Ab-Soul is a great rapper. Anybody who has listened to a single verse from the TDE veteran can attest to it. Soul has struggled to attain the icon status of Kendrick Lamar, however, or even the crossover success of fellow Black Hippy members Jay Rock and ScHoolboy Q. He's the odd man out, and he's tired of being nice about it. Ab-Soul took to Twitter on December 16 and stakes his claim to be taken seriously as an artist. He urged fans to give his talent, and his latest album, the attention they deserve.
Ab-Soul is nothing if not articulate, and he knew his statement was going to come off as arrogant to many. "This may be distasteful for me to say to say on my own," he posited. "Given the insatiable state of social media." The rapper then let followers and onlookers have it. "F*cc it," he wrote. "Soul Burger is a phenomenal body of work. I put it all on the table." The statement then switched from the album to his perception as an artist in general. "Stop pretending to overlook me," he demanded. "It's unbecoming of the culture."
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Ab-Soul Previously Dubbed Himself The "B.O.A.T."
Some fans may be taken aback by Ab-Soul's bold claim, but the rapper has always been confident in his abilities. Soul received arguably the most flattering shoutout of any Black Hippy member on the Kendrick Lamar "heart pt. 6." Lamar claimed that he honed his rhyming style by trying to copy Ab-Soul, and was blown away by the Carson City rapper's wordplay. Soulo went on Instagram Live to address his feelings on the song and his impact. He gave props to Lamar and admitted he learned from Lamar as much as K. Dot learned from him.
Ab-Soul did, however, claim that he was the better rapper. Not only better than Kendrick Lamar, but any other person walking the planet. "I am the B.O.A.T," Ab-Soul explained. "I am the best rapper, that's it. Ask anyone." The rapper assured fans that he's not just talking to talk. Soul genuinely feels he can take out anybody who dares challenge him. "I say that humbly," the rapper concluded. "It's not from a place of arrogance. I really do this."