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 Bone Thugs-N-Harmony’s “Crossroads,” to Selena’s “Dreaming of You,” Ab describes the personal meaning behind each, many of which he discovered while hanging out and working at his family’s record shop as a youth. Take a listen and find out what has helped mold the Black Hippy affiliate into what Red Bull Music Academy dubs “Top Dawg Entertainment’s secret weapon.”

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