Los Angeles might have experienced some inclement weather this past weekend, but that didn’t stop a historical event of a different variety from happening downtown. Earl Sweatshirt kicked off his Doris anniversary tour celebrating the 10th birthday of his debut album at The Novo at LA Live, where he was joined on stage by the founder and de facto leader of the defunct Odd Future clique, Tyler The Creator.
The duo performed their 2013 collaboration “Whoa,” while Tyler led the crowd in a nostalgic chant: “G-O-L-F-dub-A-N-G.” “Make some noise for Odd Future,” Earl commanded.
In addition to Tyler’s appearance, several other members of the former crew also joined the reclusive rapper onstage, including Domo Genesis to perform “20 Wave Caps” and unofficial member Vince Staples, who appeared on “Hive.”
Backstage, it looked like (nearly) a full Odd Future reunion, with Earl, Tyler, Domo, and Vince, flicking up with Casey Veggies, Jasper Dolphin, L-Boy, Mike G, Syd, and Taco. It looked like the only members missing were Hodgy, Left Brain, and Matt Martians.
Well this happened last night…
Mike G Casey Veggies Vince Staples Domo Genesis L-Boy Syd Jasper Dolphin Earl Sweatshirt Taco Sagan Lockhart Tyler, The Creator pic.twitter.com/YriAypvrOE
Much of the crew is expected to perform at the upcoming return of Tyler’s Camp Flog Gnaw Carnival in November, which Tyler is headlining along with SZA and The Hillbillies: Baby Keem and Kendrick Lamar.
Flying High is the latest project from super-producer The Alchemist. He’s been quite busy recently but he’s truly always working. He released a collab project with Larry June titled The Great Escape and did a song with Hit-Boy in March. Last year he did collab projects with Curren$y and Roc Marciano. He also produced “We Cry Together,” the most polarizing song from Kendrick Lamar’s most recent album. He’s also worked multiple times with Griselda, Freddie Gibbs, Action Bronson, and many more.
Listeners of underground rap music are well acquainted with The Alchemist and this project is a sampler of sorts of his work in that realm. It’s eight songs, with the last four tracks being instrumental versions of the first four. Featured artists on the project include Earl Sweatshirt, Boldy James, billy woods, Larry June and more.
The Alchemist Crafts Unique & Eeerie Soundscapes
The Alchemist’s Flying High showcases a glimpse of the various production styles he has in his bag. The opener, “RIP Tracy,” is unique on every front. Earl Sweatshirt’s trademark monotone slides like syrup over the production. Lines like, “Same time I’m out here tryna change and stay solid / Take care, Bruce Lee say to be water,” blend accessible punchlines with semi-niche references. Billy Woods (stylized “billy woods”) has a stream-of-consciousness flow that takes these qualities to the next level while adding more character to his delivery. “Trouble Man” shifts the tone. T.F and Boldy James tell street tales over an eerie horn and bass loop with no drums – a common practice in underground rap today. Boldy James drops bars that combine modern and classic references with lines like, “Trappin outta state in Louis V Supreme / Slappin’ all this base, I show you why they call me B.B. King.”
The Alchemist Brings Luxury & Soul
“Bless” is easily the most elegant-sounding song on the project. A dreamy piano sample is paired with an equally smooth guitar loop. Underground artists MIKE and Sideshow share stories of personal feelings and reflection which pairs well with the production. Closer “Midnight Oil” is truly a standout track because it features a verse from The Alchemist himself. This is his third verse this year, which has been a treat for those only familiar with his production. This one features Larry June and Jay Worthy on this one. Like the other two artists, Alc’s verse combines luxury and aggression over a soulful loop. He raps, “I clutch a pump / Dump it and jump a country / Might be in Paris speaking bluntly” with ease.
The Alchemist Lets His Music Speak For Him
Flying High by The Alchemist offers production lovers a treat: instrumentals. This has become more common these days as it was the standard for past generations. The Alchemist has been around since the late ’90s and has seen this return in real time. With the instrumentals on this project, listeners can focus on just how creative The Alchemist was with his sample usage. Those who play instruments can try replicating the loops he uses on the project.
