[listen] Earl Sweatshirt – “Chum”

Nov 01, 2012

Here’s “Chum,” a new track from arguably the world’s most beloved rapper with the least material, Earl Sweatshirt. Every new song, even if it’s just a feature, is a clear step forward for the remarkable MC, who makes “Chum” into the sort of deeply personal screed that only the best dare approach. Over a beat that actually recalls the demonic jazz of debut album Earl, Sweatshirt’s raps are a giant middle finger to some of the people holding the microscope that he’s under as well as an invitation to learn more about him; he sheds some new light on his troubled life before his banishment to Samoa, and his struggles to pick up the pieces after his career exploded in his absence. Earl wasn’t good at rapping because he rapped about violence against women, he was good in spite of it, and with “Chum” he leaves the garish distractions further behind and allows us to focus on what makes him great now.

Listen below, via Odd Future’s Tumblr.