ab-soul Archives

Hip-Hop Stood Tall In July. Here’s Some Of The Best Of The Month (Audio Playlist)

July was a tense and complicated month. The killings of Alton Sterling and Philando Castile by police, both captured on film, led to national protests, heated discourse and some misguided shootings of police officers, presumably in retaliation. Political conventions held by the Democratic and Republican parties further divided the nation... Read more

August 2, 2016 Audio

Ab-Soul Reminds All That He’s A Lyrical Sharp-Shooter On A Bas Remix (Audio)

Dreamville artist Bas made one of 2016's strongest Hip-Hop works care of March's Too High To Riot. A Top 50 charting LP, the Interscope Records-distributed project features mentor J. Cole, along with Cozz and The Hics. Individually, several of Fiend Bassy's cuts have eclipsed the million-mark on streaming platforms. Even... Read more

July 15, 2016 Audio

Black Hippy Black Out On The Remix To ScHoolboy Q’s “THat Part” (Audio)

In the early part of the 2010s, the TDE all-pro collective known as Black Hippy lined up in formation more than a few times. Kendrick Lamar, Jay Rock, Ab-Soul, and ScHoolboy Q came together to show that Top Dawg had incredible talent individually, and collectively. Like Wu-Tang Clan or D.I.T.C.,... Read more

July 8, 2016 Audio

Jay Rock Speaks About His Motorcycle Accident For The First Time (Video)

February 15, 2016 was a day of mixed emotions for the Top Dawg Entertainment family. The record label, which is the home to Kendrick Lamar, ScHoolboy Q, Jay Rock, Ab-Soul, SZA and more, was riding high as Kendrick Lamar took home 5 Grammy Awards, including the one for Best Rap... Read more

June 1, 2016 Video

TDE’s President Punch Rhymes Better Than A Lot Of MCs (Audio)

Over the last 5 years, Top Dawg Entertainment, more commonly known as TDE, has grown into one of the most powerful record labels in Hip-Hop. The company's roster includes Kendrick Lamar, ScHoolboy Q, Jay Rock, Ab-Soul, Isaiah Rashad and SZA. As impressive as that group of artists may be, it... Read more

January 22, 2016 Audio

Ab-Soul Recounts His Travels on the Dark Side on Unreleased Track (Audio)

It's been more than a year and a half since Ab-Soul released his third and most recent solo LP, These Days..., and while his TDE cohorts Kendrick Lamar and Jay Rock both had major releases in 2015, many are missing the self-described "black-lipped bastard"'s presence in the Rap game. Appearances... Read more

January 13, 2016 Audio

TDE’s Resident Engineer Ali Has Compiled 2 Epic Mixes of Their Throwback Music (Audio)

"Let it run, Ali" is a familiar-sounding phrase for Top Dawg Entertainment Heads. The crew featuring Kendrick Lamar, Jay Rock, Schoolboy Q, Ab-Soul (as well as their collective group, Black Hippy), SZA, and Isaiah Rashad was founded back in 2004 before any of their roster members were making it big,... Read more

January 12, 2016 Audio

Jay Rock, Kendrick Lamar, Ab-Soul & ScHoolboy Q List Their Vices With No Shame (Video)

A lot can change in 4 years. When Jay Rock released his debut album, Follow Me Home, in 2011, Top Dawg Entertainment was a fledgling imprint trying to establish itself. Though its core 4 artists--Rock, Ab-Soul, ScHoolboy Q and Kendrick Lamar--had amassed a healthy following amongst Heads, they were nowhere... Read more

September 10, 2015 Video

Jay Rock Flashes The Black Hippy Sign In The Booth For 90059 (Audio)

On TDE albums, Heads often flip over the digital covers in search of that coveted Black Hippy posse cut. On tomorrow's (September 11) 90059 album by Jay Rock, it does exist. "Vice City" is no video game homage, but rather a verbal sin-bin for Jay, Kendrick Lamar, ScHoolboy Q, and... Read more

September 10, 2015 Audio

Jay Rock Releases the Artwork & Tracklist for His New Album 90059

After more than four years since his 2011 album Follow Me Home, Jay Rock is on the verge of releasing his new LP, 90059. Named after the zip code from Rock's hometown of Watts, CA, the songs he has shared thus far signal that the album is going to be... Read more