The Alchemist’s Flying High is a project with several purposes. These songs are likely leftover from his sessions with the featured artists based on their length and a few lyrics. This doesn’t mean their quality is low; it makes them stand out. The Alchemist has given listeners a peak at his ever-expanding hard drive of music.
This project also is a good teaser for anyone curious about what’s happening in the world of underground rap right now. The Alchemist has been integral in shaping the myriad of soundscapes today. Every underground artist is not represented on this project, but considering who The Alchemist has worked with most people in that lane, going to his Spotify page is a good place to start. Flying High is just an appetizer for the seven-course (and beyond) meal that is his discography.
“Even though he’s grown up, though, there remains an element of inscrutability in his music, a chip on his shoulder that has been reduced in size but is no less embedded in the fabric of his being,” Uproxx‘s Aaron Williams wrote in his Sick! review, later noting, “You won’t be hearing many requests for Earl’s new music at any clubs or parties anytime soon (none you’d want to go to, anyway). But what feels more important is that Earl is in a good place, mentally and emotionally, and that’s translated to art that is proportionately more enjoyable.”
You can hear Earl’s music at The Novo in Los Angeles soon enough, however. He announced on Wednesday, June 28, that he will be performing a one-off 10-year anniversary show at the venue on August 19 to commemorate the August 20, 2013 release of Doris.
“He’ll perform Doris in full for the first time ever,” Stereogumrelayed. “Domo Genesis is also on the bill, and it would not be a surprise if some of the album’s other featured guests made appearances as well.”
Doris‘ other featured artists were Casey Veggies, Frank Ocean, the late Mac Miller, RZA, SK Laflare, Tyler The Creator, and Vince Staples.
Ten years is a long time, and that’s how long it’s been since Earl Sweatshirt came bursting onto the scene. His debut album, Doris, is celebrating its 10-year anniversary this summer. Earl will be performing a one-night show in honor of the time-lapse, gracing The Novo stage in Los Angeles on August 19th. He will perform the entire album for the first time with collaborator Domo Genesis. Domo is on the third track in Doris, a song titled “20 Wave Caps.”
Milestones like this don’t come around very often. For a decade, Earl Sweatshirt has been a figurehead for the rap game, and Doris is what started it all. Since 2013, he’s released I Don’t Like Sh*t, I Don’t Go Outside: An Album by Earl Sweatshirt (2015) and SICK! (2022). Three albums in 10 years don’t seem like much, but Earl’s sound and precision make it so that when he does release music, it’s game-changing. Doris is a testament to this type of influence, and now the album is getting even more flowers.
Earl made quite the splash with Doris back in the early 2010s. His features on that album included Vince Staples, Tyler, the Creator, Frank Ocean, Mac Miller, and RZA. He dropped the album after a forced stint at a Somoan boarding school. He signed with Columbia Records when he was 19 years old and had the album finished that same year. This came off the coattails of his first mixtape, Earl, which he released in 2010 (Earl was 16 at the time.)
The tracklist totes 15 songs, totaling over 44 minutes of classic Earl Sweatshirt beats and verses. The album received massive critical acclaim, launching Earl to the forefront of the rap game. While he’s an acquired taste for some, others absolutely adore his sound. The Doris 10-year anniversary concert is bound to be a huge rap event, making this summer even hotter than it already is.
Earl Sweatshirt and The Alchemist are once again teaming up for a release, with both artists sharing the cover art for something called Flying High dropping this Friday, June 30. While fans appear to be speculating that it’s a joint album from Earl and Al with the latter on production, the two have given few details, although clicking on the cover art on Alchemist’s post pulls up the names of some of their frequent collaborators like Billy Woods, Boldy James, Jay Worthy, Larry June, and MIKE, suggesting that it could be The Alchemist’s project with all those rappers featured.
