On “Track Two,” a synth-laden banger, Soul does well to convince us of his outlaw status. That is the sign of a true maker.Īb-Soul-Terrorist_Threats-EM0512 Download: Ab-Soul – Terrorist Threats f. Which means, Soul can take a bevy of similar sounds, and shape them to communicate a wide range of ideas. Yet, all of the beats more or less fall under the same category They are sparse, space-age, atmospheric dirges (Kudos to Digi+Phonics for mastering their schtick). There is gangsta rap, conscious rap, stoner rap, trill rap, however you want to label them. For instance, there are many different kinds of rap on Control System. Ab-Soul is a dynamic artist, yet at the same time he has this peculiar gift for cohesiveness. He has a raspy, high-pitched, often-contemplative delivery, that can either excite a reaction, make the listener smile, or make them cry. Unlike other contemporary rappers, who often invite comparisons to earlier artists – Kendrick and ScHoolboy to early Eminem, ASVP Rocky to Bone Thugs-n-Harmony – Ab-Soul is an artist unto himself. It also sets a precedent for future swag-era rap recordings They need to entertain, stimulate, push boundaries, and above all else, convince the audience that the maker is indeed trill: true and real. It proves that the self-proclaimed ‘deep thinker’ of TDE (which includes Kendrick Lamar, ScHoolboy Q, Jay Rock, and Soul) is a star on his own merit. Will we ever see the album? It’s impossible to say but Ab-Soul has once again shown to be a force of his own whose unique skillset offers a lot to work with.Ab-Soul’s new full-length, independent album, Control System, accomplishes two things. There would seemingly not be a better time to start working on the crown jewel of modern hip-hop, a Black Hippy collab album, with all members currently in full stride. With Ab-Soul once again releasing a quality album, the Black Hippy crew is in full force. While not bad songs, they should’ve been left on the cutting room floor or at least being bonus tracks. The last two songs as well feel out of place and disconnected from the rest of the album opting for a more upbeat and poppy style. An hour and 17 minutes is far too long for an album like this and it doesn’t help that there are a few duds on here that should’ve obviously been cut like “Wifey vs WiFi”. Soulo's stilted almost in and out delivery really add to the album and is pretty unique. Ab-Soul continues the Black Hippy tradition of having phenomenal and catchy hooks which are up there as some of the best of the year along with Schoolboy Q’s Blank Face LP. Features for the most part are underwhelming and don’t add much, the one exception unsurprisingly being Schoolboy Q who always slays on his features and really makes the song his own. The beats are dark, brooding and atmospheric channeling Ab-Soul’s depressed energy and really work well with his unique style of lyricism. This combined with the other main strength of the album, the production, really makes for something special. His wordplay is second to none and references are unique, combining out there topics while being very meta. He usually doesn’t go deep on an emotional level, instead rapping about out there topics like the occult and conspiracies along with throwing in a fair amount of biblical references. His lyrics are always quirky with interesting rhyming schemes that showcase his personality. for the most part brings back the seemingly far-gone glory days of Control System.Īb-Soul’s thought-provoking, abstract lyricism and wordplay shine wonderfully on the album. Ab-Soul’s different approach to lyricism didn’t play well to features either but Do What Thou Wilt. Whatever it is he hasn’t gotten quite the same traction as his colleagues and the disappointing 2014 release These Days… didn’t help things. That leaves Ab-Soul, who seems to be the odd one out of the bunch. Kendrick of course is the apple of everyone’s eye, Schoolboy Q has been coming into his own as of late with Blank Face LP and Jay Rock’s more classic west coast style has always gotten a fair amount of love. Review Summary: The brightest silver lining.Īb-Soul has always been the most underappreciated and overlooked of the famed Black Hippy crew.
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