Number 89 - Doris by Earl Sweatshirt

 Number 89: Doris by Earl Sweatshirt

Baby brother becomes biggest brother

Release: August 20th, 2013
Genre: Hip-Hop
Favorite Tracks: Chum, Hive, Molasses

 

Where I heard it: 

I probably could just copy and paste this section from my Channel Orange entry and it would be just as accurate. I had a couple friends in high school who followed the Odd Future crew, keeping me constantly in the loop on the rumor wire with its members. While I wasn't actively paying attention behind the scenes, I was certainly exposed to songs on Doris once it released. My taste for hip-hop was beginning to blossom by my senior year, and Earl Sweatshirt's tongue-twisting wordplay caught my ear in between songs of my friend's rap playlist. Chum and Hive were among the regular rotation blasting over the bluetooth speaker for subsequent summers thereon. I wouldn't give Doris a proper listen until late 2018 after the release of Earl's third release Some Rap Songs. I learned by then that Earl's releases are few and far between, and craved more of Earl's playful style. Fortunately, I don't think it gets much better for word play and heavy bars than Doris.

It's probably been twelve years since my father left
Left me fatherless
And I just used to say I hate him in dishonest jest
When honestly I missed this nigga like when I was six
And every time I got the chance the chance to say it
I would swallow it
~ Chum

What to expect:

As a part of Odd Future's crowded collective, Earl Sweatshirt was immediately a standout among the group with his first EP Earl released in 2010. However, troubles in his personal life led his mother to send him to an at-risk boy's school in Samoa, abruptly rendering Earl's career in limbo. Fans wouldn't hear about another production in the works until late 2012, when material from Doris was teased and eventually released in full nearly a year later. The mounting anticipation placed lofty expectations on Doris, and it lived up to the hype. Earl's lyrical content closely shares qualities with Odd Future, exhibited in his unfiltered and at times crude verses. This resemblance isn't surprising when you consider the amount of Odd Future members with features on Doris: Domo Genesis and Tyler, the Creator twice, and Frank Ocean on Sunday. Make no mistake though, Earl contrives some of the most unique and complex rhyme structures with his raps throughout Doris despite the vulgarity. In fact, there exist plenty of bars on the album that are quite profound from the mind of a 19 year old. Filled with retrospective on his past and wrapped in exquisite prowess, Earl Sweatshirt created a masterpiece in Doris and couldn't even buy himself a beer to celebrate.

Food was always optional
Eating nothing but hard punches to the abdominal
Closed fist chronicles, sold sniff, Mama knew
Baggies laying 'round, peanut shells at a carnival
Stomping clowns, welcome pussy niggas to the romper room 
~ Centurion

Why it's my favorite: 

I'll put it as simply as I can: Earl Sweatshirt spits bars up there with the best of them. His immaculate attention to detail towards the relationship between the rhyme scheme and the rhythmic flow within a verse is second to none. Even with less sophisticated diction, every line from Doris contains a whimsical mouthful of rhymes maintained by liberal pronunciation of words that test Earl's creativity. I had such a fun yet difficult time combing through lyrics to feature in this article; there's just so many clever and ingenious uses of word play scattered throughout the album. On the other end of production, the beats which accompany each track vary from chill piano samples to straight bass in your face. It's tough to decide which style of the album I like better, as Earl's overall cohesiveness in his final product fits perfectly to suit whichever vibe he chooses to embrace. When it comes to underground hip-hop, it's hard not to acknowledge the tremendous effort and heart Earl puts forth in Doris.