The Alchemist has worked with most of the artists listed above as recently as early this year. He and Boldy James have released four projects together to date, with the most recent being Super Tecmo Bo in 2021, while he and Larry June dropped The Great Escape this March. Billy Woods appeared on the album Haram as part of the duo Armand Hammer with Elucid, while MIKE teamed up with Al and Wiki late last year for the EP One More.
Earl Sweatshirt returns with a new video promising a new sound. “Making The Band (Danity Kane)” is a bit of a departure from the murky, sample-driven music longtime fans might associate with Earl, featuring a glitchy, uptempo beat produced by Clams Casino and Evilgiane that prompts a more contemporary approach to rap from the Los Angeles native. Never fear, though; Earl’s bars remain packed to the brim with multisyllabic metaphors and his brusque stance toward hit-making hip-hop.
“Making The Band” is Earl’s first new track of the year and continues the musical evolution from his 2022 album Sick! Considered one of the best hip-hop albums of the year, Sick! saw Earl inching toward a more mainstream-friendly sound, embracing 808s and less layered loops, and looking very much like he was having more fun rapping than he ever had before.
Meanwhile, we’re going on two years now since Vince Staples revealed he, Earl, and Alchemist were working on a joint project, so the streets need that before anything else. Please and thank you.
In the meantime, check out Earl’s video for “Making The Band (Danity Kane)” above.
Jimmy Butler is having a great playoffs. Despite the Miami Heat entering as an eight-seed, the team has absolutely balled out. In the first round, they took down the first-seed Milwaukee Bucks in five games. They followed that by eliminating the five-seed Knicks in six games.
That set up a rematch with the Boston Celtics, marking the third time in four years that the two teams have faced off for a place in the NBA Finals. Despite the Celtics entering as the second seed, the Heat have absolutely dominated. Heading into Game 4 on May 23, the Butler-led heat are riding a 3-0 series lead and looking to sweep Boston. However, rapper Earl Sweatshirt has something else on his mind other than the basketball on display.
Earl Sweatshirt Questions Butler’s Dreads
all I ask is that one of you interviewers in this post season please ask jimmy wtf was on his mind when he did the fake dreds
Taking to Twitter, Sweatshirt voiced his desire to get some real answers from the post-game press conferences. “all I ask is that one of you interviewers in this post season please ask jimmy wtf was on his mind when he did the fake dreds.” The tweet is in reference to the long dreads that Butler debuted during summer workouts last year. During the playoffs, Butler has kept it short and tight on top, capped off by his signature headband. The rapper followed up with a quote tweet of this original statement. “salute to the underdog of sorts but also we can’t just forget and forgive this easily.”
However, it’s unlikely that the question is going to come up in a presser anytime soon. The primary reason for this is that Butler already addressed the viral images of his hair. Last September, Butler was asked about his hair. “I’m just messing with stuff to make the internet mad. That was my goal this summer and it worked,” Butler told reporters. Maybe Sweatshirt missed that moment. Despite this, Butler will look to close out the Celtics in front of a home crowd on Tuesday night. If they can finish the series, it will set up a matchup against the Nuggets in the Finals. How did you feel about Butler’s long hair? Let us know in the comments.
Yesterday (May 22), the rapper tweeted, “all I ask is that one of you interviewers in this post season please ask jimmy wtf was on his mind when he did the fake dreds.” He added, “salute to the underdog of sorts but also we can’t just forget and forgive this easily.”
all I ask is that one of you interviewers in this post season please ask jimmy wtf was on his mind when he did the fake dreds
In case you missed it: Last summer, Miami’s Jimmy Butler debuted a new long-haired look, one that was very different from his usual style. He even wore it during Media Day, so his 2022-23 player photo on sites like Basketball-Reference features the hair, even though he didn’t end up sticking with the look for too long.
Earl’s question probably won’t come up any time soon for a couple reasons: It’s not exactly a timely topic anymore, and Butler has already answered it. Back in September, he told reporters, “I’m just messing with stuff to make the internet mad. That was my goal this summer and it worked.”
