Ab-Soul - These Days... Album Review | DEHH 

Would love to see an EP with TDE rappers rhyming over Terrace Martin jazz type instrumentation. Would be truly amazing.

Typical format for DEHH reviews: 10% feefo 15% beezy 25% kinge 50% myke

Cilvia Demo >>>>>>>>>> Oxymoron & These Days...

Soul impersonating rappers on These Days. Hunna stax- the epitome of rap musics content Dub sac- catchyness is more important than substance World Runners- rapped like lupe Nevermind that- making fun of gangsta rap like Rick Ross Twact- soulo impersonated Lil Wayne Just have fun- Drake, not migos, drake " no new niggas and business is business" Kendrick Lamar interlude- what rap could be. Then he began to make more creative music after that song. He's dressed as Jesus to signify that he sacrificed his album to save us from rap these days.

i understand that this was supposed to be like Soul's version of modern rap...but it sounded bad to me man lol. Plastic beats, boring rhymes. I was messing with Tree of Life until he did that "k-i-s-s-i-n-g" shit

If you don't like the album I totally get it and I won't fight you over it. Like I said, it comes down to whether or not you like the individual songs on this project or not. I don't think this is an album that has a tightly woven concept that you have to follow through and through. I think its more of a theme of the album.

Simply put: Don't look to deep into this album.

Think I finally cracked what soul was doing. He was doing a sell out album for mainstream while keeping positive messages - meaningful songs - mixed in like tree of life, sapiosexual etc so that people in mainstream would listen he kinda explains it in this quote "When you feed a sick dog, you have to mix the medicine in with the food that it likes already". It relates to the album artwork as well he's dressed as Jesus with the cross. Jesus Died (Bad thing - Soul doing a sell out album) so that man's sin would be rid off (mainstream will listen to positive messages) and also so he can get his big pay check, not like he's doing all this for everyone and not taking home any of the money he's made from this. Also just mocking modern day rappers to show how easy it is to make that style of hip-hop.

The background vocals of "Hunnid Stax" & The first verse of "Nevermind That" explain the album of These Days...

Jay Rock better come with some heat.

I fucks with feefo, but how does he understand Because the Internet on first listen, but doesn't get These Days...

I would LOVE to see DEHH review big battles too, because hearing you guys discuss the Daylyt-Ab battle was just as entertaining if not more entertaining than the album review. And it's fun to see what everyone's favorite lines were and it'd be awesome to see debates on who they think won. and a good start for that would be reviewing and discussing Total Slaughter!

I thought action Bronson and Assad ruined stigmata.. That should of been just soul

Ab-Soul made this album to show what hip-hop has gone too. Making fun of the mainstream music "these days".

Out of his first 3 albums before 'Control Systems' I feel like 'Longterm Mentality' may have received a positive review but that's it. The first two were ok and much like this one in which there were songs you liked and songs you didn't like. Ab's approach to music has always been the fact that he's just a 'regular' dude. This dude has a whole song dedicated to being dissed by chicks because he didn't have the finer things in life. It was something I could relate to as a listener and I appreciated that about Soul.

It's called These days because it a mimic of today's music. In a satirical way.

Man I was waiting for Myke to talk about that battle! I'm just getting into Battle Rap and I'm liking how more industry dudes are coming back to battle these battle rappers. That Joe Budden vs. Hollow Da Don battle is gonna be CRAZY! I got Hollow because that's his lane, but it's just epic for the culture of battle rap.

Yee been waiting for this review!!

I feel like dehh has a new vibe! I love it guys.

People have to understand that most of the album was talking about what going on now. He reminds you of what type of music we listen to now but i cant wait for his next project

I was really disappointed at first because this wasn't Control System 2, but after sitting down and listening to the album for what it was, I grew to really enjoy it

Damn y'all put this out at one in the mornin son I wasn't ready for it

I like how y'all threw in that segment at the end. Great review, really thoughtful.

Within the first minute Feefo says sum SmartDumb shit "I dont know if I dislike it or if I love it, but i definately like it" LOL NIGGA WHAT?!?

