These Days... (album)

These Days…
Studio album by Ab-Soul
Released June 24, 2014 (2014-06-24)
Recorded 2013–14
Genre Hip hop
Length 89:28
Label Top Dawg Entertainment
Producer
Ab-Soul chronology
Control System
(2012)		 These Days…
(2014)

These Days… is the third studio album by American hip hop recording artist Ab-Soul. It was released on June 24, 2014, by Top Dawg Entertainment (TDE). It serves as the follow-up to 2012's critically acclaimed Control System. The album features guest appearances from Black Hippy affiliates Kendrick Lamar, ScHoolboy Q and Jay Rock, as well as Rick Ross, Lupe Fiasco, Action Bronson and Mac Miller (as Delusional Thomas), whose in-house studio is where Ab-Soul recorded the majority of the record, among others.[1]

The album's production was handled by Digi+Phonics' Dave Free, Sounwave and Tae Beast, among others such as Rahki, Curtiss King, DJ Dahi, Like of Pac Div, Terrace Martin, Corin Roddick of Purity Ring, Mac Miller as Larry Fisherman and J. Cole.

Background

On May 5, 2014, after clearing up rumors that his album was called Black Lip Pastor, Ab-Soul revealed the true title to be These Days….[2] In May 2014, in an interview with Jay Z's Life+Times, Ab-Soul spoke on several topics, such as his song "Stigmata", not having a super conceptual title for the album and recording the majority of it at Mac Miller's house.[3] When asked what should listeners take away from These Days…, Ab-Soul answered: "Balance. Variation. A spice of life. I want to try and touch as many bases as possible. I want something on there for everybody. There will be a lot of references to the vibe of today, the sound of today and the subject matter of today."[3] When asked what had been his favorite part of creating These Days…, he answered: "It would probably be this part – being able to present it and talk about it. This is what I’ve really been waiting on. The recording process was very fun, of course. I recorded the majority of it at Mac Miller‘s house, so you know that was just crazy. It was great recording, but I just couldn't wait for this part."[3] When speaking on the album's title with HipHopDX, Ab-Soul stated: "It’s kind of like self-explanatory. I just wanted it to be a little time capsule of the last couple of years since my absence. The vibe of music and life right now like the last couple of years."[4]

Recording and production

On June 1, 2014, Ab-Soul described the album would be a "Top Dawg party" and will feature production from Sounwave, Tae Beast, Skyhe Hutch and Tommy Black, among others.[4] He called the recording process for These Days… "fun" and says he recorded most of the album at fellow American rapper Mac Miller's Los Angeles home: "We had a lot of fun in that red room," Ab-Soul says. "Very psychedelic, you could lose track of time. Just open the door and it’s daylight. People like recording there ’cause of the vibe."[4]

Release and promotion

On August 6, 2013, Ab-Soul announced he was working on a new project.[5] The following day he would speak to XXL and confirm that JMSN and Jhené Aiko, will appear on the upcoming project.[6] On October 17, 2013, Ab-Soul stated that he was close to finalizing it.[7] On October 25, 2013, Ab-Soul released a track titled "Dub Sac".[8] Then later that week, he confirmed that his new album had been turned in for mixing and cleared up rumors that it was titled Black Lip Pastor.[9][10]

On January 6, 2014, in an interview with Bootleg Kev, when speaking on the album Ab-Soul stated: "Ali is mixing it right now," and that they were waiting on the perfect way to present the project, as a result of creative releases such as Nipsey Hussle's Crenshaw.[11] He also revealed the album is about progression and confirmed there would be appearances from his TDE label-mates, as well as production from hip hop producer Statik Selektah.[11] On April 18, 2014, Ab-Soul premiered a song titled "Tree of Life", in promotion for the album.[12]