Earl Sweatshirt is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
Odd Future and its eclectic members arrived at the perfect time. The iconic LA-based group’s rise coincided with a tidal wave of internet counterculture that begin to seep through the younger generations. The hip-hop collective formed in 2007 around its leader, Tyler, The Creator. Deciding to forego his jobs at Starbucks and FedEx, his rebellious attitude quickly propelled the collective to stardom. Sporting ski masks while strolling down the left side of sidewalks, the group’s image was primarily associated with a steadfast desire to go against the status quo.
Behind the chaos is a quiet architect who managed to keep it all together. That man was Christian Clancy, Odd Future’s manager. At the time, Clancy had recently departed Interscope Records, where he was working with rappers such as Eminem and The Game. Becoming tired of rinse and repeat nature of major labels, Clancy had planned “to hike the Himalayas, do yoga, chill the f**k out.” However, his inspiration was re-vitalized when he watched the music video of Tyler, the Creator’s “French.” Essentially, the video sees Tyler unleashing mayhem amidst a menacing verse. While the talent was utterly unhinged, Clancy was eventually able to hone in on the potential of Tyler and the collective as a whole.
Odd Future’s Impact Went Beyond Music
(Photo by Roger Kisby/Getty Images)
Music was solely one aspect of the entertainment value of Odd Future’s members. Their empire included Loiter Squad, an online radio station, and an iconic line of street fashion. The collective has grown immensely since their respective teenage days. Frank Ocean and Tyler, the Creator would blossom into worldwide superstars, each creating genre-defining records such as Blonde and Igor, respectively. Lyrical virtuoso Earl Sweatshirt forged strong ties with budding underground acts from New York, helping spearhead a new wave of East Coast hip-hop. The comedic minds of Yung Taco, Jasper, and Lionel Boyce have had successful careers on the film screen.
Still, the group’s founder, Tyler the Creator, questions the influence of Odd Future. In an interview with Apple Music’s Zane Lowe, he stated, “I still don’t even know the impact we had on a generation. I just lived in it. We were just doing our thing and being us. I don’t think I know how much deeper it goes aside from some people wearing certain shirts.” It’s a fair point to raise, as a glance back into their influence can sometimes feel more like a fever dream rather than a trend-setting revolution, especially when considering the “riots” they supposedly incited.
The Group Spearheaded a Digital Era Of Sound
(Photo by Roger Kisby/Getty Images)
The impact of Odd Future’s members went beyond influencing fashion or influencing chaos. The group’s refusal to fall within certain creative boundaries inspired a generation to be fearless, or express themselves in as authentic a manner as possible. The DIY nature of their work inspired a slew of artists that succeeded them. Lil Uzi Vert and Lil Yachty were no longer waiting to sign a deal as they were blowing up on Soundcloud. Clairo and Kali Uchis were recording their songs on cheap mics at home. Odd Future, in essence, made un-polished creative work cool again.
Their influence was heightened by their innate connection with the digital era of sound. This isn’t NWA selling tapes out of the trunk. Rather, this was a technologically sound group of teenagers who had an innate knowledge of how to get their message out to millions. The group was constantly uploading to Tumblr and YouTube, whether producing beats or skateboard videos around Los Angeles. In many ways, Odd Future’s marketing inspired many other creatives to outsource their product in a unique manner. Now, musicians weren’t just releasing a new single. They were armoring their enterprise with a clothing line or an impromptu chain of YouTube videos.
Odd Future Celebrated Self-Expression
Odd Future’s impact challenged surface-level societal interpretations of what Blackness should look like. Each member brought a distinct vibe to the table that managed to be both polarizing and unifying. By being unapologetically themselves, they inspired teenagers and young adults to step out of the societal box they were put in. The group was a prime example of how anyone can still win when they go against the grain.
Similar to many creative ventures, legacy is often the biggest tell of how influential a piece of art really was. In Odd Future’s case, their influence clearly goes beyond what Tyler, the Creator may believe. While the group’s individual members now distance themselves from their teenage personas, they’ve influenced a new generation of creatives who still bump tracks such as “Oldie” and “White” to this day. While the likes of Pharrell Williams and Kanye West inspired them, they laid the creative foundation for a more experimental era of hip hop expression.
