After six years, enigmatic Top Dawg Entertainment rapper Ab-Soul announced he would drop his long-awaited fifth album, Herbert, in December — what a nice way to help fans close out the year.
Probably one of the most mysterious members of the Top Dawg crew, Ab-Soul gets more vulnerable than ever on his upcoming project. After 2016’s Do What Thou Wilt, the rapper uses his forthcoming project to reflect on his career and making music.
According to a recent press statement, this album paints “an intimate portrait of the man behind Ab-Soul” and will trek through his life, past struggles, and journey back into music. The new project references the rapper’s birth name, Herbert Anthony Stevens IV.
“Herbert is a deliberately intimate portrait of the man behind Ab-Soul going back to his foundation,” the statement reads. “As noted by the name of the record, leaving the conspiracy theories, he’s known for behind while emphasizing his musicality. After suffering through a series of unspeakable tragedies, Stevens completed the album as a changed man with a new sense of purpose.”
Last week, the Los Angeles rapper released a video for “Gang Nem,” along with releasing two songs earlier this year, including “Hollandaise” in April and “Moonshooter” in September.
So far, the tracklist and features haven’t been revealed yet for the upcoming album.
Herbert is out 12/16 via TDE Records.