On May 5, 2014, Ab-Soul took to Twitter to announce his third solo effort would be titled These Days….[2] On May 22, 2014, Ab-Soul released a song titled "Stigmata", via TDE's SoundCloud page. Produced by Rahki, the song was inspired by Nas' "The Cross" and features Action Bronson and Philadelphia-based rapper Asaad.[13] On May 30, 2014, its music video, directed by Dave Free and APLUSFILMZ, was released.[14] The video, which clocks in a minute and a half because of the removal of the two guest rappers' verses, finds a blood-soaked Ab-Soul, re-imagined as Jesus Christ, trekking alone through a desert environment with a wooden cross on his back and a crown of thorns on his head. The clip ends with the album's cover art and release date.[15][16] Top Dawg management took it to twitter to confirm that These Days… is scheduled for a June 24, release date.[14][17][18] On June 1, 2014, Ab-Soul appeared on Hot 97's Real Late with Rosenberg, to discuss and promote the album.[4] On June 10, 2014, he premiered the audio for a song off the album titled "Hunnid Stax", featuring his Black Hippy cohort ScHoolboy Q.[19] Ab-Soul performed "Stigmata" sans Action Bronson and Asaad on Revolt Live on June 19, 2014.[20] On June 20, 2014, TDE released a music video for a song from the album titled "Closure".[21][22] On July 15, 2014, Top Dawg Ent. released the music video for "Hunnid Stax".[23][24]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic70/100[25]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[26]
The A.V. ClubB-[27]
AllHipHop7.5/10[28]
Exclaim!7/10[29]
HipHopDX[30]
Paste7.7/10[31]
Pitchfork Media7.7/10[32]
PopMatters5/10[33]
Rolling Stone[34]
XXL (XL)[35]

Upon its release, These Days... received generally positive reviews from music critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an average score of 70 based on 17 reviews, which indicates "generally favorable reviews".[25] Jabbari Weaks of Exclaim! wrote "the self-proclaimed 'Genius, idiot' succeeds for the most part in moving out of his sonic comfort zone while toeing the lyrical line between enlightenment and ignorance."[36] G. Avant of AllHipHop wrote "These Days was just one step further in solidifying the position of Ab-Soul and TDE as a collective for long term success."[37] Eric Thurm of The A.V. Club noted "for someone so comfortable wearing his poetic heart on his sleeve, the black-lipped pastor has made an oddly distant album."[27] Kellan Miller of XXL wrote "if he continues to release profound, well-rounded material, his name will no doubt be included in Top Five Lists across the board."[35] Philip Cosores of Paste wrote "These days, there is almost always as much reason to be thinking deeply as there is to escape. That Ab-Soul tries to do both makes for a pretty entertaining ride, even when he technically falters."[31] In a positive review, David Jeffries of AllMusic wrote "his third album is a bit scattered and a tad overwhelming, but those who like their hip-hop to be a mix of machismo and maverick can easily ignore these small bumps in the road, because These Days... offers a whirlwind of excellent hooks and exciting ideas."[26] In a more critical review, Marshall Gu of PopMatters wrote that the album is "too long" and that it felt like Ab-Soul was "just trying to throw everything at the wall in the hopes that something will stick so that Interscope will take notice and finally sign him." [33] Jon Rolan of Rolling Stone wrote "He rarely strives for the depth of Lamar or the intensity of Q; there's plenty of clever imagery on These Days . . ., but a fully realized dude never quite comes into focus."[34]

Commercial performance

The album debuted at number 11 on the Billboard 200 chart, with first-week sales of 21,812 copies in the United States.[38]

Track listing

No. TitleWriter(s)Producer(s) Length
1. "God's Reign" (featuring SZA)
Purity Ring 4:18
2. "Tree of Life"  
  • Stevens
  • Dwan Howard
  • Dacoury Natche
 5:37
3. "Hunnid Stax" (featuring ScHoolboy Q)
Kenny Beats 3:23
4. "Dub Sac"  
 5:50
5. "World Runners" (featuring Lupe Fiasco and Nikki Jean)
Tae Beast 5:02
6. "Nevermind That" (featuring Rick Ross)
The Kathy 4:39
7. "Twact" (featuring Jinx and Short Dawg)
  • Stevens
  • Supreme Williams
  • Donte Blacksher
DNYC3 3:48
8. "Just Have Fun"  
  • Stevens
  • Gabriel Stevenson
  • Like
  • Blended Babies
 5:30
9. "Kendrick Lamar's Interlude" (featuring Kendrick Lamar)
Terrace Martin 4:59
10. "Closure"  
Sounwave 3:28
11. "Sapiosexual"  
J. Cole 3:36
12. "Stigmata" (featuring Action Bronson and Asaad)
Rahki 3:48
13. "Feelin' Us" (featuring Jay Rock and RaVaughn)
Skhye Hutch 5:09
14. "Ride Slow" (featuring Danny Brown and Delusional Thomas)
Larry Fisherman 7:21
15. "W.R.O.H" (featuring JMSN)
  • Stevens
  • Christian Berishaj
  • Perkins
  • Davone Campbell
Tae Beast 23:00
Total length:
 89:28
Notes[39]
Sample credits

