#97 - Earl Sweatshirt - SICK! REVIEW

Listen on: Apple Podcasts / Spotify / YouTube

Video animation by: Big Flowers

Intro/Outro beat by: BLOODBLIXING

Beginning of Episode (0:49).

SICK! still works in typically depressive content that Earl’s music has been synonymous with over the years, but there is a clarity and acceptance that reigns supreme with the mindstate Earl communicates on this album.

No longer is he seemingly drowning in an ocean of sorrow and confusion, like he was on Some Rap Songs. Instead he sounds more self-assured, and triumphant... like he has successfully made it through those dark times he had dealt with in the past. And now has a more mature and positive outlook on life, influenced heavily by his new son that entered his life, and the COVID pandemic.

This isn’t cheap vapid “I love my wife” positivity from the likes of a Chance the Rapper let’s say, it’s far from it. Instead, there is a dynamic that makes this optimism of sorts from Earl on SICK! feel authentic and earned, where the listener can easily feel the depth behind this hope, and know it’s been derived from real life experiences.

The way Earl communicates all of this is with his trademark brand of succinct poetry that allows him to jam so much impact into each and every bar. It’s this dense style of writing that has always made Earl’s music have such high replay value, and SICK! is no exception.

RMPP Preferred Cut: "Fire in the Hole"

Stream SICK! here.