Earl Sweatshirt

Earl Sweatshirt is a third natural griot, a third bored millennial, and a third tortured artist. It's a recipe that can feel heavy-handed at times. It's like, taking any life or rap advice from a dude this age is bound to make some veteran eyes roll. But you can't help but toast the success and savvy of his Odd Future collective. His observations at times are little more than the musings of a melodramatic child becoming a man on record. I'm glad that there are little to no record of anything I said before 25. Other times you realize just to what heights these observations are coming from. And you can't not respect that.

I knew Earl Sweatshirt when he was the goofy, yet shy Thebe Kgositsile. You see, I was a mere first-year teacher when this introverted youngster made his way through our elementary school. I've met his mom. Later, his cousin, Maria, was one of my favorite students of all time. His friends from back then are now the grown sons and daughters of my friends. It's all cyclical and weird. But hilariously true.

The only reason I bring it up, is that I feel like I have an interesting perspective on his music. I don't know Earl anymore. I doubt he'd recognize me outside of that school's setting. I didn't really work that closely with him. He was a student in another teacher's class. But at one time this talented young man was sitting at a desk doing work while I was the young adult in the next room. And here we sit now. Me, now a full-fledged veteran teacher, writer, and rapper. Thebe, now a full-fledged veteran rap god, writer, and educating all of you that you fucked up for doubting.

I've always been a late bloomer. I've done everything late. I did drugs late. I had sex late. All that shit. Earl, on the other hand, has to live with his teenage musings being the basis for what everything he'll ever make will be compared to. That's a huge weight that I'm glad I didn't have to creatively carry around. It's been like he's trying to outrun himself.

But, I Don't Like Shit… I Don't Go Outside sounds like maybe he's realized that slow and steady wins the fucking race, dig? The whole tempo is slow and low. Relaxed, even when espousing anxious elucidations. He avoids angry. But his confidence is apparent. Earl did virtually all of the production on this record, as well as managed to finally distill a point of view as an MC.

But his sleepy vibe belies a disquieting significance. While I feel like a lot of listeners and reviewers and fans are like Earl did it, and are celebrating I Don't Like Shit… I Don't Go Outside as if it affirms Earl's talent. But, listen you fuckers, Earl Sweatshirt has the ability to take rap wherever he wants to go. He's a straight up magician and he'll tell you so. I wouldn't be surprise in the least to see, when the rap well runs dry with age and disinterest, Earl graduate to writing literature, screenplays, quality poetry. Shit! He probably already does. The portent of I Don't Like Shit… I Don't Go Outside is its greatest attribute.

The best way to understand where Earl Sweatshirt is as an artist is to have looking in his rear-view mirror over the last ten years. First it was his childhood needs driving him into the lascivious arms of what would become Odd Future and the disciples of Tyler, the Creator. Then it was looking back at that catalyst from the window of a boarding school. Next, he walked bucket-hatted and out-of-his mind high soaking up his new found status on tours and the festival circuit. Then came Doris, almost a refutation of that spring break, T-shirt cannon, pool party mentality.

And now with Doris, disappearing from view, I Don't Like Shit… I Don't Go Outside is the current rest stop for a young talented man on a journey. This album is landmark that serves to move Earl Sweatshirt farther away from the legendary lost rap wunderkind to a current incarnation of 20-something with a whole lot of shit to accomplish. We're all just lucky enough to be witness. Just don't get in his way.