In “Soul Burger”, Ab-Soul channels the grit of “8 Mile” and the memory of his late friend DoeBurger to create his boldest album yet.
West Coast rapper Ab-Soul returns with “Soul Burger”, an album packed with lyrical ferocity and raw emotion. The project builds on the momentum of his 2022 album, “Herbert”, while bringing in a unique homage to Eminem’s “8 Mile”.
Opening with the track “9 Mile”, Ab-Soul draws directly from the movie’s final battle scene, rapping his own version of B-Rabbit’s verses. Ab-Soul riffs on lines that echo B-Rabbit’s defiant stand, making the connection to Eminem’s legendary movie unmistakable.
Ab-Soul puts his own twist on B-Rabbit’s final battle lines, rapping:
I am broke, I am on fucking drugs
Don’t owe shit; I’m paying rent, but my baby’s mom
This line mirrors Eminem’s raw confession from “8 Mile”, where B-Rabbit declares,
I am white, I am a fucking bum
I do live in a trailer with my mom
Ab-Soul continues with lyrics that intensify the nod to “8 Mile”:
Hopped out the rabbit hole, but now I’m really trippin
I’m still standing here screaming, “Fuck the whole system”
Couldn’t care any less if you judge me, bitch
You don’t know what the fuck I did for this shit
Ab-Soul’s verses serve as a powerful statement of self-acceptance and resilience, just like B-Rabbit’s lines that inspired his bars:
Don’t ever try to judge me, dude
You don’t know what the fuck I’ve been through
With guests like Vince Staples, Doechii, Ty Dolla $ign, and production by ScHoolboy Q, “Soul Burger” blends a modern edge with a clear tribute to Eminem’s influence. Ab-Soul’s take on “8 Mile” ’s themes of grit, struggle, and triumph captures the spirit that Eminem brought to hip hop. In “Soul Burger”, Ab-Soul nods to the rap legends who paved the way while adding his unique voice to the conversation, proving that the impact of “8 Mile” lives on in new and creative ways.
Listen to Ab-Soul “9 Mile” below:
