Albums Ab-Soul - Do What Thou Wilt (Discussion Thread)

[ThisWorldAintRight]

Gonna Check later

 

[GoldenGlove]

idk brehs the TDE boys are dope but for some reason when it comes to retail albums (besides kendrick of course) they can nvr seem to pull me in like with their projects before they got as big as they are now. Rock album was cool but nothing major, Soul disappointed tf outta me with these days especially since control system was on repeat, and Q just makes noise rap imo nothing but adlibs and "hard" beats. Every now and then he'll say something in a track but mostly its just him yapping about whatever. I havent given rashaad a very good listen as of yet but i know ppl like him. SZA i fukk with but i dont even know if she ever got a album put out. Im still gonna give this a shot tho because i always do and always will for TDE. They really need a black hippy project asap tho

The only retail duds that they released quality wise was Ab Soul's first album and that Skiiwalker shyt.

Everything else has been of high quality sonically and musically. The Blank Face LP is probably the best hiphop record this year... and got nominated for a Grammy. It's much more than "noise rap". He's spitting on that album.

 

[Renegade47]

 

[MostHatedBox]

Soul always hinted that he was into that occult shyt but I never paid any attention to it. But after reading about Alori Joh and seeing this album direction......

 

[kingdarius]

The only retail duds that they released quality wise was Ab Soul's first album and that Skiiwalker shyt.

Everything else has been of high quality sonically and musically. The Blank Face LP is probably the best hiphop record this year... and got nominated for a Grammy. It's much more than "noise rap". He's spitting on that album.

cant say i agree....i've listened to that album 5x to see what im missing and i always turn it off before its finished. Its just not for me i guess. If yall hear him saying something then i guess its good for yall because yall have more shyt to spin than me. Being one of the best or the best hip hop album this year isnt even that big of an accomplishment when his biggest comp for that title is between chance and the likes of kevin gates, rae sremmund, and a kanye album that was booty cheeks (imo of course).....tribe prolly got my favorite hip hop album this year and i'd only give that a 4/5. Times are a changing in this rap game thats for sure. I do agree that sonically TDE is usually on point tho

 

[Animal House]

cant say i agree....i've listened to that album 5x to see what im missing and i always turn it off before its finished. Its just not for me i guess. If yall hear him saying something then i guess its good for yall because yall have more shyt to spin than me. Being one of the best or the best hip hop album this year isnt even that big of an accomplishment when his biggest comp for that title is between chance and the likes of kevin gates, rae sremmund, and a kanye album that was booty cheeks (imo of course).....tribe prolly got my favorite hip hop album this year and i'd only give that a 4/5. Times are a changing in this rap game thats for sure. I do agree that sonically TDE is usually on point tho

This has been a good year for hiphop, a lot of quality music dropped. I guess u dont really listen or just have a certain kind of music u like because once again the culture continues to pump out fire music.

Mixtapes, ep's and albums, plenty of fire to go around

 

[CEITEDMOFO]

found a mp3 for this brehs

 

[Jx2]

Soul always hinted that he was into that occult shyt but I never paid any attention to it. But after reading about Alori Joh and seeing this album direction......

There's nothing wrong with the occult (which you'd already know just means 'hidden' if you were to do any surface research at all). It's what direction you choose to steer that ship that determines the outcome. That said, the Crowley reference is interesting .



One of these brehs really needs to impress me and quote/reference some Manly P Hall

 

[MostHatedBox]

There's nothing wrong with the occult (which you'd already know just means 'hidden' if you were to do any surface research at all). It's what direction you choose to steer that ship that determines the outcome. That said, the Crowley reference is interesting .



One of these brehs really needs to impress me and quote/reference some Manly P Hall

Soul has referenced Crowley his entire career so in a sense he has already shown what direction he was going. Cant openly support this blasphemous shyt though

 

[kingdarius]

This has been a good year for hiphop, a lot of quality music dropped. I guess u dont really listen or just have a certain kind of music u like because once again the culture continues to pump out fire music.

Mixtapes, ep's and albums, plenty of fire to go around

yea there's a certain sound i like...the future's of the world or any artist that use autotune heavily for that matter and the excessive club music is not my thing. I like lyrical content laced with subject matter that matters (most of the time) especially in these days with nice production to boot. I will admit i've been slacking on mixtapes but i was specifically talking about retail albums. I've been meaning to listen to dudes like mick jenkins and stuff but im bout this stream life now and do be feeling like looking for new artist like i used to

 

[T.H.E. Goat]

The only retail duds that they released quality wise was Ab Soul's first album and that Skiiwalker shyt.

Everything else has been of high quality sonically and musically. The Blank Face LP is probably the best hiphop record this year... and got nominated for a Grammy. It's much more than "noise rap". He's spitting on that album.

I can't believe I haven't even listened to Blank Face...I need to set a day to check that out

 

[Chip Skylark]

I've tried to listen to this song 3 times and can't make it all the way through.

This song is not good.

IMO Dude is trying to hard to stand out, be different, intellectual, and weird!

I'll give it another go when the album
drops. Hopefully the sequence of the album changes how I feel about. I'm praying he doesn't disappoint

 

[NoHalfWay]

Lupe's son

 

[Deltron]

All 14 Producers Who Worked on Ab-Soul’s “Do What Thou Wilt.” - DJBooth Article

Let’s take an in-depth look at who’s behind the boards for Soulo’s next outing in the order they appear on the album.

Juice Of All Trades
Credit: “Raw (Backwards)” ft. Zacari

Portuguese producer and recording engineer Juice Of All Trades has engineering credits for Interscope, Dreamville, Roc Nation and more on his resume, but the only production credits I could find with his name attached are for Chris Webby's Chemically Imbalanced and Webster’s Laboratory 2 projects. His production on Webby’s “Chemical Romance” is bombastic and bassy, and if he gives Soul something similar to work with, I’ll be very happy with DWTW’s opener.

