Herbert Anthony Stevens IV, born February 23, 1987, records as Ab-Soul. Raised in Carson, California, he signed with Top Dawg Entertainment in 2007 and became a founding member of Black Hippy alongside Jay Rock, Kendrick Lamar and Schoolboy Q. His writing leans dense and esoteric, pulling from conspiracy research, philosophy and personal grief, and he built a devoted following through the mixtape series Longterm and the albums Control System and These Days…, the latter of which reached number 11 on the Billboard 200. He lives with Stevens-Johnson syndrome, a condition that damaged his eyesight and is the reason for the sunglasses he wears in nearly every appearance. Ab-Soul returned in 2022 with Herbert, his first album in six years, and remains the one Black Hippy member who never signed to a major label as a solo artist.