Ab-Soul

Black Hippy member and independent rapper signed to Top Dawg Entertainment.

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Herbert Anthony Stevens IV (born February 23, 1987), known professionally as Ab-Soul, is an American rapper from Carson, California. He signed with Top Dawg Entertainment (TDE) in 2007 and is a founding member of the West Coast hip-hop group Black Hippy, alongside Jay Rock, Kendrick Lamar, and Schoolboy Q. His third album, These Days... (2014), peaked at number 11 on the Billboard 200.

Last updated 2026-09-29 from the source article.

Quick Facts

Birth name

Herbert Anthony Stevens IV

Born

23 February 1987

Birthplace

Los Angeles, California

Origin

Carson, California, U.S.

Genre

West Coast hip-hop

Occupations

Rapper
singer
songwriter

Years active

2002–present

Label

StreetBeat; Top Dawg

Facts from the source article.

Lore & Background

Ab-Soul was raised in Carson after spending his first four years in Korea while his father served in the military. At age 10, he contracted Stevens–Johnson syndrome, which caused his dark lips and light-sensitive eyes, leading to teasing during adolescence. He began rapping around age 12, writing his first verse to Twista's 'Emotions', and honed his skills through text-based freestyle battles on BlackPlanet. His family owned a record store, exposing him to music early.

He signed with TDE in 2007 after meeting label president Punch. In 2009, he formed Black Hippy with Kendrick Lamar, Jay Rock, and Schoolboy Q. His debut mixtape Longterm (2009) was followed by Longterm 2: Lifestyles of the Broke and Almost Famous (2010). His first independent album, Longterm Mentality, was released in 2011. His second album, Control System (2012), was dedicated to his late girlfriend Alori Joh, who died by suicide earlier that year. Ab-Soul is Black Hippy's sole member to remain an independent artist.

Reader's Guide

Ab-Soul's significance within Kendrick Lamar's orbit stems from their shared membership in Black Hippy, a supergroup formed in 2009 that also included Jay Rock and Schoolboy Q. The group represented a collective of TDE artists who frequently collaborated, with Ab-Soul and Lamar appearing together on tracks such as 'Moscato' (2011) and 'ILLuminate' (2012). Ab-Soul's independent status distinguishes him from his labelmates, as he remained unsigned to a major label while Lamar and others pursued broader commercial deals. His album Control System (2012) sold approximately 5,300 units in its first week, debuting at number 83 on the Billboard 200. The album's themes included personal loss, psychedelic experiences (as on 'Pineal Gland'), and social commentary (as on 'SOPA'). Ab-Soul's role in the Black Hippy dynamic provided a counterpoint to Lamar's more narrative-driven style, contributing to the group's reputation as a cohesive but diverse collective within West Coast hip-hop.