Charts

Chart (2014) Peak
position
US Billboard 200[40] 11
US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)[41] 2
US Top Rap Albums (Billboard)[42] 2
US Independent Albums (Billboard)[43] 3
UK Albums (OCC)[44] 96
UK R&B Albums (OCC)[45] 7

References

  1. ↑ Ramirez, Erika (30 May 2014). "The Juice Podcast Ab-Soul Talks 'These Days' Delays, Plus Ratking Interview". Billboard. Retrieved 7 June 2014.
  2. 1 2 Walsh, Peter (6 May 2014). "Ab-Soul's Album Title Is 'These days…'". XXLmag.com. Retrieved 7 Jun 2014.
  3. 1 2 3 "Ab-Soul Talks New Music, T.D.E., and "These Days…" Album". Life+Times. Retrieved 6 October 2014.
  4. 1 2 3 4 Harling, Danielle (4 June 2014). "Ab-Soul Says "These Days…" Will Be A "Top Dawg Party"". HipHopDX.com. Retrieved 7 June 2014.
  5. ↑ Nostro, Lauren (6 Aug 2013). "Ab-Soul "Christopher DRONEr"". Complexmag.ca. Retrieved 6 Jun 2014.
  6. ↑ Johnson, Miranda (8 Aug 2013). "Ab-Soul Speaks On New Single And Upcoming Project With JMSN". XXLmag.com. Retrieved 7 Jun 2014.
  7. ↑ Johnson, Miranda (17 Oct 2013). "Ab-Soul Is Putting The Final Touches On His Next Project". XXLmag.ca. Retrieved 7 Jun 2014.
  8. ↑ "Ab-Soul – "Dub Sac" - Stereogum". Stereogum. Retrieved 6 October 2014.
  9. ↑ Lilah, Rose (22 Oct 2013). "Ab-Soul Talks On Upcoming Project & Confusion Surrounding Title, Isaiah Rashad & "Unit 6"". HotNewHipHop.com. Urbanlinx Media, Inc. Retrieved 7 Jun 2014.
  10. ↑ Tardio, Andres (19 Oct 2013). "Ab-Soul Finalizing New Album, Title Unknown". HipHopDX.com. Cheri Media Group. Retrieved 7 Jun 2014.
  11. 1 2 "Ab-Soul Interview w/ Bootleg Kev (Exclusive)". BootlegKev.com. BSC MultiMedia LLC. 6 January 2014. Retrieved 7 June 2014.
  12. ↑ "Listen to Ab-Soul's New Song "Tree Of Life"". Complex. 18 April 2014. Retrieved 6 October 2014.
  13. ↑ Gordon, Jeremy (23 May 2014). "Ab-Soul Teams With Action Bronson on Nas-Inspired "Stigmata"". Pitchfork Media. Retrieved 11 Jun 2014.
  14. 1 2 The 405 (31 May 2014). "Ab-Soul details new album, unveils video for 'Stigmata'". TheFourOhFive.com. Retrieved 7 Jun 2014.
  15. ↑ Lyons, Patrick (30 May 2014). "Ab-Soul "Stigmata" Video". HotNewHipHop.com. Retrieved 12 Jun 2014.
  16. ↑ "Ab-Soul Reveals Video for "Stigmata" & Album Release Date". Hypetrack.com. 30 May 2014. Retrieved 12 Jun 2014.
  17. ↑ Benton-Martin, Erika (31 May 2014). "Ab-Soul Releases 'These Days…' Album Art, Release Date And 'Stigmata' Teaser Video". MusicTimes.com. Retrieved 7 Jun 2014.
  18. ↑ Frydenlund, Zach (30 May 2014). "Watch Ab-Soul's Video for "Stigmata"". Complexmag.com. Retrieved 7 Jun 2014.
  19. ↑ Karaslamb (10 Jun 2014). "Ab-Soul x Schoolboy Q – "Hunnid Stax"". Okayplayer.com. Retrieved 12 Jun 2014.
