Earl Sweatshirt

The youngest member of the Odd Future hip-hop crew, Earl Sweatshirt's innovative rhymes and screwball beats marked him as one of rap's most unique newcomers during the 2010s. He was born as "Thebe Neruda Kgositsile" in Chicago, Illinois, on February 24, 1994, and raised by a family that included his father, South African poet Keorapetse Kgositsileand. After being discovered on MySpace by Tyler, The Creator, he burst onto the scene as a 16-year-old with his acclaimed mixtape Kitchen Cutlery in 2009 and his free downloadable album Earl in 2010 following year. He later formed his imprint label, Tan Cressida, with help from Columbia Records. Full of gritty, poignant storytelling, his first official release Doris (2013) featured the gold-selling singles "Chum" and "Hive," both of which helped the debut record reach Number 5 in America. I Don't Like S**t, I Don't Go Outside: An Album By Earl Sweatshirt was released in 2015, reaching Number 4 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart and Number 12 on the Billboard 200. He followed this with 2018's Some Rap Songs, which charted at Number 10 on the Top R&B.Hip-Hop Albums chart and Number 16 on the UK R&B Albums Chart. After leaving Columbia's roster, he partnered with Warner Records in time for 2022's Sick!, which debuted at Number 80 in the US.