10 Amazing Albums (That Are Under 30 Minutes)
4. Earl Sweatshirt - I Don’t Like S***, I Don’t Go Outside
Finding fame as the most talented of L.A shock-rap collective Odd Future, Earl Sweatshirt was a cult figure before his first official release. His 2010 mixtape Earl was simultaneously admired and critiqued for his immense skill at age 16 and boundary-pushing lyrics. He was shipped off to a retreat school in Samoa shortly after, where his legend grew.
He returned older and wiser and went on to release some of the best hip hop of recent years. His second studio album remains his best to date, a dense, combative, singular journey into the mind of a prodigious talent.
The record’s first single, “Grief”, remains a truly striking piece of music. The beat is blown out to the point of disintegration as Earl spits some distressing material. He cuts a polarising figure, at once showing off his technique (“Huey”, “Mantra”) and dealing with myriad deep issues (“Faucet”).
He fits in some great collaborations too, particularly with frequent colleague Vince Staples on “Wool” and Wiki on “AM//Radio”. It’s not always an easy listen but it’s an incredibly impressive one.