Los Angeles rapper Earl Sweatshirt’s rise in the Hip-Hop scene began in 2009 as a member of the alternative rap collective Odd Future. While fellow Odd Future members such as Tyler, the Creator and Frank Ocean have become worldwide stars in their own right, Sweatshirt has carved his own path in the underground and experimental rap scene. Sweatshirt is known for his lyrical ability, word play, and rhyme schemes, which are often compared to late rapper MF DOOM’s, and his sound has progressed and changed significantly since Odd Future’s inception. This list will rank all four of his studio albums. It will only contain full-length studio albums, so mixtape project ‘Earl’, 2020 EP ‘Feet of Clay’, and EP ‘Solace’ will not be included.
4. SICK! (2022)
Sweatshirt’s most recent album, ‘SICK!’ was released in 2022, four years after his last full length project, ‘Some Rap Songs’. While Sweatshirt became known for his sludgy, dirty sound, he veered away from it on this project in favor of clarity. ‘SICK!’s’ release was a sign of maturity for Sweatshirt as he abandoned many of the shock-rap qualities of his earlier projects and instead rapped about topics such as fatherhood and overcoming addiction and other mental health issues.
Highlights of the album include the intro track ‘Old Friend’ which contains a sound similar to many of the songs on Earl’s previous album, ‘Some Rap Songs’, as well as the final track of the album ‘Fire in the Hole’ as Earl raps about his maturity in relationships and as an artist.
The project is still obscure, as tracks such as ‘2010’ and ‘Tabula Rasa’ feat. Armand Hammer features Earl on beats unlike any other, however, the project lacks the indescribable rawness that was present on ‘Some Rap Songs’. Despite this, ‘SICK!’ was one of the best albums of the year upon its release and its low placement on this list is only due to the strength of Earl’s previous three projects.
3. Doris (2013)
Earl’s first full-length album came after a three year hiatus due to Sweatshirt’s mother sending him to a boarding school in Samoa. His disappearance sparked the “Free Earl” campaign by Odd Future and ‘Doris’ was one of the most anticipated albums of 2013. At the time of its release, Sweatshirt was only 19 years old, his youthful hunger on full display on this project.
‘Doris’ is arguably Sweatshirt’s most technically proficient project in terms of rhyme scheme and lyricism as tracks such as ‘Woah’ contain flows where nearly every word rhymes. The album also includes features from fellow Odd Future members Tyler, the Creator, Frank Ocean, and Domo Genesis, as well as features from Vince Staples, RZA, and Mac Miller. Sweatshirt’s youthful nature is apparent on tracks such as Sasquatch as ‘Doris’ occurred within a metamorphosis for Earl as he began to abandon his shock-rap qualities in favor of more substance-driven songs.
Highlights from the album include ‘Chum’, a deeply personal track that shows Earl’s maturity as he speaks on his difficult relationship with his father and other issues of adolescence. ‘Hive’, which features Vince Staples and Casey Veggies and displays Sweatshirt’s aptitude for whimsical wordplay and rhyme schemes.
This dichotomy of subject matter is consistent throughout the album, as Earl stayed true to his Odd Future roots, and also displayed his ability to deliver tracks with emotional weight behind them. Tyler, the Creator even mentions this contrast on his intro to ‘Woah’ as he tells Earl that just because he made ‘Chum’ and “got all personal” does not mean he can’t go back to that “old fucking 2010 shit”. ‘Doris’ lacks the artistic maturity of some of Sweatshirt’s later projects, yet Earl’s potential and prodigious talent shined throughout the album and was a testament of things to come.
