Earl Sweatshirt was one of the most eccentric prospects in Hip Hop during the early 2010s, and this year marks a decade since the release of his seminal studio debut.
Doris was released on August 20, 2013, to critical acclaim despite the incessant controversy surrounding Earl and his collective, Odd Future, at the time. The 15-track package features contributions from Vince Staples, Frank Ocean,Tyler, The Creator, Mac Miller and RZA, among others, and is responsible for putting Earl on the map as a solo artist.
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To commemorate its legacy, the 29-year-old rapper will perform the album in its entirety for a one-off show in Los Angeles. The event, which is set to take place at the Novo on August 19, will also feature fellow Odd Future member Domo Genesis.
Pre-sale tickets go live on Wednesday (June 28), followed by general on-sale on Friday (June 30). Passes are available here.
Earl hasn’t released any new music this year and he continues to keep his public appearances to a minimum. His track record, however, has remained solid as he upholds a high standard whenever he decides to drop fresh material.
Last year, he released the 10-track project SICK!, which HipHopDX rated a 4 out of 5. The album was a continuation of his overtly abstract run that began with 2018’s Some Rap Songs.
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Last year, Earl helped kick off the final season of Atlanta with a cleverly coded tribute to late rapper MF DOOM.
The season opener, which premiered on FX in September 2022, finds Paper Boi (Bryan Tyree Henry) going on a scavenger hunt after discovering a clue in a song by local rapper, Blue Blood, just days after learning of his death.
After following the trail of hints left behind by the fictional rapper through an Atlanta adventure, Paper Boi finds himself at Blue Blood’s funeral. Throughout the episode, Blue Blood’s music features prominently. Pitchforkconfirmed that the voice fans heard while watching the show is that of Earl Sweatshirt — an MF DOOM super fan. Doris and the albums that came after subsequent albums put his infatuation with the late rapper’s style on full display.
While no direct MF DOOM references were made during the Season 4 premiere, there are quite a few parallels drawn between the two artists in life and in death.
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To start, fans were left unaware of Blue Blood’s death for three months, harkening back to the December 31, 2020 revelation that DOOM had died two months prior. Upon learning of the artist’s death, Paper Boi and Darius (Lakeith Stanfield) reminisce about the “secret shows [Blue Blood would] only post clues about on Tumblr.”
Even the inclusion of a comic book shop as one of the stops on Paper Boi’s scavenger hunt could be seen as a tribute to MF DOOM, whose Hip Hop persona was built around the image of Marvel Comics supervillain Doctor Doom.
Earl Sweatshirt pulled up at the GOLF store in Los Angeles on Saturday August 19, and surprised waiting fans with a meet & greet and guest DJ set. Earl celebrated the 10 year anniversary of his debut album Doris with an exclusive merch drop in partnership with GOLF and WMX.