August 19, 2015 Fresh

Here’s a Playlist of the Best Hip-Hop of July 2015 (Audio)

July has traditionally been slow for Hip-Hop releases, but 2015 proved to be the exception. The month brought new music from a wide variety of artists and set the stage for a blockbuster August, with the return of Dr. Dre and Warren G. Here are the best Hip-Hop songs of... Read more

August 5, 2015 Mixes

Action Bronson & Ab-Soul Join Elle Varner For Differing Perspectives On Relationships (Audio)

Amidst the 2010s finest crop of MCs, Action Bronson and Ab-Soul have both succeeded in rapping about relationships, from the devoted to the dissolved. "All You Need" is a Statik Selektah-orchestrated moment from Lucky 7 (July 7) that shows that range. While Bam Bam celebrates a trist-turned-true love, Soulo looks... Read more

July 1, 2015 Audio

Jay Rock Targets July For His Sophomore LP, ScHoolboy Q Hints At 2015 Album

In the conversations about TDE, Black Hippy, and the finer Hip-Hop of the last five years, sometimes Jay Rock can get lost in the discussion. The Watts, California MC (who signed to Warner Bros. Records in the late 2000s) was in fact the first Top Dawg Entertainment artist to have... Read more

June 29, 2015 News

Jay Rock Releases a Sequel to Money Trees. The TDE OG Is Back (Audio)

Before ScHoolboy Q, Ab-Soul or Kendrick Lamar, Jay Rock paved the way for the Hip-Hop juggernaut that is now TDE. In fact, many first heard Kendrick on Rock's anthemic "Hood Gone Love It." Sadly, it's been four long years since Jay Rock's album Follow Me Home was released, and he... Read more

June 2, 2015 Audio

Listen to the Best Hip-Hop of February 2015 All in One Playlist (Audio)

The month of February had less days, but it was not short on good music. The tight four weeks brought new songs from Kendrick Lamar, Ghostface Killah, Scarface, Method Man, Redman, Talib Kweli, Logic, Big K.R.I.T., Slum Village, Rah Digga, Action Bronson, Kanye West, Cannibal Ox, Drake, GZA, Fashawn, Nas,... Read more

March 4, 2015 Audio

Ab-Soul Sets an Alchemist Track on Fire with 47 Bars (Audio)

Ab-Soul spits some of the most complex rhymes in Hip-Hop these days. The TDE all-star's labyrinthian lyrics often play out like a Davinci code of insider references and hidden messages for those willing to go deeper and step outside the trap. Alchemist laces Soulo with a spaced out track and... Read more

February 28, 2015 Audio

Bad Lucc, Ab-Soul, Problem & Punch Flip A Rare Dr. Dre Remix (Audio)

Bad Lucc has been paying 10 years of dues. However, as he and his Diamond Lane Music Group label-mate Problem have witnessed, good things happen to those who wait. A onetime member of Snoop Dogg's Dubb Union (with fellow dues-payers Damani N'kosi and Soopafly), Lucc is among the new guard... Read more

February 24, 2015 Audio

Cypress Hill’s B-Real Grows a New Mixtape with His Greenthumb (Mixtape)

B-Real has stayed active for more than twenty years. The charismatic Cypress Hill MC has carried on tradition solo and as part of groups like Serial Killers, where he was joined by Xzibit and Demrick. He's also become a colorful interviewer in his latter years. On his latest release, he... Read more

February 18, 2015 Mixes

It’s An Aftermath Party…Dr. Dre & Black Hippy Come Out For Game’s 10th Anniversary

Game has had a curious relationship with the label who helped bring him to stardom—and that doesn't mean G-Unit. Only one of Game's albums was an official Aftermath Entertainment release—the 2005 major label debut that turned 10 years old yesterday: The Documentary. While Jayceon Taylor has remained a flagship act... Read more

January 19, 2015 Video

Nikki Jean Toasts As She Steps Out, Alongside Ab-Soul & Jake One (EP)

Nikki Jean has loaned her vocals to some of Lupe Fiasco’s most poignant tracks and collaborated with members of the Roots Crew in Nouveau Riche. Teaming with producer Double-0 (Kidz In The Hall), Nikki left the lab with some new creations, which she's giving away. The Champagne Water EP includes... Read more

