Earl Sweatshirt has made quite the name for himself since he joined hip-hop collective, Odd Future, back in 2009.
His talent would have gone unnoticed if it weren’t for his large internet following. In fact, most of the members of Odd Future blew up because of their online notoriety. Odd Future embraced their online roots, which is evident through their off-the-wall and eccentric music and brand.
Recently, however, with his latest releases including Some Rap Songs, Sweatshirt wants to move past his goofy and oddball days in Odd Future and explore more dark and mature themes.
Some Rap Songs opens with “Shattered Dreams,” a two-and-a-half minute song that not only establishes some of the themes found throughout the album, but introduces the heavily inspired production of the early 2000s.
Earl raps about his depression and drug and alcohol abuse on “Shattered Dreams,” while a sample of an Endeavors’ song with the same name consistently loops in the background.
In fact, most of the samples on the album loop in an hypnotic and trance-like manner. It reminded me of some of the sampling and mixing done on MF Doom and Madlib’s collaborative album, Madvillainy.
Some Rap Songs has the same spirit of Madvillainy as well as other underground hip-hop albums from the 2000s, but with an Earl Sweatshirt spin that doesn’t feel tasteless at all.
This project sounds a bit rough around the edges at times, with the strange use of dust popping off vinyl and cassette hisses mixed with the stuttering and dazed samplings and production.
However, Sweatshirt finds a way to use this to his advantage. Some Rap Songs delves into the mind and inner conflicts of Earl Sweatshirt.
The first single for the album, “Nowhere2go,” has Earl reflecting about death and depression. He raps, “I think I spent most of my life depressed/Only thing on my mind was death/Didn’t know if my time was next,” all while a jittery and disorienting, yet calming beat loops throughout the track.
Sweatshirt using his music as an outlet for his innermost thoughts should be no surprise to his fans.
On his last full-length project, I Don’t Like Sh*t, I Don’t Go Outside, Earl had already touched on the same themes found on this new project.
Some Rap Songs takes this concept and cracks it up to eleven. But it isn’t always bleak in Sweatshirt’s mind.
On the second half of the album, Earl takes the time to acknowledge his problems, while giving thanks to his friends, family, and those who made him famous.
Songs like “Nowhere2go,” “The Mint,” and “The Bends,” heavily imply that Earl has a newfound faith that now fuels his desire to live.
In discovering this, Earl now sees the importance of his relationships with his family and friends. He needs to mend these relationships before they slip away from him.
While it is great to hear Earl getting better, the album, unfortunately, does not maintain this optimistic mindset for long. With the passing of his good friend, Mac Miller, and the passing of his father, Keorapetse Kgositsile, it is clear why the album is so dark and heavy.
“Playing Possum” is a chilling track that samples both Earl’s father and mother. What was supposed to be a nice surprise for his parents, now turned into a loving tribute.
The album closes with two songs that could be described as uncomfortable and dark. The closing track, “Riot!” samples a guitar lick from Earl’s uncle Hugh Masekela, who passed away a couple of weeks after Earl’s father.
While Some Rap Songs is a clear step away from Earl’s days in Odd Future, it is also a dark and twisted journey into the mind of a man who has lost and suffered so much.
The unique, melancholic and at times nightmarish production mixed with Earl’s poetic lyrics makes Some Rap Songs one of the most essential hip-hop albums of this year.
Caesar Torres
Editor in Chief