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Georgetown University’s Newspaper of Record since 1920

The Hoya

Georgetown University’s Newspaper of Record since 1920

The Hoya

Earl Sweatshirt Delivers in Expected Fashion on “SICK!”

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★★★★☆

Acclaimed rapper Earl Sweatshirt has returned with his first full-length album in four years. It’s a brief but entertaining listen that fulfills his fans’ expectations with smart wordplay that delves into themes on newfound fatherhood and pandemic isolation gilded by a variety of trap beats.

Earl Sweatshirt, whose real name is Thebe Neruda Kgositsile, began his career as the youngest member of the hip-hop collective Odd Future, whose membership included now-heavyweights like Frank Ocean and Tyler, the Creator. Earl released his solo debut mixtape, “Earl,” in 2010 to critical acclaim, and has since produced three albums and two EPs. 

Sweatshirt’s latest work comes a year after the birth of his son, arriving with the newfound responsibility of fatherhood. This milestone, along with the COVID-19 pandemic, are the inspiration for the album’s fitting title, “SICK!” 

The album’s length initially strikes as concerningly short, clocking in at just ten songs in under 30 minutes. However, the slimness of “SICK!” ends up being a smart move by allowing Earl to avoid the incessant bloat that unfortunately plagues many modern rap albums. This album remains laser-focused on delivering memorable songs. 

Produced by a range of artists, including Earl himself, the album utilizes a diverse array of trap and lo-fi beats, supported by Earl’s slightly slurred yet completely comprehensible flow. The album sets the methodical tone with its first song, “Old Friend,” a brisk introduction backed by a classical violin sample that explores themes of overcoming struggle and welcoming new opportunities. 

On “Old Friend,” Sweatshirt reflects with cautious optimism on becoming a father, finding joy in his daily routine and hoping the fate of the pandemic becomes endemic: “Wild cat has got ’em in a bind, stay inside / Know I came out from the thicket smiling.” 

The album’s strongest material lies in the front of the tracklist, including “2010,” which is characterized by a hypnotizing techno beat, and “Tabula Rasa,” which features a soothing piano sample. The middle of the tracklist bores the ears, but the album rebounds with the last two songs “Titanic” and “Fire in the Hole,” dominated by a smooth surf-guitar sample that ultimately fades into silence. 

Regardless of these sonic hitches, Sweatshirt’s lyricism remains consistent throughout, showing his knack for rhyming and word play. 

For example, on “Fire in the Hole,” Sweatshirt flexes his signature wordplay by infusing both COVID-19 tests and a romantic relationship into a singular verse: “Blood seeping into the mulch, I needed a quick result / I read it and don’t respond / She see it, it’s salt sprinkled.”

The album’s themes are just as eclectic as its beats, with commentary varying from being stuck inside during lockdown to the revolutionary power of music in Africa. The latter is perhaps a memorandum to Sweatshirt’s late father, Keorapetse Kgositsile, who was from South Africa.

Nonetheless, the features on “SICK!” are sorely lacking, with only Armand Hammer’s fierce verse in “Tabula Rasa” standing out as a gem. Otherwise, the album is highly introspective, centered squarely on Sweatshirt and his thoughts; its fresh perspective distinguishes itself from similar-sounding hip-hop albums of the modern scene. 

Despite this breath of fresh air, “SICK!” is nothing revolutionary. No one song sticks out as particularly memorable, and the sounds generally adhere to what listeners have expected from Earl throughout his career. Additionally, some of the songs feel a bit too short, with more than half of them not even hitting two minutes. 

But these faults do not take much away from the hypnotic listening experience, as the whole of Sweatshirt’s creation is greater than the sum of its parts: the full package is no doubt a project in which fans will be happy to indulge.

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