Earl (mixtape)

Earl
Mixtape by Earl Sweatshirt
Released	March 31, 2010
Recorded	2009–10
Genre	Alternative hip hop
Length	25:54
Label	Self-released
Producer	Tyler, The Creator Left Brain BeatBoy
Earl Sweatshirt chronology
Earl (2010) Doris (2013)
Singles from Earl
"Earl" Released: July 26, 2010

Earl is the debut mixtape by former Odd Future member Earl Sweatshirt. It was released as a free digital download on March 31, 2010, on the Odd Future website.^[1]

Background and lyrics

Earl 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. The album features vocals from Tyler, The Creator, Vince Staples, Hodgy Beats, and some backing vocals from fellow Odd Future members Syd Tha Kyd and Taco Bennett. The lyrics featured on the album were written and recorded in 2009-2010, when Earl was 15–16 years old. The content present throughout the album includes various drug references, macabre themes of murder, rape and sexual lyrics.^[2]

Reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
Pitchfork Media	(positive)[3]
Sputnik Music	[2]

Earl was met with much interest and critical acclaim on the web, upon its release. The tape also garnered rave reviews from music critics. Pitchfork Media called the album "mesmerizing".^[4] Pitchfork's sister site Altered Zones listed Earl as one of their top twenty albums of 2010, praising the album for its ferocity and for making "some of the most vile verses sound eloquent".^[5] Music site Gorilla vs. Bear listed it at number 12 in its list of the 30 best albums of 2010.^[6] Complex magazine rated Earl as the twenty-fourth best album of 2010.^[7]

Accolades

Recently, the mixtape was recognized as one of The 100 Best Albums of the Decade So Far, a list published by Pitchfork Media in August 2014.^[8]

Track listing

No.	Title	Producer(s)	Length
1.	"Thisniggaugly" (skit)	Tyler, The Creator	1:18
2.	"Earl"	Tyler, The Creator	2:26
3.	"Couch" (featuring Tyler, The Creator)	Tyler, The Creator	3:16
4.	"Kill"	Tyler, The Creator	2:20
5.	"Wakeupfaggot" (skit)	Tyler, The Creator	0:42
6.	"Luper"	Tyler, The Creator	1:59
7.	"epaR" (featuring Vince Staples)	Left Brain	4:00
8.	"Moonlight" (featuring Hodgy Beats)	Tyler, The Creator	2:04
9.	"Pigions" (featuring Tyler, The Creator)	Tyler, The Creator	3:33
10.	"Stapleton"	BeatBoy	4:16

• "Thisniggaugly" and "Earl" features uncredited vocals from Tyler, The Creator and Taco.
• "Wakeupfaggot" features uncredited vocals from Syd Tha Kyd.
• "epaR" features uncredited vocals from Hodgy Beats.
• Tyler, The Creator is credited as Ace Creator on "Couch", and as Wolf Haley on "Pigions".

References

1. "OFWGKTA: Earl Sweatshirt - EARL". Oddfuture.tumblr.com. 2010-03-31. Retrieved 2011-02-27.
2. "Earl Sweatshirt - EARL (album review)". Sputnikmusic. 2010-08-26. Retrieved 2011-05-10.
3. "Articles: Odd Future Mixtapes". Pitchfork. Retrieved 2011-05-10.
4. "Articles: The /b/ Boys: Odd Future and the Swag Generation". Pitchfork. 2010-10-18. Retrieved 2011-02-27.
5. alteredzones on 12/21/2010 at noon. (2010-12-21). "2010: Albums". Altered Zones. Retrieved 2011-02-27.
6. "gorilla vs. bear’s albums of 2010". Gorilla Vs. Bear. Retrieved 2011-02-27.
7. "Articles: The 25 Best Albums of 2010". Complex. 2010-12-15. Retrieved 2012-03-02.
8. "The 100 Best Albums of the Decade So Far (2010-2014)". Pitchfork. 2015. Retrieved 31 May 2015.