  20. ↑ Goddard, Kevin (19 Jun 2014). "Ab-Soul Performs 'Stigmata' On Revolt TV [New Video]". HotNewHipHop.com. Retrieved 21 Jun 2014.
  21. ↑ "Rap-Up.com -- Video: Ab-Soul – ‘Closure’". Rap-Up.com. Retrieved 6 October 2014.
  22. ↑ "Ab-Soul - "Closure"". HipHopDX. 2014-06-20. Retrieved 2015-08-18.
  23. ↑ "Ab-Soul, Schoolboy Q, Mac Miller Share "Hunnid Stax" Video". Pitchfork. Retrieved 6 October 2014.
  24. ↑ "Watch Ab-Soul's "Hunnid Stax" Video f/ ScHoolBoy Q". Complex. 14 July 2014. Retrieved 6 October 2014.
  25. 1 2 "Reviews for These Days... by Ab-Soul". Metacritic. Retrieved 6 October 2014.
  26. 1 2 "These Days... - Ab-Soul - Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards - AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved 6 October 2014.
  27. 1 2 "Review: Ab-Soul loses control on These Days… · Music Review". The A.V. Club. Retrieved 6 October 2014.
  28. ↑ "Ab-Soul: ‘These Days’ Album Review". AllHipHop. 2014-06-24. Retrieved 2015-08-18.
  29. ↑ Weekes, Jabbari (2014-06-23). "Ab-Soul These Days". Exclaim.ca. Retrieved 2015-08-18.
  30. ↑ Balfour, Jay (2014-06-28). "Ab-Soul - These Days". HipHopDX. Retrieved 2015-08-18.
  31. 1 2 "Ab-Soul: These Days... Review". pastemagazine.com. Retrieved 6 October 2014.
  32. ↑ "Ab-Soul: These Days...". Pitchfork. 2014-06-26. Retrieved 2015-08-18.
  33. 1 2 "Ab-Soul". PopMatters. Retrieved 6 October 2014.
  34. 1 2 "Ab-Soul These Days... Album Review". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 6 October 2014.
  35. 1 2 "Ab-Soul Crafts A Lyrical Masterpiece On 'These Days...' - XXL". Xxlmag.com. 2014-06-24. Retrieved 2015-08-18.
  36. ↑ "Ab-Soul". Retrieved 6 October 2014.
  37. ↑ "AllHipHop » Ab-Soul: ‘These Days’ Album Review". AllHipHop. Retrieved 6 October 2014.
  38. ↑ Tardio, Andres (2014-07-02). "Hip Hop Album Sales: Week Ending 06/29/2014". HipHop DX. Retrieved 2014-07-02.
  39. ↑ Pizzo (12 Jun 2014). "Ab-Soul – "These Days" (feat. The O'My's) + Album Tracklist". HipHopSite.com. Retrieved 14 Jun 2014.
  40. ↑ "Ab-Soul – Chart history" Billboard 200 for Ab-Soul. Retrieved July 3, 2014.
  41. ↑ "Ab-Soul – Chart history" Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums for Ab-Soul. Retrieved July 3, 2014.
  42. ↑ "Ab-Soul – Chart history" Billboard Top Rap Albums for Ab-Soul. Retrieved July 3, 2014.
  43. ↑ "Ab-Soul – Chart history" Billboard Independent Albums for Ab-Soul. Retrieved July 3, 2014.
  44. ↑ "Ab-Soul | Artist | Official Charts". UK Albums Chart Retrieved July 24, 2014.
  45. ↑ "Official R&B Albums Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved July 5, 2014.
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