Yet, his music is undoubtedly unique and personal, piecing together often clashing momentums, samples and lyrics. The song’s last line expresses apologetic gratitude, opening up the album to a fresh start: “Played the shade, quite a deal, glad we stayed friends.” Kgositsile’s lyricism has always shone brightly through the expansive storytelling of an album, and on Sick!, there’s clearness and strength that are exceptionally vivid.Įarl Sweatshirt’s music is not for everybody, especially in relation to the current rap landscape dominated by Kanye West and Drake. Opening lyrics (“Strong spirit where the body can’t get asylum/ The cost of living high, don’t cross the picket line and get the virus”) indicate the shared feeling of unprecedented stagnancy within the pandemic. In an interview with Rolling Stone, Kgositsile relays that the newest record emerged from the life that went into it: “This one hurt.” The first track, “Old Friend,” feels like a cathartic release for the rapper over an ascending and deadpan beat. Sick! floats to the surface - the rapper reconciles with the pandemic, new fatherhood and delivers his most confident and hopeful record yet.įatherhood and maturity are strong motifs on the record. Past records continuously drown into heaviness and dark themes within abstract sounds and busy flows. Throughout the 10 tracks, the album navigates 25 minutes with sneaky cohesion between the slightly longer than a minute songs. Released two years after the dissonant yet similar LP Feet of Clay, the rapper discovers a more astute attitude on Sick!. Sick!, Kgositsile’s fifth studio album, is another imaginative addition to the artist’s discography. Yet, even in attempts to dodge the spotlight, Earl Sweatshirt continues to find beams of light nearly a decade later, checking in with his fan base through releasing sporadic projects that leave listeners hanging to every word. Notable members Tyler, the Creator and Frank Ocean survived and cultivated their own individual success where the other members straggled between solo projects and aged out of their youth culture roots.Īnother founding member, Earl Sweatshirt - also known as Thebe Neruda Kgositsile - hinted at a starry solo career with his first independent album Doris, but the rapper ghosted in and out of fame while grappling with family matters. When rap-group Odd Future came to fruition in the 2010s, its ensemble dominated an underground collective entranced by the group’s influential beats and ability to speak to its usual misfit crowd.
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