Ab-Soul’s favourite Eminem album of all time: “Blew my socks off”
Ab-Soul has been meticulously creating tracks that aim to change people’s perspectives and intrigue the listener since 2007, when he became a member of the TDE roster. Then, in 2009, the Black Hippy Group was formed, consisting of names such as Jay Rock and Schoolboy Q. It was from here that his limitless potential was clear for all to see.
Looking up to the likes of Jay-Z, Nas, Lupe Fiasco and so on, his influences were in abundance. But Ab-Soul spoke about how one album from Eminem transformed his very being. The rapper, whose government name is Herbert Anthony Stevens IV, known for his introspective storytelling, revealed how Eminem inspired his craft and changed the world’s mindset with his music.
In an interview with Complex, which was celebrating the release of The Marshall Mathers LP 2 back in 2013, a young, up-and-coming Ab-Soul showed no hesitation when revealing the answer to his favourite Eminem album.
He said: “The Marshall Mathers LP. I don’t wanna be cliché, but ‘Stan’ blew my socks off. ‘Stan’ and ‘Kim’—those records kinda changed me; those records changed a lot of people. Especially as a young kid trying to be an artist, he kinda really showed you how far you can take it on this mic, how visual you can get. Not to say that nothing was done like that in the past, I don’t wanna crown him for being the first to create such great theatrics and imagery, but, for me, that was just amazing. The whole album itself was just crazy.”
Released in 2000, The Marshall Mathers LP was Eminem’s sophomore record and cemented its place in American rap folklore. Littered with clever lyricism which was just as hard-hitting as they were outrageous, the LP certainly brought something new and refreshing to the scene.
Ab-Soul took many of the elements present in the LP and has pushed numerous creative boundaries since. At the time, he had released both Long Term Mentality in 2011 and Control System the following year, making his voice prominent among listeners and fellow artists alike, collaborating with legends such as Kendrick Lamar and Jhene Aiko in the process. His sampling and flow mimicked that of Slim Shady’s, highlighting how Ab-Soul viewed him as an influential figure in his creative process.
Since then, his popularity has rapidly increased, with the release of Do What Thou Wilt in 2016, giving birth to the experimental and popular ‘The Law’. He then released HERBERT back in 2022, which has earned him cult status.
Further on in the interview, Ab-Soul was asked about his favourite song and historical moment from the iconic rapper: “My favourite song is ‘Infinite’. I had the privilege to meet him, and I asked him if I could snatch that sample from him, and he said he would look for it for me. That was one of those records where he discovered what he was doing with words; that’s the song where he becomes Eminem.”
He proceeded to gush about his favourite moment with the rapper: “My favourite Eminem moment was when he got into it with Canibus. Canibus is one of my favourite artists, but ‘Em’ really showed and proved he was really ready for that.”