You guys are the best. I'll definitely stay subscribed to you guys as long as I live :D

20:17 - just to dig deeper, Ab-Soul says, "i'm against the LAW to run into, because in LA i'm W (Double You - LA - W [He spells out LAW again]).

If you think about the cover, It´s like he knows he taking a sacrifice to make these type a songs just to make a point......

Aye man... I like this video. I like this discussion. You guys know what your talkin bout. I have that same view from this album. Me & My wife listen to TDE, Partially because Im LA, and partially cause TDE is a fresh breath of air for hip-hop. But, my wife got the same feeling from this album. We love gkmc, we loved oxymoron, but this album is ok. And I love ab-souls music! That battle at the end had me upset at first, but then I just listened to it again, pretty dope!

Happy to see you talk battle rap, hope you review Total Slaughterhouse

Wow. Really good review!! Glad you waited now and didnt rush it

Just when I was about to let these Z's troop, my boys drop this review. GREATNESS

I really like the ending of the video talking about the battle. I watch battle rap all the time. KOTD, URL. I think you guys should try to review some battles from time to time. or make like another segment where it's just battle reviews. I know you recently did the Hollow vs Budden batttle and TS recap. but as a fan of battle rap it would be super dope to hear your opinions on them. but ust a suggestion tho

YAY THEY'RE BACK OUTSIDE!

wish there was video footage of that battle..dope review as usual and for me the album wasnt a control system but it bumps still

About dang time, thank y'all for doing this. I'm commenting before I've watched.... hoping it was appreciated on your end.

I wish there was a link to the time on every DEHH were Mike gives his opinions on the album , only one of these guys who REALLY knows hip-hop (and music in general)

Mike is always on point it was a boring album you can give the "he's using more mainstream beats and lyrics" excuse but the bottom line is that it wasn't that good. I still got hope for the next project

Such a great review... you guys are very sensible. Earned a subscriber.

Yeaahh!!!! My GUY Lupe getting some love!!!! He never stopped spitting but it's all good lolol

This is your best production quality yet

I agree I was majorly disappointed in these days, especially after stigmata dropped and was dope as hell. Tbh I haven't even got through the project once. I will definitely listen more tho.

The song at the beginning, the sample at the beginning of this video...what is it? Like the first 5sec of this video..what is it?? Please

I NEED TO HEAR MORE OF YALL THOUGHTS ON THE BATTLE

whats the instrumental in the opening of this vid! PLZ TELL ME!

This was basically how i felt about the album. still love long term series most

what are these beats playing in the background of these reviews? especially the last one

anyone have a link to that ab soul tweet mykes talking about?

I love that Ab-Soul vs. Daylyt battle man.. Daylyt is a genius, and Soul came wit them Day & light flips! Crazy battle

I was following Ab-Soul's trajectory this year primarily through his guest verses on tracks, and I definitely saw him trying to broaden his mainstream appeal. His verse on "Came-Thru/Easily" by Chuck Inglish was not the most content filled song, but it definitely showcased his asshole side compared to the abstract. I feel his best verse this year was on Smoke DZA's track "Hearses", because it took his typically introspective and intelligent rhymes and made them more simplistic and appealing to the average commercial listener. I definitely had high hopes for this album, but I definitely feel it left me down, because at the end of the day, I feel he was trying to take the mainstream sounding Soulo he had been developing over his features this year, yet assembled an unsuccessful set of songs of him trying to be more commercial.

Can some tell me tha title of the instrumental in the intro?

What is the song or instrumental in the dead end hiphop intro??

didn't day sign with shady? thought i heard that somewhere just curious

The third dude summed up my feeling exactly! And I'm the jerk who had been telling everyone within shouting distance that Abs album would be the best out of TDE...smh Thanks Ab!

the album is great to me, read between the lines. the message is really is bout life, life of words he put together makes its deep, deep to understand where hes at right now

My favorite track for some reason is "Just Have Fun", second half of the song is aight...

