Ab-Soul - Do What Thou Wilt.

Ab-Soul makes a radical start right from the first track: RAW (backwards), the opening song, immediately establishes vocal tension and reversed sonic play that defy passive listening. This formal choice announces the entire project: an album where raw honesty takes precedence over visual artifice. For the cover, the artist has renounced his sunglasses, justifying this "bare it all" by his sensitivity to light and desire for total authenticity. The song itself, Do What Thou Wilt., does not refer to a license of evil as one might assume, but to free will sustained by love and passion—a quote from Aleister Crowley's The Book of the Law that summarizes the spiritual message of this work.

The TDE Ecosystem: A Hybrid Production Between Classic and Experimental

The album runs 1 hour 17 minutes with sixteen tracks, confirming the artist's desire to offer a complete body of work far beyond the singles Huey Knew and Braille. Ab-Soul's production on this project oscillates between Top Dawg Entertainment's classic beats and more experimental textures that invite attentive listening.

Introspection and Hyperrealism: The Double Face of the Album

The narrative structure of Do What Thou Wilt. is built around an audible duality from the very first seconds. The total duration of 1 hour 17 minutes may seem long, but it is consistent with the lyrical density and the intention not to exhaust the narrative tracks.

Collaborations: Da$H, Kokane and the Extended Black Hippy

The strategy behind the features on Do What Thou Wilt. is not to overload the project but to broaden the vocal palette without diluting Ab-Soul's central identity. Each guest is chosen for their ability to bring a specific color: Da$H reinforces the underground and authentic side of Huey Knew THEN with a direct flow, while Kokane on INvocation adds soulful depth that creates an intergenerational link between rap voices. The presence of ScHoolboy Q on Beat the Case / / / Straight Crooked consolidates the cohesion of Black Hippy; his fluid voice harmonizes perfectly with Ab-Soul's to affirm their collective place. At the other end of the spectrum, Mac Miller and Rapsody on The Law combine one's introspective sensitivity with the other's technical flow, creating a strong moment that resonates like mutual validation between generations. SZA and Punch on Lonely Soul / / / The Law (Prelude) bring in their own marked R&B dimension; their soft melodies contrast with the album's more aggressive tracks to balance the emotional dynamics of the record.

Technical Specifications

- Release: December 9, 2016 - Record label: Top Dawg Entertainment - Tracks: 16 (1 hour 17 minutes) - Opening / Closing: RAW (backwards) / YMF - Guests: Zacari, Bas, Da$H, Kokane, BR3, ScHoolboy Q, Teedra Moses, JaVonté, Punch, SZA, Mac Miller, Rapsody - Previous album: These Days... (2014)