Do What Thou Wilt. Explained

Do What Thou Wilt.
Type:studio
Artist:Ab-Soul
Cover:Ab-SoulDWTW.jpg
Recorded:2015–2016
Genre:Hip hop
Label:TDE
Producer:
Prev Title:These Days...
Prev Year:2014
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Next Year:2022

Do What Thou Wilt. is the fourth studio album by American rapper Ab-Soul. It was released on December 9, 2016, by Top Dawg Entertainment (TDE). The record serves as the follow-up to his previous studio effort, These Days... (2014). The album was supported by two singles: "Huey Knew" and "Braille".

Background

In 2007, Ab-Soul signed a deal with Top Dawg Entertainment.[1] In 2014, after the release of his third album, These Days... through the TDE label, Ab-Soul embarked on a national concert tour.[2] Upon returning from the tour, Ab-Soul began recording new material as early as February 2015.[3] On July 14, 2015, Ab-Soul gave more updates on the album: "My album's almost done..." he wrote on Twitter, adding, "It's a love story". He completed the post with the hashtag "DWTW", presumably the acronym to his album title, to which he kept alluding.[4] On June 8, 2016, Ab-Soul revealed that he had finished the new album and then turned it in for audio mixing.[5] [6]

In December 2016, in an interview with HotNewHipHop, Ab-Soul spoke on the album's cover artwork, revealing why he's not featured with his trademark sunglasses: "With the light sensitivity, I knew it would be difficult, but I was up to the challenge. I knew that it was something that the people wanted to see from me. I like to bare it all. I'm very honest. I think this album kinda called for that type of sincerity."[7] He said the photographer wanted to "capture his angst" but "I'm a happy guy," he said, smiling.[7] "But the tone of the album, you can get that from it. I think that that cover is a proper depiction of... the tone of the album. It's the grey area."[7]

In a December 2016 interview, with Hypebeast, Ab-Soul shared the title comes from a quote from English occultist Aleister Crowley:

Release and promotion

On December 5, 2016, Ab-Soul announced on his Twitter feed that DWTW was scheduled to be released on December 9, 2016. The announcement of the release date coincided with the release of the song "Threatening Nature", on TDE's SoundCloud page.[8] On December 6, Ab-Soul unveiled the album's cover art and track-listing.[9] [10] On December 7, 2016, Ab-Soul released the music video, directed by PANAMÆRA, for a song titled "D.R.U.G.S."[11] On December 13, 2016, Ab-Soul released another music video, this one directed by APLUS Filmz, for the album's intro, "RAW (backwards)".[12]

"Huey Knew" was released on September 30, 2016, as the album's lead single.[13] It features production by TDE's in-house producer Willie B, as well as a guest appearance from New Jersey-based rapper Dash. The music video for "Huey Knew", was released on October 14, 2016.[14] "Huey Knew" is listed as "Huey Knew THEN" on the album's track-listing. Ab-Soul released the album's second single, titled "Braille", on October 28, 2016. The song features a guest appearance from New York City-based rapper Bas, while the production was handled by WondaGurl.[15] [16] On November 22, 2016, the music video for "Braille", which was directed by PANAMÆRA, was released.[17]

Critical reception

Do What Thou Wilt. was met with generally positive reviews. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream publications, the album received an average score of 64, based on six reviews.

Ural Garrett of HipHopDX said, "Ab-Soul expounds on his cranial compound Do What Thou Wilt and fully revealed himself as an artist who plays mind games with himself and listeners. Although figuring Soulo lyrical intent continues to be a guessing game, at least there are some critical takeaways that linger far after indulging in the music." Michael G. Barilleaux of RapReviews said, "For those who like a swell show of technical strength, a spin of this album will occupy your listen to and from the workplace quite well. For those seeking something more meaningful to go along with their skill showcase, however, don't feel bad about taking a pass on this one." In Vice, Robert Christgau said Ab-Soul's music "emanates intellectual excitement and pleasure as he grows up", highlighting the rapper's "feminist-curious yearnings" while remaining ambivalent toward his "tree-huffing doggishness". Christgau deemed the record, "as listening, more fun than his fellow Black Hippy's outtakes for sure. As wordplay too. As thinking, leaves room for improvement and reason to hope there'll be some."

Scott Glaysher of XXL said, "The kind of God level rapping that Ab-Soul showcases on Do What Thou Wilt means this album will exist predominantly in the headphones of those shrewd enough to understand." Calum Slingerland of Exclaim! said, "Ab-Soul is more successful when he mines his own sorrow." Dan Kok of PopMatters said, "It's an album that embodies the idea of potential that isn't fully realized." Pitchfork journalist Sheldon Pearce was less receptive, regarding the songs as overly abstract, meaningless riddles. He believed Ab-Soul had become "so information-obsessed that he loses sight of actual meaning", while panning what he said were Aleister Crowley-inspired occult references.