I swear i want to know the crew's opinion on MMLP or Madvillainy

would love to know the name of the opening instrumental?

aww I thought you guys was going to like this one... After the 1st listen I wasn't "wowed" but something about it kept lingering so I kept going back, now I can't stop playing it. I can understand you guys saying it isn't cohesive, if you are talking about the subject matter...however the flow of this album is awesome...just a TDE fans' 2 cents :)

Up jumps the boogie bit.. I boogie board on these instrumentals. Ride the wave like a lie detector..... But ab-soul album was dope tho. A couple tracks shouldn't have been on there but it was him givin his weight in on today music. Just tryin different styles.

hey myke just curious u said u thought liked 6 or 7 songs on the album so why'd u think it was just meh i mean i get u think he was unfocused but like what made u not like it?

You all need to do a review on the first mmlp

What's the song in the intro of this vid?

“The concept is more than anything, I realize that people are reciting these words. When I go out to a show, they say the words with me. When I say these things, I am saying what I think of. The main theme of the album is ‘I’m more than a man / I done died and rose again / Left these holes in my hand / So you know who I am.’ If you say that with me, it’s like you said it, too. So you can too be that for a second. Dig what I’m saying? Take that with you. I know that when I say these things, you can actually be that for a second, or you can be me for a second, or say it back with me. Just keep that in mind.” -Ab Soul interview from HipHopDx.com www.hiphopdx.com/index/editorials/id.2447/title.6-things-we-learned-from-ab-soul-s-these-days-listening-session

Cilvia Demo shits on These Days and Oxymoron.

You guys have to keep in mind the concept of the album these days... it's somewhat a social commentary about music u know these days lol so even though I personally didn't like it as much as control system either I think one of the goals was to mock the modern industry a bit and I think based on that he did a pretty good job

Ab-soul did a nice job portraying how Hip Hop Pop is nowadays (hence the title of his album) I'm a big TDE fan , but what AB-Soul did was a risk to his sound and career. And he took a good risk. He portrayed it better than it couldve been because it worked , and for those of you who do not know, Ab-SOul meant this entirely. Ab Soul has a very intelligent mind (Ex Control System having the most witty and thought provoking songs) and would not stoop down in such a manor for pop appeal. He is not indulging this Hip Pop, he is justifying mocking it and how it portrays the low of the low of blowing money, lust , and low lacking in meaning lyrically. He also went as far as to dress up like Jesus to show how most want to be bigger and greater than human in on his album cover art. He said himself that he made the album based of the last 2 years of Hip Hop.

I tried my best to like this album, but I really just didn't. A couple of tracks were decent, but all in all it seemed like a jumbled collection of songs. There's no songs on there that keep me coming back.

Any chance of a !Mayday! x Murs - Mursday review?

People sleep on this classic album soo much!

I know this is a late comment but I just wanted to share this with you you guys. So as you guys may already know Ab had sad he was working on an album with JMSN a while ago. And in a recent interview I saw of him he said that he actually turned in TWO albums at the beginning of the year. This other album was called Unit 6. I had no idea that he actually had finished that project. I had thought it was scrapped. But there was 2 songs that came out from that album and one of them was called Nibiru. In the interview he goes on to say that that album didn't work out on the business end of things. So if you guys listen to his song Nibiru, that sounds like that dude Ab-Soul! It has more substance than this whole album with just that one song. And it's not like I want it be a Control System 2 or anything but that's that Ab- Soul that fans like me are used too. I'd like to hear what you guys think about that. This album is a cool chill album though.

what did y'all think of delusional Thomas' verse? kinda disappointed you never reviewed that mixtape. I know you guys aren't mac fans but I thought he really delivered on that verse with the theme of the song.

Not gonna lie I was looking for a CS 2, and when I first listened to the album I thought it was a CS "Songs that didn't make the cut" album. But after thinking about what he went through these past years, I let it slide. Still not nowhere near impressed, he can do 50x better and he knows it. Hope fame isn't getting to him, because so far this is the worst TDE album this year. (Rap wise.. SZA doesn't count) Cilvia Demo and Oxymoron took a huge dump on this.

Please do an album review of one of Professor Elemental's albums. He's a steampunk/chap hop rapper.

Atmosphere Southsiders? Though I'm super late in asking.

