With the release of Earl Sweatshirt’s highly-anticipated debut, Doris, set for release later this month on August 20, the Odd Future emcee briefly let the Los Angeles Times into his musical world for an in-depth feature.
Unlike most artists, the hype surrounding Earl Sweatshirt was birthed when the rapper was far away from the public eye. Thanks to a handful of YouTube videos, which flaunted the emcee’s unique, lyrical prowess, Earl was gifted with the title of “prodigal son” of rap although he was merely a teen attending a Samoan juvenile facility in the Pacific.
While chopping it up with the Los Angeles Times, the Doris architect commented on the “prodigal son” title and the pressure that comes with such a hefty label.
“It was like, get on the stage and everybody has these huge expectations…And I have my own self-esteem issues, so [stuff] like that doesn’t get to me,” he explained. “It actually just makes me question people’s agendas and tastes.”
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Although Doris reportedly flaunts a more mature Earl, the rapper addressed his early, angst-driven music and credited the sound to prior issues with his father, South African poet laureate Keorapetse Kgositsile.
“It made for good music when we were angsty teens. Daddy problems are tight when you’re trying to make angsty music,” Earl revealed.
Similar to fellow Odd Future member Tyler, The Creator, Earl stated that he has no plans on staying in music forever and commented on possibly dabbling in real estate or acting at some point in his life.
“I never thought I would make a beat, ever, when I was 16,” said Earl. “But things change instantly without you having any idea they’re going to change at all…I don’t know what they are, but I know this isn’t it. I mean, I might go into real estate, I don’t know. Maybe acting. It seems like that would be fun. I don’t want to close any doors on myself — but I want to get really good at music.”
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Earl also goes on to share his thoughts on the state of Hip Hop in his interview as he comments on the genre being one that “is either on the cusp of dying or having a renaissance.”
Earl Sweatshirt’s full interview can be found at LATimes.com.
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