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Image via Unsplash.
Sounds like:
MF Doom,
Blu,
Vince Staples
Why do we like this?
Earl Sweatshirt makes me feel good. What is not to like about a self-conscious, intelligent-yet-juvenile rapper with a precocious ability to channel create a visceral impact with his words?
Though his early efforts (as a 15-year-old!) were rightfully criticized for their obsession with macabre misogyny, even his cringe-worthy songs showed promise in their execution and hinted at a potential for something a bit more substantive. As the youngest but most talented rhymer in the Odd Future crew, Earl has had quite a ride since his eponymous tape came out in 2010.
A forced stay at a reform school in Samoa made his myth grow and he experienced early the voracious and carnivorous side of the entertainment industry that drove Dave Chapelle to Africa, Martin Lawrence to lash out on a freeway in Sherman Oaks, and Michael Jackson to disfigure his own face (notice any common denominators?). Earl's reticence to embrace the spotlight like Tyler or embrace his art like Frank manifests in his embrace of his youth, both in public appearances, social media and on record.
Still, he delivered a record. Doris is pretty great, though many culture vultures resent the distance the project puts from the shock value they've associated him and his crew with. One of my favorite tracks is "20 Wave Caps," produced by the utterly underrated Samiyam. Over synths that bang like Sasquatch feet, Earl and Domo Genesis just rap, and it sounds great.
Though his early efforts (as a 15-year-old!) were rightfully criticized for their obsession with macabre misogyny, even his cringe-worthy songs showed promise in their execution and hinted at a potential for something a bit more substantive. As the youngest but most talented rhymer in the Odd Future crew, Earl has had quite a ride since his eponymous tape came out in 2010.
A forced stay at a reform school in Samoa made his myth grow and he experienced early the voracious and carnivorous side of the entertainment industry that drove Dave Chapelle to Africa, Martin Lawrence to lash out on a freeway in Sherman Oaks, and Michael Jackson to disfigure his own face (notice any common denominators?). Earl's reticence to embrace the spotlight like Tyler or embrace his art like Frank manifests in his embrace of his youth, both in public appearances, social media and on record.
Still, he delivered a record. Doris is pretty great, though many culture vultures resent the distance the project puts from the shock value they've associated him and his crew with. One of my favorite tracks is "20 Wave Caps," produced by the utterly underrated Samiyam. Over synths that bang like Sasquatch feet, Earl and Domo Genesis just rap, and it sounds great.
Streaming source:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pOx4MxJu36Q
TOUR DATES
