Emerging as a member of Odd Future in the late 2000s, it didn’t take long for Earl Sweatshirt to make a name for himself as one of the most prolific alternative rappers of the last 15 years. With his ...

With a name like Some Rap Songs, Earl Sweatshirt is very obviously over rap industry artifice. This is authentic, no gimmicks, but in a way that isn’t trying to call attention to its authenticity.

The first voice listeners hear on Some Rap Songs, Earl Sweatshirt‘s latest album, is James Baldwin’s. “Imprecise words,” he says before the pop of vinyl hits. The sample comes from a 1962 recording of ...