Ab-Soul

Ab-Soul
Ab-Soul performing in Toronto in 2014.
Background information
Birth name	Herbert Anthony Stevens IV
Born	(1987-02-23) February 23, 1987 (age 29) Los Angeles, California, United States
Origin	Carson, California, United States
Genres	Hip hop
Occupation(s)	Rapper
Years active	2002–present
Labels	Top Dawg Entertainment (current) StreetBeat Entertainment (former)
Associated acts	Black Hippy Alori Joh JaVonte Jhené Aiko JMSN Lupe Fiasco Mac Miller

Herbert Anthony Stevens IV (born February 23, 1987), better known by his stage name Ab-Soul, is an American hip hop recording artist from Carson, California. In 2007, he signed to indie record label Top Dawg Entertainment (TDE), where he eventually formed a hip hop supergroup Black Hippy, alongside his label-mates and fellow California-based rappers Jay Rock, Kendrick Lamar and Schoolboy Q. He is perhaps best known for his introspective lyrics and his four independent albums under TDE, Longterm Mentality, Control System, These Days..., and Do What Thou Wilt., which were all released to acclaimed reviews and commercial success.

Herbert Anthony Stevens IV was born on February 23, 1987, in Los Angeles, California. After his birth, his family relocated to Germany, where his biological father was stationed in the military. Stevens spent the first four years of his life in Germany, right up until his parents split and he and his mother subsequently moved back to the United States, to live in his grandmother's house, in Carson, California. He once recalled being five years old: "I was serious into video games and basketball, at five. But video games for sure. Five… What was that, Nintendo? Sega. Sonic the Hedgehog. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles on TV. But I know early on, I really, really liked Michael Jackson, like we all did. Newborn babies loved Michael Jackson."