November 19, 2014 Audio, Fresh, Mixes

Kendrick Lamar Continues To Spread The Love With i (Video)

Kendrick Lamar continues his mission to save lives musically with the official video to his lead single, "i." Kendrick clearly understands the grasp his music has within the Hip-Hop realm and even more importantly, he understands that the people who listen to his music believe in it and look to... Read more

November 4, 2014 Fresh, Video

Ab-Soul Reveals His Music Industry Family, Getting Radio Fines To Nardwuar (Video)

One week after Ambrosia For Heads' "search for the GOAT" pitted Ab-Soul against Joe Budden, leave it to Nardwuar to present Soulo with a copy of Joe Budden, the album—something the Carson, California MC is apparently a massive fan of. This interview, Nardwuar's latest within the Black Hippy/Top Dawg Entertainment... Read more

October 21, 2014 Fresh, Video

PRhyme (DJ Premier and Royce Da 5’9″) Release the Artwork and Tracklist for Their New EP

DJ Premier and Royce Da 5'9" shook up the Hip-Hop world last month when they announced they were forming a group called PRhyme, Premier's first since Gang Starr. After releasing a teaser and a single, they now reveal the artwork and tracklist. The project will feature production from Preemo, samples... Read more

October 14, 2014 Fresh

Ab-Soul Confirms That Longterm Mentality 3 Will Be His First Album In Stores (Video)

Ab-Soul has no fear in talking about his fetishes, the most romantic thing he's ever done for a ladyfriend, and how he's "eatin'" "to every extent of the word." However, along the way in the as-expectedly colorful Montreality interview, Ab confirms that Longterm Mentality 3 will commemorate his debut album,... Read more

October 13, 2014 Fresh, Video

Finding The GOAT: Joe Budden vs. Ab-Soul…Who You Got?

As we continue the ultimate battle for the title of the GOAT (Greatest of All-Time), we are asking you to help us rank who is the greatest MC to pick up a mic. We will take over 35 years of Hip-Hop into consideration, pairing special match-ups in a sequence not... Read more

October 2, 2014 Fresh

Ab-Soul Rhyming Over a Country Music Track??? Yep…(Audio)

Ab-Soul premieres a new song titled "W.W.S.D." (What Would Soul Do?). In one of the bigger twists musically in some time, Soulo has chosen to rhyme over an old folk/country music song. He still spits, though. Anything can happen These Days...Check it out. Props on the spot: 2DBZ Related: Ab-Soul... Read more

September 26, 2014 Audio

Ab-Soul is the Consummate Storyteller in the Latest Episode of CRWN (Video)

Ab-Soul is the latest participant in the CWRN interview series, hosted by Elliott Wilson. Soulo showed himself to be a master storyteller as he touched on multiple topics ranging from the disease that severely damaged his eyesight to the roles each member of TDE plays in the collective to discussing... Read more

September 22, 2014 Video

Take A Trip Home With Ab-Soul, Where He Writes, Lives & Loves (Video)

LOUD's series, "A Day In The Hustle" focuses in on Ab-Soul, one of the breakouts of 2014. Here, a full day in Carson, California is spent as Soulo gears up to kick off his These Days... Tour. With family, with friends, and in preparation, Heads can see that Ab really... Read more

September 16, 2014 Fresh, Video

Here’s a Playlist of the Best Hip-Hop of August 2014 (Audio)

August was a banner month for Hip-Hop. Not only was there good music but several artists used their talents to speak out against the killing of Michael Brown and the events that transpired in Ferguson, MO. Though the Summer is fading, the heat generated from the music in August lingers.... Read more

September 6, 2014 Audio, Featured-homepage

Watch 3 Young Masters At Work In Kembe X, Ab-Soul & Alex Wiley (Video)

Although Alex Wiley ultimately skipped on the video, Kembe X and Ab-Soul's "As I Unfold" is incredibly potent. These three highly-skilled MCs, are not short on dues paid, but represent part of Rap's latest regime. You can watch Ab and Kembe chop down their bars in this beautifully-shot visual for... Read more

August 26, 2014 Fresh, Video

Ab-Soul & Retch Kick Some Cool Verses as Pro Era Looks On (Video)

Statik Selektah drops a smooth beat just in time for Retch and Ab-Soul to lay down some slick rhymes on Shade 45's Showoff Radio. In between verses, Pro Era's Joey Bada$$ and Nyck Caution walk into the room prompting Ab-Soul to kick some spirited bars of his own. Ab says... Read more

