Hip-hop artists arguably make the most significant adjustments to play behind the Tiny Desk. The essence is two turntables and a microphone which, in time, evolved into bands for some. Ab-Soul, rarely seen with a live band, hand-picked a group of musicians he deemed the “Soulersystem” for his turn at the Desk. This display of raw honesty and next-level lyricism comes from his latest album, HERBERT. Before launching into some brand-new bars, he reminded us we’d approached a landmark in hip-hop culture this year: “We just here to restore the feeling. What you say? Fifty years of hip hop?” Herbert Stevens IV is a prime example of how rap music has grown. There’s always a song to feel good and party to. Soul can do that, but he’s best known for his music’s depth, vulnerability and wordplay. The Carson, Calif. native has spared few details about what he’s endured and how much he’s lost. The opening frame of his performance shows the back of his customized jacket, featuring an image of one of his best friends, DoeBurger, who passed in 2021. The framed pictures surrounding the desk are from his childhood, some graphically detailing his bout with Stevens-Johnson syndrome. This rare disorder ravaged his skin and eventually left him legally blind. Between the HERBERT songs, Soul delivered more never-heard-before rhymes over instrumentals from 2012’s Control System. He perfectly conveys the emotional shift between the two “BE LIKE THAT” verses, and throughout the entire set, the band adds even more subtle nuances. He closes with “GOTTA RAP,” but not before another exclusive verse that will surely get people talking. Ab-Soul wanted to release his Tiny Desk on his birthday, which feels suitable as he considers this his “second second chance.”
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