Who is he? Hailing from Carson, California, Ab-Soul is from the Top Dawg Entertainment stable. He's probably the guy you'd most listen to if you wanna learn a little something something of if you like hearing some nice wordplay interwoven with strong messages and themes. Soul's previous project Control System was up there along with Kendrick Lamar's Section 80 and Schoolboy Q's Habits and Contradictions as some of the best indie releases in a long time. Many would do the usual comparison between These Days... and Control System but a lot has changed in the two years between them, TDE is now widely recognised as the premier hip hop collective and Soul has a huge niche following.

First off, it's important to note that Ab-Soul only belongs to TDE. While Kendrick Lamar's Good Kid, Mad City was released via Aftermath/Interscope/TDE and Schoolboy Q's Oxymoron was released through Interscope/TDE, Ab-Soul, Jay Rock, SZA and Isaiah Rashad all only have to answer to TDE. It's important because Q voiced some displeasure at having to deal with a major label and that he'd wish he was just independent ... Soul can do whatever he wants, however he wants.

For Ab-Soul, that freedom is huge because of the unique artist that he is. These Days... follows the similar line that all his music has previously followed, exploring mind boggling themes and encouraging a thought process or discussion for the listener. Whether it's religion, society, sex or his own tales, Soul is comfortable where others may not be quite so comfortable.

It's fitting that Lupe Fiasco gets a feature (along with Nikki Jean) on 'World Runners' because it's kinda like Soul's taking the baton from Lupe, kind of. Lupe is someone who combined a higher presence in his rhymes with freaky word play, that's where Soul shines. 'Just Have Fun' zones in on Ab-Soul's penchant for mind altering drugs and touches on the joys of his new found life. It shows his canny way of being, wordplay and general ability to string bars together that aren't your typical rhyme (sometimes they barely rhyme)

I just wanna teach you all about the mind
The power in it, the very power of mine
It makes sense I take interest in the third eye
Due to my lack of sight, I guess it's a sacrifice

Soul's freedom and free spirit, which is evident throughout all of TDE means that songs follow no set structure, verses vary in length/bars and songs morph from one being in to another. 'Dub Sac' is a prime example, which sees Soul weaves through the perks of his life, his homies and just general rapper talk, with word tricks and abnormal rhymes. It then switches up in to a totally different tune which includes a smooth verse from Punch, one of the TDE boss dawgs.

Started as a dream, manifested into little Kendrick
Now everybody feel it, even niggas who didn't know, they try to forget it!
Selective Amnesia, that's an Oxymoron, These Days
Niggas ask about pressure I grew up watching free base
Literally the face of my hood...
So basically I beat the case
I vanished but left a trace, just in-case a nigga gotta go back

Amongst the thought provoking or songs that share Soul's vulnerability - which may I add is an extremely important thing for any artist to do - too many aren't capable of opening themselves up and get fixed on rapping about their possessions, instead of pure poetry - such as 'Closure', 'World Runners', 'Sapiosexual' and 'Stigmata' are light hearted gems like 'Tree of Life'. A pretty obvious concept, but the beat is something unexpected and it's a pretty fresh take on marijuana use which we all know gets rapped about a lot. Another fun tune that will have you vibing not necessarily rewinding to hear wtf Soul just said, is 'Hunnid Stax' which features Schoolboy Q and a cheeky P Diddy line at the end...

What? It ain't no more to it! Soulo eatin' now! Tell 'em Puff said so

My favourite tune for a display of Soul's lyrical ability is 'Stigmata' on which Action Bronson and Asaad also feature. It includes this gem

Watch with the internet alone I enlighten the whole globe
That's iTunes from a nigga with astigmatism
I got it from my moms, thank you Steve Jobs
You took my grandpa job and you gave me a job
Not just a physical but digital way of displaying my rhymes

The album features a nice scattering of guest appearances with Kendrick Lamar paying back Ab-Soul for his 'Ab-Soul's Outro on' on Section 80. Lamar drops some poetry fire in 'Kendrick Lamar's Outo. Jay Rock chimes in on 'Feelin Us' while Danny Brown and Delusional Thomas jump in on the Larry Fisherman (Mac Miller) produced 'Ride Slow'. Rick Ross is also there as is SZA who serenades a few songs.

Overall, These Days... definitely grew on me. It's probably that type of album where you gotta re-listen to it a few types to fully appreciate Ab-Souls lyrical prowess. In saying that, the joy about Soul's music is that it can easily transition from slightly complicated, lyrical music to something which you can blast from the speakers of your Toyota C-rolla. There's a weird funk to every bit of base thanks to the large group of TDE affiliated producers and it every song just flows with ease.

It's not easy to follow up something like Control System which was awesome, but Ab-Soul has come up with an album that balances his development not only as an artist but a person with the right amount of quirk, social commentary and a Eminem type of ability to twist words and their sounds. He's building a pretty solid resume with a strong following of hip hop nerds and those who just wanna have fun. These Days... may not be the huge cross over success that Good Kid, Mad City was but it's definitely a success nonetheless.