Ab Soul Biography

Herbert Anthony Stevens IV, better known as Ab-Soul, was born on February 23, 1987, in Los Angeles, California. His early years were spent on a military base in Germany, where his father was stationed. Following his parents' separation, Stevens returned to the United States and moved to Carson, California, to live with his grandmother, whose family owned a record store. This environment nurtured his love for music, and by his teenage years, Stevens began writing raps and honing his performance skills. After completing high school, he dedicated himself to pursuing a career as a rapper.

In the early 2000s, Stevens adopted the moniker Ab-Soul and began working on his debut project. He caught the attention of Top Dawg Entertainment (TDE) and officially signed with the label in 2007. Ab-Soul's first single, "A Day in the Life," was released in 2008, paving the way for his debut mixtape, "Longterm," which followed in 2009. His early albums, "Longterm Mentality" (2011) and "Control System" (2012), solidified his reputation in the hip hop community.

Ab-Soul is a key member of the West Coast hip hop collective Black Hippy, alongside fellow artists Jay Rock, Kendrick Lamar, and Schoolboy Q. He is recognized for his introspective lyrics and has released six independent albums under TDE, including "These Days..." (2014), as well as "Do What Thou Wilt." and "Herbert," both of which received positive reviews and commercial success.

Ab-Soul has also collaborated with a variety of artists, contributing to tracks such as "Druggy's wit Hoes Again" (with Schoolboy Q), "Riddims" (with Jesse Medina), and "Save" (with Rich Hil and Metasota). Notably, he was nominated for a Grammy Award for his contributions to the album "The Heist" by Macklemore and Ryan Lewis.

On November 3, 2019, Ab-Soul performed at the Day N Vegas music festival, hinting at new music in the works. He later released "Dangerookipawaa Freestyle" on April 20, 2020, in celebration of TDE founder Anthony Tiffith's birthday. Subsequently, on April 22, 2022, he released the single "Hollandaise," produced by TDE in-house producer Kal Banx.

Ab-Soul announced his fifth studio album, "Herbert," on November 18, 2022, alongside the release of the single "Gang'Nem." The album, which dropped on December 16, 2022, features guest appearances from several artists, including Joey Bada$$, Big Sean, and Jhené Aiko. In February 2023, he performed an NPR Tiny Desk Concert, further showcasing his artistry.

In June 2023, Ab-Soul's album "These Days..." was temporarily removed from Apple Music and Spotify in the United States for undisclosed reasons, but it returned to most platforms in July 2023. Most recently, in November 2024, he released his sixth studio album, "Soul Burger," dedicated to Doe Burger, a close friend who passed away in 2021.