Track listing

Notes

Sample credits

Charts

Chart (2016)! scope="col"
Peak
position
New Zealand Heatseeker Albums (RMNZ)[18] 8

Notes and References

  1. Ramirez. Erika. Ab-Soul's Timeline: The Rapper's Life From 5 Years Old to Now. Billboard. August 8, 2012. February 15, 2017. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20161211052655/http://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/the-juice/480657/ab-souls-timeline-the-rappers-life-from-5-years-old-to-now. December 11, 2016.
  2. Web site: Lyons. Patrick. Ab-Soul Announces "These Days" Tour. HotNewHipHop. August 20, 2014. February 15, 2017. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20170623122814/http://www.hotnewhiphop.com/ab-soul-announces-these-days-tour-news.11743.html. June 23, 2017.
  3. Web site: Smith. Trevor. Ab-Soul Reveals "Longterm 3" Will Be His Debut Album. HotNewHipHop. October 13, 2014. February 15, 2017. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20160514090840/http://www.hotnewhiphop.com/ab-soul-reveals-longterm-3-will-be-his-debut-album-new-video.31297.html. May 14, 2016.
  4. Web site: Smith . Trevor . Ab-Soul's Album Is "Almost Done" . HotNewHipHop . July 14, 2015 . October 20, 2016 . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20160327055611/http://www.hotnewhiphop.com/ab-souls-album-is-almost-done-news.16477.html . March 27, 2016 .
  5. Web site: Schwartz . Danny . Ab-Soul Announces Album "Tracclist Turned In" . HotNewHipHop . June 8, 2016 . October 20, 2016 . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20161208124048/http://www.hotnewhiphop.com/ab-soul-announces-album-tracclist-turned-in-news.22103.html . December 8, 2016 .
  6. Web site: Morris . Jessie . Ab-Soul Confirms His New Album Is Finished and On the Way . . June 8, 2016 . February 15, 2017 . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20161220154440/http://www.complex.com/music/2016/06/ab-soul-new-album-finished . December 20, 2016 .
  7. Web site: Schwartz. Danny. Ab-Soul Explains "DWTW" Album Cover. HotNewHipHop. December 14, 2016. February 16, 2017. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20170113072249/http://www.hotnewhiphop.com/ab-soul-explains-dwtw-album-cover-news.26327.html. January 13, 2017.
  8. Web site: Ab-Soul On Twitter: "Threatening Nature... #DWTW 12.09.16. Twitter. December 5, 2016. December 5, 2016. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20170513072431/https://twitter.com/abdashsoul/status/805825629174124544. May 13, 2017.
  9. Web site: Schwadron. Eli. Ab-Soul Shares New Snippet With 'DWTW' Album Tracklist. XXL. December 6, 2016. February 15, 2017. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20170209024521/http://www.xxlmag.com/video/2016/12/ab-soul-snippet-dwtw-album/. February 9, 2017.
  10. Web site: Pearce. Sheldon. Ab-Soul Shares DWTW Tracklist Featuring Schoolboy Q, Mac Miller, SZA, More. Pitchfork. December 6, 2016. February 15, 2017. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20170213071228/http://pitchfork.com/news/70272-ab-soul-shares-dwtw-tracklist-featuring-schoolboy-q-mac-miller-sza-more/. February 13, 2017.
  11. Reed. Ryan. Watch Ab-Soul's Psychedelic 'D.R.U.G.S.' Video. Rolling Stone. December 7, 2016. February 15, 2017. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20161220141556/http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/watch-ab-souls-psychedelic-drugs-video-w454398. December 20, 2016.
  12. Blistein. Jon. Watch Ab-Soul's Searing 'RAW (Backwards)' Video. Rolling Stone. December 13, 2016. February 15, 2017. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20161221042901/http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/watch-ab-souls-searing-raw-backwards-video-w455814. December 21, 2016.
  13. Web site: Huey Knew (feat. Da$h). Apple Music. February 15, 2017. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20161005162320/https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/huey-knew-feat.-da$h-single/id1160048632. October 5, 2016.
  14. Kreps. Daniel. See Ab-Soul's Bracing, Politically Fueled 'Huey Knew' Video. Rolling Stone. October 14, 2016. February 15, 2017. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20161220120501/http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/see-ab-souls-bracing-politically-fueled-huey-knew-video-w445019. December 20, 2016.
  15. Web site: Braille (feat. Bas). Apple Music. February 15, 2017. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20161220124930/https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/braille-feat.-bas-single/id1169516780. December 20, 2016.
  16. Web site: XXL Staff. Ab-Soul and Bas Link Up for "Braille". XXL. October 27, 2016. February 15, 2017. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20170315094437/http://www.xxlmag.com/news/2016/10/ab-soul-bas-braille/. March 15, 2017.
  17. Web site: Ivey. Justin. Ab-Soul and Bas Travel Through Paris in "Braille" Video. XXL. November 22, 2016. February 15, 2017. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20161220164250/http://www.xxlmag.com/news/2016/11/ab-soul-bas-braille-video/. December 20, 2016.
  18. Web site: NZ Heatseeker Albums Chart. Recorded Music NZ. December 19, 2016. December 16, 2016. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20161221013104/http://nztop40.co.nz/chart/albums?chart=4304. December 21, 2016.