After a short hiatus from the rap game while he was at reform school in Samoa, Earl Sweatshirt returned last year and got right back to rap, now gearing up to release his debut album Doris on August 20th.
In anticipation of the release, Earl hung out with L.A. Times for an in-depth feature on the Odd Future affiliate. During the interview, Earl spoke on current hip-hop, which he doesn't seem shy about expressing his opinion on. Recently, he called out Jay Z's Magna Carta Holy Grail, in return receiving plenty of criticism.
Earl said during the interview, "I think rap is either on the cusp of dying or having a renaissance. It's one of the two. You can hit your head against the same wall a bunch of times, especially now." He added that the genre is "a dusty-ass bucket."
The rapper also discussed his return to the U.S., and how it felt upon coming home. "It was like, get on the stage and everybody has these huge expectations. 'Oh, my God, the prodigal son!'," Earl said. He added, "And I have my own self-esteem issues, so [stuff] like that doesn't get to me. It actually just makes me question people's agendas and tastes."
Earl Sweatshirt expressed his surprise he's even in the rap game, and as well, said this might not be what he stays doing forever. "I never thought I would make a beat, ever, when I was 16. But things change instantly without you having any idea they're going to change at all," the OF rapper said.
He continued, "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."
Check out the full L.A. Times profile here.