August 7, 2014 Fresh, Video

Ab-Soul Shares A Dedication To Max B, Raps About Pestering Questions (Audio)

Ab-Soul is building a growing rapport with Statik Selektah. Days after Soulo's role on "Alarm Clock," the Carson, California MC's appearance on S.S.'s ShowOff Radio show led to the 1982 co-founder liberating a song Ab forgot was recorded (produced by Statik, no less). Not long ago, Soul made a song... Read more

August 1, 2014 Audio, Fresh

Action Bronson, Schoolboy Q, Vic Mensa & More Blow The Roof Off Peter Palooza III (Video)

Blow out the candles with Hot 97's Peter Rosenberg as the radio personality kicks it behind the scenes with some of the biggest names in Hip-Hop for his third birthday bash aptly titled Peter Palooza III. After snapping a few quick pictures with the likes of Chris Rivers, Retch, and... Read more

July 30, 2014 Fresh, Video

Statik Selektah Assembles Logic, Ab-Soul & Jon Connor For A Soulful Wakeup (Audio)

With What Goes Around three weeks away (August 19), Statik Selektah's roll-out rolls on. In the last seven years, the New England native has rivaled the likes of DJ Khaled and DJ Drama in his ability to make massive collaborations work, all while being thematic. Looking to the new class... Read more

July 29, 2014 Audio, Fresh

Find Out What Tracks Inspire Black Hippy’s Ab-Soul (Audio)

Ab-Soul, who recently released his third studio album These Days, sits down with Red Bull Music Academy for almost an hour for their Headphone Highlights series to discuss the tracks that inspired him to embark on a career in music. Taking the listener on an audible journey through cuts from... Read more

July 22, 2014 Audio, Fresh

This Week in Video Brought New Redman & Method Man, DJ Quik, 1996 Kanye and More (Video Playlist)

This was a big week in Hip-Hop video, bringing new music from Method Man & Redman and DJ Quik, a bombastic lyric video from Busta Rhymes & Eminem, Nas' video for "Represent" 20 years later, a provocative video from Hopsin, footage of 19-year old Kanye freestyling, a preview of Aaron... Read more

July 20, 2014 Playlists, Video

Join The Party As Ab-Soul & Schoolboy Q Throw A Hunnid Stax (Video)

Less than a month after the release of his third studio album, These Days, Top Dawg Entertainment's Black Lip Pastor, Ab-Soul releases slick visuals to his bumping single, "Hunnid Stax." Ab gets luxurious as he whips through sunny California in the back seat of a limousine before hopping out and... Read more

July 14, 2014 Fresh, Video

This Week in Video Brought Visuals of Jay Z & Jay Electronica, Talib Kweli, Phonte, Crooked I & More (Video Playlist)

This week in video brought lots of variety, ranging from Jay Electronica & Jay Z's first live performance of "We Made It," to a scaled down acoustic set by Phonte and his Foreign Exchange crew. Here's a video playlist of some of the best including a freestyle from Elzhi, Peter... Read more

July 13, 2014 Featured-homepage, Playlists, Video

Ab-Soul Comically Morphs Into The Black Lip Psychic (Video)

Ab-Soul gives viewers his best Miss Cleo impression as the Black Lip Psychic on Mass Appeal's segment, Ill Time. Hilarity ensues when Ab, who recently released his album These Days, takes calls from paying customers like "MC Chicken" requesting the card reading sage's advice. Who wants their future read next?... Read more

July 10, 2014 Fresh, Video

Smoke DZA & Ab-Soul Take You 6 Feet Under (Video)

Smoke DZA and Ab-Soul are tough on the mic, looking to take out any and everyone in their path on the cut, "Hearses." Ab and Smoke, who have created magic before with their addicting single, "Diamond," bring their lyrical assault to life with dark, cinematic clips evoking similarly sinister production.... Read more

July 9, 2014 Fresh, Video

Here’s a Playlist of the Best Hip-Hop to Drop in June 2014 (Audio Playlist)

