Like the rest of his crew, Black Hippy (Kendrick Lamar, Jay Rock, and Schoolboy Q), Ab-Soul is skilled at balancing the mainstream and the underground along with the sublime and the ridiculous.

Spinning so many plates means his third album is a bit scattered and a tad overwhelming, but those who like their hip-hop to be a mix of machismo and maverick can easily ignore these small bumps in the road, because These Days..

offers a whirlwind of excellent hooks and exciting ideas.

Here, big hardcore ballers ("Hunnid Stax" with Schoolboy Q) sit next to ambitious cloud-rap explorations of self ("World Runners" with Lupe Fiasco and Nikki Jean) and sometimes, the two worlds meet, like when Miami Don Rick Ross gets covered in stuttering, indie-flavored syrup ("Nevermind That").

The three other members of Black Hippy appear, along with great choices like Action Bronson and Danny Brown, plus the 23-minute closer, "W.R.O.H.," is no ponderous epic, but some audio verite that's humorous, odd, and enlightening.

Artful and gangsta at the same time, These Days..

is a true stunner.