Earl Sweatshirt has returned to the music scene with his first full-length piece of work since his 2019 release Feet of Clay.
Sick! releases today and is Earl’s newest project that proves to fans his increasingly impressive ability to rap in his own way. Initially brought out into the scene through Odd Future, Earl has made a notorious name for himself over the years–especially through his graduation from shocking lyricism to rapping about his thoughts, feelings, and the abstract state of the world.
Earl’s newest album was initially inspired by a book of African American folktales called The People Could Fly, which his mother would read to him, but it later evolved to reflect the chaos of the global pandemic.
“Once the lockdowns hit, people couldn’t fly anymore,” Earl said of the shift. “A wise man said art imitates life. People were sick. The people were angry and isolated and relentless. I leaned into the chaos because it was apparent that it wasn’t going anywhere. These songs are what happened when I would come up for air.”
Although Earl made Sick! for himself, he expressed finding a grander, more cathartic purpose throughout its conception.
“I made it for myself obviously, in my own spirit and my own need to express, but I also made it for the folks,” he explained. “I feel like there’s a lot of different messages in there. I’m excited to hear what people glean from it. I’ve been with this s–t for too long. I’m ready to let this s–t go.”
—
Photo credit: Sterling Munksgard / Shutterstock.com
