Released on June 24, 2014, is the third studio album by TDE’s "Black Lip Pastor," Ab-Soul . Following the massive success of Control System , this project was designed as a "time capsule" of the prevailing sounds and vibes of the early 2010s. Album Concept and Creation
These Days... was recorded largely in Mac Miller’s home studio, reflecting a period of intense collaboration and creative freedom. Ab-Soul described the album as a reflection of the "vibe of music and life" at the time, purposefully using references from both the present and past to capture a specific era. ab-soul these days... zip download
The hip-hop community has been abuzz with excitement and concern regarding Ab-Soul's (formerly A-1) activities and whereabouts in recent years. A founding member of the Odd Future collective, Ab-Soul has been noticeably absent from the music scene, sparking widespread speculation about his well-being and potential return to music. The recent buzz around a possible "These Days..." zip download has only added fuel to the fire, with fans eagerly anticipating new material from the enigmatic rapper. Released on June 24, 2014, is the third
A zip is an act of violence—a reduction. It takes the panoramic sprawl of Do What Thou Wilt. and squeezes it into 200 megabytes. It turns the ghost of Doe Burger into a bitrate. But that’s the paradox of “these days.” We consume the infinite through straws. was recorded largely in Mac Miller’s home studio,
The album’s title is deliberately ironic. In songs like “Hunnid Stax” featuring ScHoolboy Q, Soulo raps about materialism and street credibility — “these days” everyone wants a hit. Tracks like “Dub Sac” and “Tree of Life,” however, reveal his paranoia, depression, and obsession with conspiracy theories. This tonal whiplash is the album’s defining characteristic. Critics panned it as unfocused, but a deeper listen suggests that the messiness is the message. Ab-Soul was grappling with fame, the death of his ex-girlfriend Alori Joh, and his own identity as an “alternative” rapper.