As cerebral as Ab-Soul seems, he’s got a good sense of humor. He even laughs at himself. Only, the kind of things he finds funny are the ways in which he uses great quotes and clichés to make his point. He’s not trying to being a smart aleck; this is just regular conversation for Soulo. Ever the intellectual, the Carson, Calif. native comes across as a lyrical scientist in his rhymes. His witticism and poetic mastery has only elevated since he emerged with his first mixtape, Long Term, in 2009. The self-proclaimed Black Lip Pastor continues to deliver food for thought in his verse for XXL Cypher Lab, presented by the must-see boxing event: Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson, live on Netflix on Friday, November 15.
In a time when the newer generation of rappers aren’t necessarily carrying the torch for meaningful lyricism, Ab-Soul’s presence on the mic is appreciated. He’s had lots of practice developing his rhyming skills ever since the BlackPlanet days. At 15, he hopped on the social networking platform as part of the “textcee” culture to engage in text battles happening in chats.
Four years later, Soulo connected with Anthony “Top Dawg” Tiffith and signed with Top Dawg Entertainment. From there, the tried-and-true lyricist from the West Coast embarked on a lifelong career pushing immaculate bars through timeless music he’s created. His debut LP, Longterm Mentality, the critically acclaimed album, Control System, and respected tracks like “Track Two,” “Illuminate” featuring Kendrick Lamar, “Huey Knew THEN” featuring Da$h and “Do Better” featuring Zacari, plus many more.
“Lyricism is important to me because hip-hop is literally intelligent movement,” Ab-Soul, 37, tells XXL. “To be hip is to be intelligent. The hop is the movement. So, when we talk about lyricists, lyricism, it’s that each one, teach one, poetry in motion, utilizing the word to provoke thought, to get the synapses moving, you know what I’m saying?”
His XXL Cypher Lab verse keeps the synapses jumping with clever lines in a dynamic display of wordplay. There’s a nod to the 2016 film Fences, respect to Westside Connection and even a bar reserved for presidential hopeful Kamala Harris. Donning his signature black shades, Ab-Soul serves a reminder that everyone comes from greatness and that eminence shouldn’t be wasted. It’s a trait he already recognizes in himself.
“It’s a lot of G.O.A.Ts out here, but I’m the B.O.A.T,” he proclaims. “I’m the best of all time. And so in that regard, I’m just the vessel. I’m just here. I just move with the spirit, man. I just follow the current. I don’t fight it. And I know I’m being clever right now, but I really mean it.”
Ab-Soul is a product of determination. Fans have cried in the rapper’s presence because he says his words helped save their lives. He takes great responsibility in what he puts forth with his gift of gab. That’s also why he calls himself KRS-Two, in order to keep teaching through his rhymes. Soulo’s new album, Soul Burger, makes that duty even more clear. The effort, which arrives Nov. 8, is an ode to his late friend Doe Burger. The project represents the fusion of the two buddies, who Ab-Soul affectionally refers to as Huey and Riley from The Boondocks. “Squeeze 1st 2,” the first single from the effort, pays homage to one of the greatest lyricists in rap: Jay-Z. Soul was inspired by “Squeeze 1st” from Hov’s The Dynasty album.
“If you know me, you know how much I love Jay-Z, obviously,” Soulo says. “I’m just all about keeping the roots of it. That’s what I feel like that’s very important to me to do. That’s why I call myself KRS-Two… We represent that space where we like the big homies, but we still the little homies, too. And they can both enjoy us. It’s a great sweet spot, if you will, you know what I mean? We’re not too old, but we’re not too young. We can bridge the gap between the two. We can understand both worlds. We can be as current as we are old school.”
The magnetic MC’s middle-child soul will be floating in the lyrics on Soul Burger. While he believes it’s some of his best work, Ab-Soul feels it’s ultimately up to the people to decide. His track record proves he’s in good hands.
Check out Ab-Soul’s verse in the XXL Cypher Lab and interview, presented by the must-see boxing event: Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson, live on Netflix on Friday, November 15 at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT.