2.I Don’t Like Shit, I Don’t Go Outside (2015)
Many fans believed Sweatshirt would take a more conventional approach to his music after the success of ‘Doris’ and the growing star-power of Tyler, the Creator and Frank Ocean in 2015. ‘I Don’t Like Shit, I Don’t Go Outside’ was presumed to be the sophomore breakout album that propelled Sweatshirt into the more mainstream sectors of the Hip-Hop scene, however, Sweatshirt decided to do the total opposite, as “IDLSIDGO” is one of the darkest, most depressing albums of the past decade.
“IDLSIDGO” begins with ‘Huey’, a track about Earl’s struggles with addiction as he raps “I spent the day drinking and missing my grandmother”. The project continues with the three track run of ‘Mantra’, ‘Faucet’, and ‘Grief’ in which Sweatshirt details his continuing struggles with addiction, depression, and the grief of his grandmother’s passing.
‘Faucet’ and ‘Grief’ are two of the best tracks on the album and two of the best of Earl’s discography. He enmeshes his lyrical ability with intense storytelling and psychological turmoil. “IDLSIGO” also contains features from Dash, Wiki, Na’kel Smith, and Vince Staples. Smith’s feature on ‘DNA’ is one of the most well-remembered. Na’kel raps about his own grief following his friend’s recent passing.
The project is ten tracks and only has a run-time of thirty minutes, yet not a second is wasted as it holds its listeners in a grief-stricken haze as Sweatshirt delivers one of the most gut-wrenching and depressing performances of any artist of the last decade. ‘I Don’t Like Shit, I Don’t Go Outside’ is an audial display of the pits of depression and grief and Sweatshirt encapsulates the feeling as only he can. The only thing keeping this album from the number one spot on this list is the brilliance of Sweatshirt’s following project.
1. Some Rap Songs (2018)
No one could have predicted what Sweatshirt would do next following ‘I Don’t Like Shit, I Don’t Go Outside’, as Earl proved on that album that he was in a lane entirely his own. At only twenty-five minutes long, ‘Some Rap Songs’ leans even further into the experimental and conceptual as the album feels less like a musical project and more like a mind-bending trip into the psyche of Sweatshirt’s mind.
The project is deeply personal and psychological as Earl speaks on many topics present in his previous work, such as depression, addiction, and his relationships with his parents, yet ‘Some Rap Songs’ features a vulnerability that even ‘I Don’t Like Shit, I Don’t Go Outside’ did not. ‘Some Rap Songs’’ brilliance lies in its sonic uniqueness, as Sweatshirt raps complexities over subdued soulful loops that often do not even include drums.
The album is a symbol of Sweatshirt’s artistic maturity, as he all but neglects any sounds even reminiscent of conventionality and instead creates a project that is beyond comparison. The album begins with ‘Shattered Dreams’, as Earl allows listeners to enter what can only be described as a “dream-state” or place of limbo, and Sweatshirt proceeds to hold listeners there as each track following bleeds into the next, causing the album to feel experiential and otherworldly.
Sweatshirt’s subject matter is loose and fleeting, as Los Angeles rappers transitions topics from line-to-line, and yet this messiness and confusion personifies Sweatshirt’s mental state and somehow ends up cohesive and highly conceptual. There is an indescribable sinking nature to the project as it fades in-and-out as Sweatshirt lays down some of his most complex rhyme schemes and flows.
Playing Possum
The thirteenth track of the album, ‘Playing Possum’ also features both of Sweatshirt’s parents, Cheryl Harris and Keorapetse Kgositsile, as Earl shares an audio clip of one of his mother’s lectures and one of his late father’s poems. The final track of the album ‘Riot!’ is an instrumental that samples the 1969 song “Riot” by Hugh Masekela. The decision to end the project with this sort of silence is a moment of genius by Sweatshirt, and despite the absence of Earl’s lyrical ability, which was at one point his calling card, the song is one of Sweatshirt’s most beloved by fans. ‘Some Rap Songs’ is a project that transcends genre and tests the bounds of musical creativity. Its sheer uniqueness and artistry places it at number one on this list as it examines the human psyche through its conceptual and experimental form.
: @echoanecho pic.twitter.com/jL5nT4M9NH