June brought some of the best Hip-Hop of the year, so far. We got new music from G-Unit, Common, Marsha Ambrosius & Dr. Dre, Ab-Soul & Kendrick Lamar, Souls of Mischief, Cormega, Mac Miller & Pete Rock, Black Thought, The Lox, Buckshot, Yasiin Bey & Mannie Fresh, Black Milk, Ice... Read more

July 3, 2014 Audio, Featured-homepage, Fresh, Playlists

These Days… Ab-Soul Is Aiming For Album Of 2014 Status (Album Stream)

Ab-Soul heats years up. Two years and a month after #ControlSystem, the Carson, California MC returns with another independent release given away for free stream, in These Days... The "Black lipped pastor" of Black Hippy bypasses traditional promotional strategies, and lets the lyrics come first. These Days... is an expanded... Read more

June 24, 2014 Audio, Fresh

Kendrick Lamar Delivers One of His Most Aggressive Verses Since Control (Audio)

Since Summer of 2012, Hip-Hop has been knocked off of its axis from two potent MCs. Kendrick Lamar and Ab-Soul have been at the forefront of injecting thoughtful, researched, culturally-relevant lyrics back into the mainstream conversation, and each has the bravado and self-confidence akin to Rap's brightest moments in history.... Read more

June 23, 2014 Audio, Fresh

Ab-Soul Talks “These Days” On NPR Before Tomorrow’s Release (Audio)

In anticipation of the release of his third album, These Days (6/24), Top Dawg Entertainment’s Ab-Soul sits down with Frannie Kelley and Ali Shaheed Muhammad from NPR’s Microphone Check series to discuss nuances of the album, his career, and his art as a whole. Ab delves into a particularly captivating... Read more

June 23, 2014 Audio, Fresh

This Week Brought Videos From J. Cole, G-Unit, T.I., Ab-Soul, Joell Ortiz, Dilated Peoples, Common & More (Video)

This week was a strong one for video. New visuals rolled in from Common, Ab-Soul, G-Unit, T.I., Joell Ortiz, Dilated Peoples, The Game and more. There were also throwbacks from J. Cole & Michael Jackson. Additionally, Black Thought tackled the Harry Potter theme and Chris Rock announced a new tour.... Read more

June 22, 2014 Featured-homepage, Playlists, Video

Ab-Soul Explains the Religious Imagery of Stigmata and More (Video)

Ab-Soul recently had a fireside chat with Complex's Insanul Ahmed. Though the clip is only 7 minutes, Soulo covers a lot of ground. He discusses the thinking behind the religious imagery on his forthcoming album, These Days, not being signed to Interscope, his love for Jay-Z and Nas, the mythical... Read more

June 20, 2014 Video

Ab-Soul & Lupe Fiasco Set Their Sights On Global Domination (Audio)

Less than two weeks away from the release of his latest album These Days, Top Dawg Entertainment artist Ab-Soul drops yet another single, "World Runners" featuring soft vocals from Nikki Jean and competitive lyricism from Chicago artist Lupe Fiasco. Ab and Lupe are no stranger to one another, as the... Read more

June 17, 2014 Audio, Featured-homepage, Fresh

O’My, Ab-Soul Is Hot These Days (Audio)

Ten days before the June 24 release, Ab-Soul reveals the title track to his album, These Days. "Swear to God, this the only time I use this flow," he proclaims. Soul epitomizes the cut in more ways than one as the song opens with the vocal prowess of Chicago's "band... Read more

June 14, 2014 Audio, Fresh

Ab-Soul & Schoolboy Q Sound Like Money. A Hunnid Stax to Be Exact (Audio)

Ab-Soul just dropped the 2nd release from his upcoming Stigmata album and it's a BANGER. Check out Hunnid Stax, featuring his TDE brother, Schoolboy Q. Related: Ab-Soul Uses Jay Z Lyrics To Break Down Stigmata (Video)... Read more

June 10, 2014 Audio

This Week Brought a Mind-Blowing Freestyle from Lupe Fiasco, Deep Knowledge From Ab-Soul & More (Video)

This week, Lupe Fiasco delivered a freestyle that put him in Sway's top 10 of ALL-TIME. Ab-Soul decoded his Stigmata verse using strictly Jay Z lyrics. Pharoahe Monch flexed his surprisingly strong singing skills. M.O.P. blew out Summer Jam with The Roots. A$AP Mob rocked an off the dome cypher.... Read more

June 7, 2014 Featured-homepage, Playlists, Video