Soul Burger, the new album from rapper Ab-Soul, lacks replay value and falls short of expectations.
Ab-Soul has stepped out of his traditional style to experiment with his production and lyricism. But it doesn’t work. As an example, the song “Paiday” has a sloppy beat, which is unexpected from an artist like Ab-Soul.
Another weak point would be the lyrics. One of Ab-Soul’s strengths within his discography is his lyricism. But it is lackluster throughout this album, and the drop-off in his lyricism is noticeable when compared to his previous albums.
This is quite clear in songs like “All That,” where he reuses the same hooks consistently throughout the song. The beat is put together well, but it doesn’t align with Ab-Soul’s typical style. It does not belong on a hip-hop album.
But this album has some good music, especially when Ab-Soul sticks to his traditional sound. Songs like “Don Julio 70” and “California Dream” are the strongest on the album, and they are the songs where Ab-Soul sticks with his original style.
Experimentation is a necessity for every artist to elevate their career, but it does not always work out to plan. This is the case for Soul Burger.
The album did not meet the hype that Ab-Soul created. It isn’t a bad album, but just rather mediocre.