After a 2nd playthrough I think the album is absolutely great. While there was alot of commercial aspects to it. The songs that really mattered hit hard. God' Reign was dope and SZA was awesome. Tree of Life, Just have Fun with the these days interlude in between. And Feelin Us with Jay Rock. Holy shit that's my jam. The Danny Brown feature was dope. Kdots interlude. Honestly listen to it now in 2019 (almost there) and see how it connects to DWTW which is in my opinions soulos best work.

asaad is pretty dope yall should listen to flowers II

Y'all going to love LT4 coming out later this year

Ab Soul is a interesting rapper. He is amongst a few rappers I can listen to with no problems. This album is decent, it has varieties of sounds, beats and flows. My stand out Tracks were God Reigns, Trees Of Life, Dub Sac, World Runners, Stigmata, Feelin Us. What I like About Ab Soul is that he makes Projects that are weird and interesting. He has more than three songs I can really listen to in his project

TDE artists have a tendency of following up hard-hitting tracks with sobering ones. On Good Kid Maad City Kendrick Lamar follows up Swimming Pools with Sing about me I'm dying of thirst. Similarly on oxymoron Q follows up Studio with Prescription/Oxymoron. I'm not really a big fan of it but it's a thing with them.

Great Album the more you listen to it ... The more you like it ...

Ab-Soul is likely to be one of those who could have but probably won't have a lasting career. I don't mean be a mainstream, widely popular rapper; I don't think his sound and style could fit that mold, which is by no means the ideal. He seemed to be defining himself - Control System was a powerful step in that direction - but this album is inconsistent and scattered. I wonder what the ultimate goal for him is as an artist: sell records, make classics, a mix of both?

Asaad is from Philly has had ties with kanye and pusha t. Check out Mixtapes Trop Ep , #White , DirtyMiddleClass. Its good to see him gaining more and more attention

i like this album. i can't really point out exactly what i like about it but i did enjoy it. of course there's songs on there that i like more than others & a couple that i flat out don't like at all. but overall i liked it

You guys didn't hear "apex" Ab soul did with Indie Artist nitty Scott mc?

Dead End Hip Hop Great Review! sorry guys I don't want to sound like that guy but are you guys going to do Slaughter Houses Mixtape House Rules?

The end of just have fun with that migos flow was the best part on the album... Beat was crazy good

Lupe? lol Lupe had the line of the album "Can't spell blood, without blue" WTF

The guy who asked the question was an upcoming rapper Schama Noel the guy can spit. Listen to his Gods Playlist mixtape

I felt like it was him just trying his hand at a more commercial sound coming off of control system but still trying to keep his sound a little like lupe did with lasers

Soul has confirmed in a couple interviews that he's going for the time capsule thing

"Then add to that, that I smoke like the hippies did back in the 70's so many styles I write with a ghost, like I had assistance but this is just dope..dope" I loved that line from Ab-Soul because STYLES P had a song called "GOOD TIMES" and he said he smoke like the hippies did back in the 70's. Soul's verse says "so many styles(STYLES P) I write with a ghost(STYLES P nickname is the ghost) I wish the DEAD END HIPHOP GUYS noticed that line. SOULO is a lyricist!

by the way , in most of the interviews absouls been on he's clearly said THESE DAYS IS A TIME CAPSULE OF TODAY, so ken was completely right.

Good album concept, ok delivery/execution.

Y'all should do Da$h Vices that was a pretty good album

I think this is the album that Illuminate was on and I like that track not because it's on GTA 5 but all around it is a great track and is one of my favs to listen to

If Ab Souls intention was to make an album depicting todays hip hop scene (hence the title these days) and you come to the conclusion after you listen to the album that you did not like it, what does that mean? Think about it each song i guess represented different aspects of today's hip hop and the songs you liked shows what you enjoy about hip hop "these days." The song that you rock with with amazing features show that there are artists out there who put out quality music. The songs that aren't your favorites are most likely mimicking the top 100 popular songs. What is he trying to say?

review the versacee neon icon album i think myke will enjoy it

no 720p?

Tech N9ne strangeulation review or if not you gotta do Common Nobody Smiling.

goin back to old school dead end hip hop.