Earl
The second mixtape by Earl Sweatshirt, released March 31, 2010.
Earl (stylized in all caps) is the second mixtape by American rapper Earl Sweatshirt. It was released as a free digital download on March 31, 2010, on the Odd Future website. This is Sweatshirt's first project to be released under his modern stage name; he previously started rapping under the stage name Sly Tendencies from 2008 to 2009. The mixtape is notable for its depraved and violent lyrics, which detail the fictional misadventures of the young Earl Sweatshirt as he commits acts of murder, rape, kidnapping, and violence. The album features production by BrandenBeatBoy (credited as BeatBoy) and fellow Odd Future members Tyler, the Creator and Left Brain, and vocals from Tyler, the Creator, Vince Staples, Hodgy Beats, Syd Tha Kyd, and Taco Bennett.
Quick Facts
- Artist
- Earl Sweatshirt
- Released
- 31 March 2010
- Recorded
- 2009–2010
- Studio
- The Trap (Los Angeles)
- Genre
- Alternative hip hop, horrorcore
- Length
- 25:54
- Label
- Self-released
- Producer
- BeatBoy
- Left Brain
- Tyler
- the Creator
Lore & Background
Earl was written and recorded in 2009–2010, when Earl Sweatshirt was 15–16 years old. The content throughout the album includes various drug references, macabre themes of murder, rape and sexual lyrics. On the title track, Earl, Tyler, and Taco rap about their distaste for 2DOPEBOYZ over frustrations the blog wouldn't publish Odd Future's music. Pitchfork Media called the album 'mesmerizing,' and its sister site Altered Zones listed Earl as one of their top twenty albums of 2010, praising it for its ferocity and for making 'some of the most vile verses sound eloquent.' Music site Gorilla vs. Bear listed it at number 12 in its list of the 30 best albums of 2010, and Complex magazine rated it as the twenty-fourth best album of 2010. The mixtape was also recognized as one of The 100 Best Albums of the Decade So Far, a list published by Pitchfork Media in August 2014.
Reader's Guide
The original track listing for Earl includes all tracks produced by Tyler, the Creator except where noted. 'Thisniggaugly' and 'Earl' feature additional vocals from Tyler, the Creator and Taco. 'Wakeupfaggot' features additional vocals from Syd tha Kyd. 'epaR' features additional vocals from Hodgy Beats. Tyler, the Creator is credited as 'Ace Creator' on 'Couch,' and as 'Wolf Haley' on 'Pigions.' The unauthorized re-release track listing includes notes that the instrumental for 'Orange Juice' is originally the instrumental for 'Lemonade' by Gucci Mane, produced by Bangladesh; 'Chordaroy' was originally on MellowHype's 2010 mixtape BlackenedWhite; the instrumental for 'Drop' is originally the instrumental for 'Drop' by Rich Boy, produced by Cha Lo and Polow da Don; the instrumental for 'Swag Me Out' is originally the instrumental for 'Not a Stain on Me' by Big Tuck; 'Home' was released as a standalone song on February 8, 2012, the day Sweatshirt returned from Samoa, and its instrumental is originally the song 'Theme From Paris' by James Pants; and the instrumental for 'Blade' is originally the instrumental for 'Nothing's Gonna Stop Me' by Terror Squad, produced by DJ Khaled.
Track listing
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Thisniggaugly | Thebe Kgositsile, Tyler Okonma, Travis Bennett | 1:18 |
| 2 | Earl | Kgositsile, Okonma, T. Bennett | 2:26 |
| 3 | Couch (featuring Ace Creator) | Kgositsile, Okonma | 3:16 |
| 4 | Kill | Kgositsile, Okonma | 2:20 |
| 5 | Wakeupfaggot | Kgositsile, Okonma, Sydney Bennett | 0:42 |
| 6 | Luper | Kgositsile, Okonma | 1:59 |
| 7 | epaR (featuring Vince Staples) | Kgositsile, Vyron Turner, Vincent Staples, Gerard Long | 4:00 |
| 8 | Moonlight (featuring Hodgy Beats) | Kgositsile, Okonma, Long | 2:04 |
| 9 | Pigions (featuring Wolf Haley) | Kgositsile, Okonma | 3:33 |
| 10 | Stapleton | Kgositsile, Branden Martin | 4:16 |
| Total length | 25:56 | ||
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Stapleton | 4:16 |
| 2 | Earl | 2:27 |
| 3 | Couch (featuring Tyler, the Creator) | 3:17 |
| 4 | Kill | 2:21 |
| 5 | Molliwopped | 1:43 |
| 6 | Luper | 2:00 |
| 7 | epaR (featuring Vince Staples) | 4:01 |
| 8 | Moonlight (featuring Hodgy Beats) | 2:05 |
| 9 | Deerskin | 2:13 |
| 10 | Orange Juice (featuring Hodgy Beats) | 3:51 |
| 11 | Chordaroy (featuring Tyler, the Creator and MellowHype) | 5:01 |
| 12 | Drop | 2:28 |
| 13 | Mezmerized (featuring Mylo) | 2:48 |
| 14 | Swag Me Out (featuring Jasper, Odd Future, Wolf Gang and Tyler, the Creator) | 7:18 |
| 15 | Home | 1:48 |
| 16 | Brand New | 0:52 |
| 17 | Blade | 1:24 |
| 18 | Fuck This Christmas (featuring Tyler, the Creator and Hodgy Beats) | 4:31 |
| 19 | WattStax | 1:56 |
| 20 | Pigions (featuring Tyler, the Creator) | 3:34 |
| 21 | Dat Ass | 1:09 |
| 22 | FYC (featuring Gruzen) | 3:56 |
| 23 | Cool (featuring Mike G) | 2:27 |
| 24 | CopKiller (featuring Hodgy Beats) | 1:24 |
| 25 | Rebellious Shit | 2:16 |
| 26 | Stones Throw | 1:14 |
| 27 | Rick James | 1:58 |
| 28 | Dat Ass (Remix) (featuring Big L) | 1:48 |
| 29 | Number 4 (Instrumental) | 4:24 |
Did You Know?
- The unauthorized 2015 re-release on Tidal and Amazon Music mistakenly credited Hodgy Beats on a track where Tyler, the Creator is the correct feature.
- The song 'Rick James' on the unauthorized re-release is actually titled 'BADBOI222' and was released by Long Island rapper 'BIG BREAKFAST,' not Earl Sweatshirt.
More in Albums & EPs
Elsewhere in Tyler the Creator
Spotted an error? Know more?
Reader corrections go straight into our review queue. Suggest an edit · How this site is sourced