. The collaborative track "ILLuminate" with Kendrick Lamar was released on May 8 alongside the album’s tracklist and previews. The project is dedicated to Alori Joh.
Control System debuted exclusively on iTunes on May 11, 2012, selling approximately 5,300 copies during its abbreviated first week and peaking at number 83 on the Billboard 200 chart. It also appeared across various other charts and sold an estimated additional 3,700 units in its second week. Throughout 2012, Stevens toured extensively with Black Hippy and rapper Stalley during BET's Music Matters Tour.
In late 2012, Stevens featured on Joe Budden's mixtape A Loose Quarter with the highly regarded track "Cut From a Different Cloth." Budden announced several upcoming collaborations with Ab-Soul and praised him as “one of the best things happening in hip hop right now.”
2012–2018: These Days... and Do What Thou Wilt.
In October 2012, American singer-songwriter and producer JMSN, known for producing "Nibiru" for Stevens, announced a joint project with Stevens under the name Unit 6. The lead single, "You're Gone," featuring both artists and produced by JMSN, was released on January 22, 2013. Later that year, on March 26, Ab-Soul appeared in the 2013 Freshman Class issue of XXL, alongside Schoolboy Q and other emerging artists.
On August 6, 2013, Stevens unveiled the track "Christopher DRONEr," produced by Willie B, indicating progress on a new solo endeavor. Although the Unit 6 album with JMSN had been completed, Stevens disclosed that disagreements with management delayed its release indefinitely. It was also confirmed that JMSN and Jhene Aiko would feature on his forthcoming solo album. By October 2013, Stevens was putting the finishing touches on this project, which was sent for mixing while dispelling speculation that it would be titled Black Lip Pastor. Additionally, he received a Grammy nomination for Album of the Year due to his involvement in Macklemore & Ryan Lewis' The Heist.
On January 2, 2014, Stevens revealed that he had delivered two projects to Top Dawg Entertainment before the end of the previous year. He mentioned that Ali was handling the album's mixing and that its release awaited an opportune moment, inspired by innovative drops such as Nipsey Hussle's Crenshaw. The album emphasized artistic growth and included collaborations with fellow TDE artists as well as production from Statik Selektah. In April 2014, he announced work on Longterm 3, continuing his mixtape series.
Stevens disclosed on May 5, 2014, that his third studio album would be titled These Days..., set for release on June 24. TDE management shared the album cover and a teaser for the lead single "Stigmata". The music video for "Closure" premiered on June 21. Upon release, These Days... debuted at number 11 on the US Billboard 200 chart with first-week sales of 21,812 copies and was met with generally favorable reviews from critics.
In October of that year, Stevens confirmed that Longterm 3 would be his first retail mixtape available in stores. February 2015 saw the debut of "47 Bars," produced by The Alchemist. By July, he indicated that his next album was nearing completion and described it as a love story, using the hashtag "DWTW," which was presumed to be an acronym for its title.
On June 8, 2016, Stevens announced that he had finalized the album and submitted it for mixing. This project, named Do What Thou Wilt., was officially released on December 9, 2016.
In 2018, Stevens contributed to the track "Bloody Waters" alongside Anderson .Paak and James Blake from the soundtrack of Black Panther: The Album.
2019–present: Herbert
On November 3, 2019, Stevens performed at the Day N Vegas festival where he previewed material from his upcoming album and promised a release in 2020. To celebrate Top Dawg Entertainment founder and CEO Anthony Tiffith's birthday and to kick off TDE's Fan Appreciation Week on April 20, 2020, he released the single "Dangerookipawaa Freestyle."
After a period of inactivity, Stevens returned with the April 22, 2022 release of "Hollandaise," produced by TDE’s in-house producer Kal Banx. On November 18, 2022, he announced his fifth studio album titled Herbert, accompanied by the single "Gang'Nem." The full album was released on December 16, featuring collaborations with Joey Bada$$, Big Sean, Jhené Aiko, Russ, Fre$h, Ambré, Alemeda, SiR, Punch, Zacari, and Lance Skiiiwalker.
In February 2023, Stevens performed an NPR Tiny Desk Concert. In June of the same year, his album These Days was temporarily removed from Apple Music and Spotify in the United States without explanation but was restored by July.
In November 2024, Stevens released his sixth studio effort Soul Burger, dedicated to Doe Burger who passed away in 2021.
Influences
Ab-Soul identifies several American rappers as key inspirations, including Twista, Canibus, Eminem, Nas, and Lupe Fiasco, with Jay-Z being his foremost influence. He explained, "These artists essentially form the blueprint for my approach as an MC. Their music resonates with me through elements such as mood, delivery, rhythm, narrative, or simply the overall lyrics."
Personal life
Stevens has acknowledged that the book The Autobiography of Malcolm X (1964) profoundly impacted him.
He was in a relationship with fellow label artist Alori Joh (Loriana Johnson) from their high school years until her tragic suicide in 2012. This personal loss is addressed in the track "The Book of Soul" from his 2012 release, Control System. Following that period, he has been reported to have dated model Yaris Sanchez.
In 2022, Stevens survived an attempted suicide after leaping from a highway overpass; a passing vehicle intervened and prevented fatal injury. During an interview with Charlamagne Tha God, he disclosed that these suicidal inclinations were induced by substance use and were not representative of his usual mindset.
Discography
- Longterm Mentality (2011)
- Control System (2012)
- These Days... (2014)
- Do What Thou Wilt. (2016)
- Herbert (2022)
- Soul Burger (2024)
Awards and nominations
| Year | Nominee / work | Award | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | The Heist (featured artist) | Album of the Year | Nominated |
Concert tours
- These Days Tour (2014)
- YMF Tour (2017)
- The Intelligent Movement Tour (2023)
- The World Famous Soul Burger Tour (2025)
See also
External links
- Pages with script errors
- Articles with short description
- Articles with hCards
- No local image but image on Wikidata
- 1987 births
- Living people
- 21st-century American rappers
- 21st-century African-American male rappers
- 21st-century African-American rappers
- 21st-century American male rappers
- African-American male singer-songwriters
- American male singer-songwriters
- American hip-hop singers
- Black Hippy members
- People from Carson, California
- Rappers from Los Angeles
- Singer-songwriters from California
- Top Dawg Entertainment artists