Some Rap Songs
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CRITIC REVIEWS
100
Amid a rap culture of sprawling albums with cosmopolitan beats that hop between country and style, Earl Sweatshirt’s third album initially seems as modest as its title. Mostly self-produced and with few guests – two of whom are his own parents – its 15 tracks only break the two-minute mark twice. But it ends up being one of the best rap albums of the year, a smoky iceberg of great emotional depth.
100
The video-game melancholia and digital ephemera of I Don’t Like Shit showed how purposeful the blown-out sonics of the SoundCloud era can be when paired with a generational talent, but Some Rap Songs places Earl’s aesthetic within a longer timeline, reaching back to the atmospheric, bomb-shelter style of turn-of-the-millennium backpack rap, as well as the early-’90s golden age to which that nodded.
90
For all its signs of progression, the record is never heavy-handed with its ambition. Its unforced attempt at making sense of the fraught present, at finding shelter without resorting to convenient escape, is a rare and, dare I say, sincere feat.
90
This modestly-named third full-length foray sees Kgositsile comes into his own by fully embracing genre-bending abstraction. It can be challenging, even voyeuristic, but it is heart-wrenching and compelling nonetheless.
90
Simultaneously sad, strange, and warmly nostalgic, Some Rap Songs is excitingly listenable and emotionally connected despite its abstruse approach.
88
With his latest record, the onetime teen prodigy reemerges as the face of a new sound and scene that blurs the line between avant-garde jazz and hip-hop.
85
Some Rap Songs is a pretty rare rap album as each song perfectly bleeds into one another. This leaves the group of songs in its own concept universe.
84
Detractors might call Some Rap Songs unfinished-sounding or simplistic, pointing to the 15 tracks that barely eclipse the length of Kanye's 7-track Wyoming albums earlier this year. But Earl is a formalist who knows exactly when he's done making his point, a skill that puts him above most contemporaries just as firmly as his lyrical talents.
82
With its esoteric lo-fi production and imperfect style, Some Rap Songs is easily one of the year’s most intriguing projects.
80
‘Some Rap Songs’ may be a brief exercise, but its ambition and the – largely successful – execution of its ideas demonstrate that the enigmatic Earl is as fascinating as ever.
80
Some Rap Songs packs a lot in 25 minutes, making for an unsettling listen that is also one of the most personal, gripping rap records of the year.
80
Some Rap Songs is the rare album by an immensely talented lyricist who deigns not to pull out any fireworks, opting to sink into the cushion’s of a therapist’s couch in the search for an honest work of art. It’s a delicate statement of restraint, and in this case the process shows more of the artist than ever before.
80
Some Rap Songs is Earl Sweatshirt's most accomplished and deeply personal statement yet.
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3y
80
In just under 25 minutes, Some Rap Songs explores a great deal of psychological territory. It’s a record that’s unconcerned about being liked, but it’s worth spending some time with it. Earl Sweatshirt has important things to say, and you’ve got to lean in close if you want to hear them.
80
Some Rap Songs is Earl Sweatshirt's most emotionally intense and artistically defined project yet.
80
It’s impossible to say where Earl is mentally after Some Rap Songs. This was obviously a document of catharsis and exploration, diving into his own artistic and troubled genetics. But musically, he’s created the most captivating album of his career.
75
Some Rap Songs is not a casual record—it isn’t one to bump in your car, neither is it one to “enjoy” per se. Depression, a shared yet unique experience—is a topic to empathize with—and for Earl, it’s a festering reality—one he has finally been able to channel into his art most intricate and affecting.
70
Although a very strong record for what it is, Some Rap Songs lacks the emotional power of the two albums that preceded it, particularly Doris, which charted Earl's transition back to civilian life from a Samoan wilderness camp.
67
It’s yet another deep, personal, reflective album that’ll impress listeners but, in this instance, leave them only partially satisfied. While they’ll no doubt be dreaming about some of these beats for weeks, they will also wish the conversation Sweatshirt begins here would continue and that the young rapper would speak up. That’s the price that comes with having something to say.
60
The album could be a blueprint for the future sound of hip-hop. But for now, it’s unlikely the avant-garde lyricism will dominate RapCaviar anytime soon.
an album of snippets
Edit for people who wanna know my issues with this: It feels and sounds like a bunch of unfinished demos that were made in 2 months. The flows are really uninteresting and overall there's really nothing overtly enjoyable about this project. Each song is too short to be truly enjoyable (That's not saying short songs are all bad, but at least pack something interesting in the short runtime of a song)
I like to imagine I’m at a Denny’s at three in the morning.
I pick a seat near the window so my eyes can fixate on the street. I can’t sleep and I’m done wrestling my urge to. I order coffee.
“Black, please.” I ask quietly.
I can’t taste anything right now, so why make things harder for the people in the back? I hear the creaking of a chair. I see a man stand up getting ready leave. Seemingly, a trucker from the look of his wonky physique and the way ... read more
Shoutout to @ThePurpleIdiot for the recommendation.
Depression defined... but also a dull descent towards emptiness.
Some Rap Songs is the 3rd studio album from American rapper Earl Sweatshirt, released in November 2018. It was recorded from December 2016 to January 2018.
It was considered an experimental left turn in Earl's musical career, taking a completely different direction from the sounds of Odd Future. It's also a departure from his 2015 predecessor 'I Don't Like Shit, I Don't Go ... read more
To be honest I forgot what everything sounded like in this album because it's just boring, nothing was exciting and I was patiently waiting until I reached Riot! Because it's the most popular song in this project and because most of the stuff I heard was boring so I hope Riot! Could fix it but nope still boring and bland, I don't know man I was excited to listen to this but when I did it's not good. Would I recommend this?, only if they are a Hip-Hop fan than yes but if they are not then not a ... read more
Some Rap Songs is the 3rd studio album from former member of the Rap Collective Odd Future. I always felt like Earl had the most potential along with tyler because of his unique and somewhat rusty style of rapping. This album dug deeper into what earl had done before on previous efforts such as Doris, As he explores more of a boom bap and hardcore style of hip hop.
I found the vocal and jazz loops add to the representation of loss quite well, Not to mention The instrumentals wear thin very ... read more
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Track List
| 1 | Shattered Dreams 2:21 | 90 |
| 2 | Red Water 1:44 | 82 |
| 3 | Cold Summers 1:06 | 88 |
| 4 | Nowhere2go 1:53 | 88 |
| 5 | December 24 1:46 | 89 |
| 6 | Ontheway! 1:41 feat. Standing On The Corner | 91 |
| 7 | The Mint 2:45 feat. Navy Blue | 90 |
| 8 | The Bends 1:34 | 85 |
| 9 | Loosie 0:59 | 83 |
| 10 | Azucar 1:25 | 92 |
| 11 | Eclipse 1:33 | 85 |
| 12 | Veins 1:59 | 85 |
| 13 | Playing Possum 1:34 | 83 |
| 14 | Peanut 1:13 | 84 |
| 15 | Riot! 1:06 | 92 |
Total Length: 24 minutes
Year End Lists
| #4 | / | Sputnikmusic |
| #5 | / | Far Out Magazine |
| #5 | / | Vinyl Me, Please |
| #6 | / | BLARE |
| #6 | / | Gorilla vs. Bear |
| #6 | / | Okayplayer |
| #6 | / | SPIN |
| #7 | / | Highsnobiety |
| #7 | / | Pitchfork |
| #8 | / | DJBooth (Hip Hop / R&B) |
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Added on: November 20, 2018