Review: Earl Sweatshirt- Some Rap Songs

A masterpiece in abstract and alternative hip-hop that encompasses Earl's mental illness and his struggle in reinventing his artistic integrity.

Some Rap Songs is a comprehensive look into the psyche of Thebe Kgositsile. It is a raw exploration of mental illness and mourning; poetically describing the emotions that encompass some of our darkest thoughts.

While the tracks are short, they are not lacking in content. Each song on this project is dense and layered with details that demand repeat listens. Before you are able to properly digest and soak in one of the tracks, the next one starts right up. The production is done primarily by Earl himself under his alias RandomBlackDude. Like the previous production work by Earl, these beats are warped and disorienting, with samples being compressed and distorted until they are practically unrecognizable. It is crazy Earl can successfully flow over some of these beats most notably “Red Water,” “Loosie” and “Eclipse”

"Playing Possum" into “Peanuts” into “Riot!” is the most powerful conclusion of an album I have heard all year. In"Playing Possum" Earl weaves his mothers keynote address and his father's poetry recitation in and out of one another which establishes this beautiful connection between his two loved ones. While Earl has previously rapped how his father leaving him and his mother at a young age shattered their family dynamic, this track seems to contradict all Earl's negative emotions towards his father. With the title suggesting he has forgiven his dad as he simply wishes he was "playing possum" and will soon wake and be among the living.

Earl's struggle to process the death of his father is further explored in the next track “Peanuts.” This is hands down the most melancholic song on the project. Earl gets incredibly blunt on this track with lines such as, “Flushin' through the pain, depression, this is not a phase, ayy/Picking out his grave, couldn't help but feel out of place.” The atmosphere this song creates is that of a glitched out and frightening mess. The pain in his voice is evident as he struggles to force the lyrics out. This low point is juxtaposed by the final track “Riot!.” This instrumental track is the most uplifting cut on the whole album. “Riot!” feels like a healthy self-reflection after the difficult themes Earl explores on this album. It is able to speak volumes without saying anything at all.

"Ontheway!" features a similar guitar sample like the one heard on"Riot!" This track ends with an instrumental following the lines, “I said the dark face on the news/Clouds grey on the move/On the way like the truth/ Yeah, clouds grey on the move/On the way with the-”  with the last line being cut off and the uplifting instrumental arrangement beginning.  This abrupt ending I feel is Earl’s way of telling us the truth has now arrived.  This "truth" could be interpreted in many ways, but I feel its symbolic significance is rooted in self-reflection and understanding who we are as individuals.  Earl has been doing a lot of soul-searching during his musical hiatus and this project encompasses that experience.

Even though some of the best art is created when we are at our worst, I hope Earl is able to work through his mental struggles as it is evident he is in a darker place than usual. Like he raps on "The Mint," "Lotta blood to let, peace to make, give a fuck about a check" I hope the process of creating this album gave him the clarity and strength to come out on the other side a stronger man.

The album begins with the line “imprecise words” potentially being indicative of Earl’s struggle to convey his emotions adequately through lyrics and music. This is a perfect analogy I feel while writing this review. It is hard to describe art that produces such an emotionally powerful experience. Some Rap Songs is a masterpiece in abstract hip-hop and something that will be looked at as a benchmark in the genre for years to come.

Rating: 10/10

Essential Tracks: All of them but if I had to pick: Cold Summers, December 24, Ontheway!, The Mint, The Bends, Azucar, Eclipse, Peanuts, Riot!