Earl, née Thebe Kgositsile, witnessed his promising rap career almost ruined by the hands of his maker. Due to his brutal lyrical tendencies and uncouth Odd Future posse, Earl’s mother sent the blooming wordsmith to a troubled youth sanctuary in remote Samoa. One of rap’s most promising talents in 2010, Earl slipped away from the mainstream seemingly to never reappear.
News of Earl’s return, however, spread through households faster than Paul Revere’s yelps of a redcoat attack. His fan base, which had rapidly multiplied since his internment, greeted him much like that of the British mop-top quartet’s first steps on American soil. And with that came colossal expectations.
Earl’s eponymous debut showed expert craftsmanship and untapped potential. Unleashed upon the Internet just weeks after the MC’s 17th birthday, Earl set the proverbial bar to almost unattainable heights. His cruel rhymes offended nearly every demographic, but Earl’s delivery and introspection made him all the more intriguing. What would happen if this teenage skater punk actually made a studio record?
Though its release date remains questionable, Doris, Earl’s first and upcoming LP, already has fans salivating. After numerous guest spots, notably Frank Ocean and Flying Lotus’ records, Earl dropped the album’s first single, “Chum.” In this brooding return, the famed lyricist exposes a new and thought provoking self. Displaying the unbalanced relationship with his father, Earl proved that shock-value lyrics weren’t the only weapons in his arsenal.
As soon as Odd Future mate and lifelong friend Tyler, the Creator belts his raspy voice, however, “WHOA” dives back into Earl’s natural form. Tyler exclaims the track resembles “that old fuckin’ 2010 shit,” and truer words haven’t been spoken. The beat’s menacing bass and high-pitched synth exudes the aura captured within Earl. Its sounds make one realize why Odd Future concerts occasionally break out in riot.
But the talented mush-mouth glides over these dark textures with witty and pointed vocal attacks; each snarl reminding one just how crafty this kid can be. Earl unsurprisingly agrees when he says “Yeah, the misadventures of a shit-talker.” But the track’s most notable moments lie outside his ability to belittle people. Its an anthem to cement Earl alongside modern rap giants like A$AP Rocky and Kendrick Lamar. “Stormed off and came straight back like a fixed posture,” he says in the first verse. And with that, Earl has truly returned.