When Odd Future ascended to fame, Earl Sweatshirt was thousands of mile away in a therapeutic academy in Samoa — doing the exact opposite of “kill people, burn shit, fuck school.” Since returning to the public eye, he’s embraced the persona of a recluse through a handful of releases. On Some Rap Songs, his follow up to 2015’s I Don’t Like Shit, I Don’t Go Outside, he’s experimenting with more conceptual ways to express his sadness. With its esoteric lo-fi production and imperfect style, Some Rap Songs is easily one of the year’s most intriguing projects.
Most of the songs are under two minutes, and the entire album is less than 25 minutes long. Each track sounds more like a demo or sketching than a completed idea. But this raw quality underscores the project’s overarching concept of struggling to articulate pain. Adding to the enigmatic vibe, much of the production is done by Earl himself under the pseudonym “RandomBlackDude.” From its clip of James Baldwin to the looped sample of The Endeavours, album-opener “Shattered Dreams” has a heavy nostalgic quality reminiscent of searching through a family archive. He reflects on how lonely and alienating fame can be: “Why ain’t nobody tell me I was sinkin’? Ain’t nobody tell me I could leave.”
This gloomy vibe continues on “Red Water,” an introspective dive into the passing of his late father. Instead of dipping into the classics, Earl is now chopping up his 2015 song “solace” into a distorted beat. Though a seemingly self-indulgent move, this adds a sense of timelessness to his feelings. Things may change — family-members pass, fame ebbs and flows, friends come and go — but his sorrow persists. Earl flexes his artistic prowess with scattershot imagery and messier, chaotic song structures. He repeats bars like, “Blood in the water, I was walkin’ in my sleep/ Blood on my father, I forgot another dream,” that manage to distill his emotions while adding gravity to his stream-of-consciousness.
As the album progresses, Earl refines his off-kilter formula. On highlight “The Bends,” Earl’s numbing flow remains steady as the old school R&B sample gradually becomes disassembled. The Odd Future member delves into lighter textures on “Azucar” and “Loosie.” “Peanut” is the album’s crown jewel. The beat is composed of distorted layerings of his own voice, mirroring the sensation of being entrapped in one’s thoughts. He reflects on his father’s passing in lines, “Flushin’ through the pain, depression, this is not a phase, ayy/ Picking out his grave, couldn’t help but feel out of place.”
The album ends on a bittersweet note. “Riot!” samples upbeat instrumentals from South African jazz musician Hugh Masekela — Earl’s uncle who passed a couple weeks following his father’s death. After hitting a climax, the song suddenly collapses into a few guitar strums lingering over dead air. There are no introspective bars, just a crunchy emptiness that serves as an imperfect catharsis. Some Rap Songs is reminiscent to Earl’s late friend Mac Miller’s final album Swimming. Both bring the listener through the process of overcoming trauma and healing but ultimately, choose to leave the story unfinished.
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This niGG@ rap like he’s mentally disabled. Slow slurred emo rap don’t make it good.
Y’all on crack.
Raps so slow he might as well be talking. His career is done.
4/5 The frrruucck???? This album was absolutely horrendous
If you don’t like this album, then you just don’t understand it. Simple as that. Just go back to listening to Drake or Migos, since it’s a little simpler for ya.
This truly is a fantastic, forward thinking album. Pushes outside of the common boundaries of hiphop and does it very well.
Let me reword that, you don’t have to like it, but if you simply think it’s lazy, trash, etc., then you just don’t understand.
I said it before and i’m say it again this album is an immaculate masterpiece from start to finish. this is has got to be Earl’s best work since IDLSIDGO.
its the only thing he’s released since then.
Used to like this guy but this is horrible.
its either you love it or hate it… there’s no in between… dope album on my side
Deleted this after one listen.
I must be getting old as you can’t hear a word he says.
I was looking forward to this album and I’m still digesting it. It’s sloppy, vocal levels are inconsistent, sometimes he sounds like he’s falling alseep. We waited this many years for this? It doesn’t reach expectations but its decent….putting it in the same category as Mac Miller’s “Swimming” is laughable. Swimming was polished and musical, not ragged and choppy.
for real.
I just pooped
Earl used to be fire, now he just sounds uninterested and bored. Im glad his lyrics matured, as they should, but his delivery aged into a 90 yo man on his death bed mumbling his last words
IM A FAN BUT I CANNOT GET INTO THIS ONE. I WILL HAVE TO FIND THE RIGHT MOOD BEFORE I DROP A SCORE.
This album is dense, but ambitious work. It’s a lot to digest, but nice to see artists rap like this again.
Who used to rap like this? Lol.
DOOM, LORD QUAS, HOMEBOY SANDMAN. JUST TO NAME A FEW.
This guy fell off hard
I get that he (Earl) is different/outside of the norm. I tried to understand what he was trying to accomplish. And in the end, I could only understand that it………..sucks booty meat lmao. Better luck next time Earl.
I think this is an album that requires multiple listenings, by multiple I mean at least 5. I’ve listened to it twice. First time I was like huh, second time I was like ok. I think the third listen will be dope. His last album was perfect imo, this one is definitely experimental. The jury’s out. I’m giving it a 5 to counter the haters and fair weather fans.
I thought this album was pretty dope but I’m not sure after reading everyone else’s review. Admittedly, I listened to this while smashing a hooker and under the influence of a lot of cocaine so I’m not sure if I was listening thoroughly.
I really like most of it, but some of it just isn’t for me.
It’s not as good as his other albums. Definitely not a one tho
His best by far. Probably best Hip-Hop album this year
An abstract yet emotional album by Earl. I think this is his best yet. This album has definitely turned off a lot of fans due to its lo-fi and experimental nature; and also by the fact that Earl isn’t trying to show off his complex bars as much as he used to. Songs like Peanut are more direct but heartbreaking, and Earl’s verse on The Mint pretty poetic as he incorporates multiple double and triple entrendes. The beats are based around soul and jazz samples that loop continuously, and many have drawn comparisons to Madlib and J Dilla. Overall, this is a really great project. However, the album has me concerned for Earl’s mental health.
masterpiece
Dope ???
Dope!!!
GOOD ALBUM. ITS A MOODY LISTEN BUT I THOUGHT IT DELIVERED ENOUGH CONTENT AND QUALITY BEATS. ONLY FLAW IS HOW HIS VOCALS GETS WASHED OUT BY THE BEATS. I KNOW THE LO-FI MIXING IS 100 PERCENT INTENTIONAL, BUT IT IS DISTRACTING. I WOULD CONSIDER THIS A QUALITY FAN’S ONLY AFFAIR 3/5.
overrated
absolutely stunning. Earl in top form. I hope he’s ok mentally tho
I’ve listened to the entire project at least 7 times now, it feels like a good cry. My favorite line right now is, “Early morning, wash my swollen hands, hit the showers cleanse my soul and crash,” from The Mint.
my favorite album of 2018
Anything this man does is fire so…
amazingly compact and insightful, easily my favourite album of all time