After missing the initial wave of Odd Future stardom, Earl Sweatshirt has carved out a space for himself. While not much can top the stunning ferocity of his first album Earl, Sweatshirt has continued to evolve into a formidable emcee.

His newest album I Don’t Like Shit, I Don’t Go Outside takes all of the darkness and awkward rhyme scheming that fans have come to love and matured it into something more accessible to the common rap listener.

“Listening to Earl Sweatshirt is just too much fun. With barely a wasted bar, his unique rap schemes and story structure are painted effortlessly.”

“Mantra” is one of those moody nighttime bangers where Sweatshirt uses his visual rap style coupled with his breathless flow to great effect.

Tracks like “Off Top” and “Wool” featuring Vince Staples feel like classic Earl – simple boom bap tracks with offensive lyrics delivered through that gruff baritone that makes him such a lethal rapper.

There are moments when Earl feels a bit dated. For example “AM // Radio” featuring Wiki, while original in its composition, falls short of grabbing the ear. There are moments when Earl relies on his quirkiness to carry a song without much substance.

Be that as it may, listening to Earl Sweatshirt is just too much fun. With barely a wasted bar, his unique rap schemes and story structure are painted effortlessly. So much so you’ll find yourself rewinding to decode a metaphor heavy bar that was delivered almost carelessly.

For this reason alone Earl remains one of the most interesting young spitters in the game.

@MaajinnBluu

Sean Watson has over 15 years experience working in the entertainment industry as a journalist and recording engineer. He is a founding member of Urbanology Magazine, and currently, a senior writer and co-host of The Curb podcast with the publication. He is the founder of entertainment service company, Clockworkninjas (CWN), through which he has launched the Single Girl Problems Podcast with Andrea Bain on eOne Entertainment, produced a weekly video freestyle series “The Massacre” and executive produced the award-winning documentary "Another Decaying Crown".

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