[Words By | K1ng Eljay]
The Favorites:
- “Wool” (feat. Vince Staples)
- “Mantra”
- “Inside”
It’s easy to dismiss this project because of how Earl Sweatshirt’s rhymed in the past. Even though he’s incredibly talented and is known to rip tracks in half off sheer lyrical talent, that doesn’t translate into enjoyable LPs for most outside of the Odd Future fan base. The acknowledgement is there, but that’s as far as it goes unless Earl pops up on someone else’s track to wash them (which, he does on occasion). With the rollout of this project completely botched due to miscommunications with his label, the focus slipped off of music and onto the drama surrounding the release – instantly making it easy to dismiss the project again. Thankfully, I missed all of that and was able to press play on the project before even HEARING about the drama, and it turns out that I Don’t Like Sh*t, I Don’t Go Outside has some incredible moments that you should tune in for.
The dark vibes that Earl likes to thrive in are still present. His alter-ego produced almost all of the production (which is impressive as the album morphs into livelier tempos later in the play), and it’s easy to forget that as the project progresses. The lyrical content is what most press play for, and that’s here in abundance. From him throwing his ex under the bus and then parallel parking on her in “Mantra”, to addressing all of the issues he was having in “Grief”, this is the first time where it feels like this is his project. Earl’s said to media before that this feels like his first release, and after a sit-down with I Don’t Like... it’s simple enough to see why.
This is a representation of where he is as an artist, and it’s a nice snapshot, especially since later it balances out with some aggressive beats that he rips, such as “Grown Ups” and the surprising “Inside”, which sounds more like a Tyler, The Creator beat than Earl – which is a compliment. Of course, the last track is arguably the best, as Vince Staples and Earl goes to town on an Odd Future / Hip-Hop / Boom Bap sounding instrumental (“Wool”) and shreds it to bits as the project ends.
I Don’t Like Sh*t, I Don’t Go Outside is moody. It’s sometimes depressing. It’s surprising. It’s personal. It’s jarring at points. And, to be honest, it’s one of the better projects to come out this year because the artist that created it is well-aware of his powers, and chose to thrive in it as opposed to making something that sounds forced. This isn’t for everyone, but more importantly, this one was for Earl, and he was gracious enough to let us in for the ride, even at the risk of not being understood.
The Quick Recap
- + There’s a reason why Kendrick Lamar’s favorite artist to listen to is Earl. The lyrical acrobats on this project is ridiculous, and the way he structures his rhyme patterns to weave when you’re not expecting is loosely Nas-like.
- +/- IDLS,IDGO is an incredibly brooding piece of work, and the mood is dark intentionally. If that doesn’t sound off-putting, you might enjoy this project more than you think.
- + Earl brings his A-Game when teaming with others. “Grown Ups” and “Wool” are reflections of that competitive rap side coming out that we all can agree to enjoy.
- – There are times sadly where the production seems to run together. Earl does place instrumental “breaks” to lighten that mood, but the first half of the project has a very similar tone and doesn’t let up until close to halfway through the project.
The REDEFINED Rating
3.5 out of 5
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