| Ab-Soul | |
|---|---|
 | |
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Birth name |
Herbert Anthony Stevens IV |
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Born |
February 23, 1987 |
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Origin |
Carson, California, U.S. |
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Genre |
|
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Occupation(s) |
Rapper |
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Years active |
2003-present |
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Labels |
StreetBeat Entertainment (2005-2007) |
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Associated acts |
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Herbert Anthony Stevens IV (born February 23, 1987), better known by his stage name Ab-Soul, is an American rapper from Carson, California. In 2007, he signed to independent record label Top Dawg Entertainment, where he eventually formed West Coast hip hop group Black Hippy, alongside labelmates and fellow California-based rappers Jay Rock, Kendrick Lamar and ScHoolboy Q. He is perhaps best known for his introspective lyrics and his four albums released under TDE, Longterm Mentality, Control System, These Days... and Do What Thou Wilt., which were all released to generally positive reviews and moderate success.
Early life[]
Herbert Anthony Stevens IV was born on 23 February 1987 in Los Angeles, California. Stevens spent the first four years of his life in Germany while his father was in the military, right up until his parents split. He and his mother subsequently moved back to the United States to live in his grandmother's house in Carson, California.
At the age of 10, Stevens contracted Stevens-Johnson syndrome, which caused him to be hospitalised and led to his dark lips and light-sensitive eyes. In his adolescent years, Stevens was severely teased about his condition.
Stevens encountered music at a young age, due to his family owning a record store. Stevens also began crafting his rapping skills at an early age. He claims to have written his first verse when he was 12 years old. Rapping continued as a hobby for Stevens, whose parents saw a college-type future for him and enrolled him in advanced classes.
Stevens did not take his music career seriously until after he graduated from high school. He enrolled in community college for two semesters before dropping out and investing full-time into his rap career.
Discography[]
Studio albums[]
- 2011: Longterm Mentality
- 2012: Control System
- 2014: These Days...
- 2016: Do What Thou Wilt.
- 2022: HERBERT