Wondagurl
Credit: “Braille” ft. Bas

We’ve already heard “Braille,” so Wondagurl’s work speaks for itself. The Canadian producer has already produced bangers for the likes of Young Thug, Drake, and Travis $cott, so “Braille” is just another notch in the belt of a Boi-1Da’s rising protege.

Willie B.
Credit: “Huey Knew” ft. Da$h

As a member of Digi+Phonics with TDE in-house producers Tae Beast, Sounwave and Dave Free, Willie B. is well represented in Soul’s discography. “Huey Knew” was actually the first track we heard off DWTW, setting the tone for a politically-charged, hard-hitting project from Soul.

PakkMusicGroup
Credits: “Threatening Nature”, “Portishead in the Morning/Her World”, “God’s a Girl?”

It seems that instead of relying on Digi+Phonics, Soul has been steady building his own version of TDE’s in-house power quartet with PakkMusicGroup. The collective is comprised of Python P, Lord Legend, and NorthStarDaGod, and if you’re well acquainted with Soulo’s catalog, you know he’s been shouting them out for a while now. We’ve heard what they did on “Threatening Nature,” and considering their extensive history with Soul, I can only imagine they have a great working chemistry that will be heavily showcased on this album.

DJ Fu of Eardrummers
Credit: “Womanogomy”

Hailing from Minnesota, DJ Fu is one of the eight in-house producers that comprise Mike Will Made-It’s EarDrummers Entertainment. His production credits are mostly relegated to group efforts for EarDrummers and some solo work with relatively unknown artists, but his sonic aesthetic fits in well with his EarDrummers family. We can feasibly expect some sultry southern production on this one.

Rahki
Credit: “Invocation” ft. Kokane

LA-based producer Rahki has been working with DJ Khalil for years, and has four GRAMMY’s under his belt, including one in 2015 for Best Rap Song with Kendrick Lamar’s “i.” Rahki also produced “Stigmata” off Ab’s last album These Days…—one of the standout cuts from the album—so my hopes are high for his work on this track.

Skhye Hutch
Credits: “Wifey vs. Wifi/PMS” ft. Br3, “Beat the Case ft. ScHoolboy Q/Straight Crooked”

Skhye Hutch is another producer whose work you’re familiar with without even knowing it. An affiliate of Digi+Phonics, Skhye has produced extensively for TDE since the Section.80 era, and is responsible for one of Ab-Soul’s strongest tracks, “ILLuminate.” We already know what he and Soul are capable of; hopefully, that chemistry continues with these offerings.

Tae Beast
Credit: “Beat the Case ft. ScHoolboy Q/Straight Crooked”

Tae may only have a co-production role on this album, but you can bet that the TDE in-house producer was present for much of DWTW’s creation. One of TDE’s strongest attributes is their near monopolization of dope West Coast production, and with every release, we’re reminded of how well they all work together as a team.

Antydote
Credit: “Portishead in the Morning/Her World”

Though they’re sharing production credits with PakkMusicGroup on this one, essentially making it a production posse cut, Antydote’s presence will definitely be felt. Another production powerhouse supplying magic to TDE, the Chattanooga collective seem to be an addition brought on by the signing of Isaiah Rashad in 2014.

A$AP P On The Boards
Credit: “Now You Know”

A$AP Mob member A$AP P On The Boards has been supplying the East Coast collective with heat for years, and now he’s ready to turn his talents loose elsewhere. Responsible for NY bangers like “Bath Salt” with the rest of the Mob featuring Flatbush Zombies and “Coke and White bytches” with A$AP Ant, it’s safe to assume this track is going to be absolutely filthy.

FrancisGotHeat
Credits: “D.R.U.G.S.”, “Evil Genius” ft. Teedra Moses and Javonté

Toronto-based producer FrancisGotHeat has handled the behind the boards work for the likes of Roy Woods, Kidd Kidd, and Tre Mission, and we just recently got to experience his work on the piano-driven banger D.R.U.G.S., which Soul released a video for earlier today (December 7). Being tapped by both the OVO crew and TDE most likely means you’re going to see the name FrancisGotHeat a lot more in the future.

Tommy Black
Credit: “Evil Genius” ft. Teedra Moses and Javonté

DWTW is basically a reunion for everyone that has produced for TDE over the last five years. GRAMMY-winning producer Tommy Black is responsible for Kendrick Lamar’s “Institutionalized,” as well as a slew of other TDE gems dating all the way back to Kendrick’s “Heaven & Hell” off his Overly Dedicated project. With him and FrancisGotHeat splitting the duties on “Evil Genius,” it’s sure to be a standout.

Sounwave
Credit: “Lonely Soul” ft. Punch / “The Law (Prelude)” ft. SZA

At this point, I shouldn’t have to tell you who Sounwave is. The producer/A&R has been with TDE since the very beginning and is involved in—if not directly responsible for—many of your favorites from the TDE camp. Considering his two credits on this album are both with TDE family members, the chemistry should be palpable.

Bentley Haze
Credits: “The Law” ft. Mac Miller and Rapsody, “YMF”

While there isn’t much info available on Bentley’s background, the rising producer already has credits with Freddie Gibbs, Alex Wiley, and Kembe X under his belt, all of which showcased a dope and diverse sonic aesthetic. Given that he was tasked with producing arguably the most anticipated collaboration on this album, Bentley will surely gain some legitimate buzz off this release.

 

[CEITEDMOFO]

i really want to hear God's a Girl? I just feel like that song is going to be some overall deep shyt.