Update: Earl posted on Twitter last night he will not be on the tour.
Tonight marks the first time that the rowdy Los Angeles hip hop collective Odd Future makes a stop in St. Louis, on a tour that is also
See also: - Earl Sweatshirt of Odd Future will not be at the Pageant tonight -Odd Future's "Camp Flog Gnaw" Tour is Coming to the Pageant -Earl Sweatshirt Comes Home, Releases New Song, Gets 50,000 Twitter Followers
The OF collective is well known for its extremely, extremely graphic lyrical content, laden constantly with homophobic slurs and misogynistic references to rape (similar in many ways to the early work of Eminem, whom the group recognizes as an influence.) Obviously such ugly themes have had a polarizing effect on critics and music fans, and oftentimes the sheer skill of the wordplay and lyricism itself is drowned out in the ensuing conversation about the content's social implications.
Hope for that to change comes in the form of some recent statements from Earl on his twitter account, in regards to a new direction on his upcoming album. "I anticipate a loss of fans. I also anticipate gaining some. I hope I lose you as a fan if you only fuck with me because I rapped about raping girls when i was 15." Maybe that trip to Samoa did some good: This intriguing video from the trip seems to imply as much, anyway.
With all that in mind, here are six segments of verses by Earl Sweatshirt (in no particular order) that illustrate what all the hype is about. Youtube videos of the songs are included; I recommend you listen along to get the full effect.
6. "Earl" by Earl Sweatshirt, on the album Earl I'm a hot and bothered astronaut crashing while Jacking off to buffering vids of Asher Roth eating apple sauce Sent to Earth to poke Catholics in the ass with saws And knock blunt ashes into their caskets and laugh it off
For most, this is the line that introduced the world to Earl Sweatshirt, as it is the first uttered in the Youtube video (above) that could be largely credited for the early history of Odd Future's rise to prominence. The "buffering vid of Asher Roth eating applesauce" he refers to is here. Take a step back for a second and actually conjure the mental image of what is being referred to: Earl is in an astronaut suit, in an apparently malfunctioning spaceship, masturbating to videos of another rapper eating, while he crash-lands.
