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In the music video for “Oldie,” the final song on Odd Future’s last project together, the Los Angeles collective’s members take turns rapping over simple production during a photoshoot. Of the 13 members of the group, including luminaries like Tyler, The Creator and Frank Ocean, the youngest shined.

Earl Sweatshirt, who joined Odd Future in 2010 when he was 16, demonstrated his witty lyricism while wearing a purple camouflage shirt and Supreme hat that said “supernova, I’m rollin’ over the novices.” The video, which has almost 50 million views on Youtube, ends with a verse from Tyler, The Creator, but the penultimate bars stick out.

Sweatshirt has stuck to the “Oldie” formula in his solo projects, combining his heightened lyrical talent with a wide variety of short beats that don’t stray the listener away from what he’s trying to say. This style, which sounds more like spoken word with a focus on verses rather than catchy choruses, is even more prevalent in Sweatshirt’s latest album “SICK!.” In 24 minutes on his fourth studio album, Sweatshirt displays his latest progression as an artist.

While Sweatshirt was evolving his sound over the last four years, the pandemic took over the globe, which he references in the opening track “Old Friend.”

Sweatshirt begins with the lines “Strong spirit where the body couldn’t get asylum/ The cost of living high/ Don’t cross the picket line and get the virus.” This opening is filled with nods to the ongoing pandemic, saying how one’s spirit shouldn’t wither, despite the risk of contracting COVID-19 when leaving the “picket lines” of their home.

He adds his own personal experience over the last few years, saying, “Blinkin’ for some feasible mеthods to free yourself/ Split it with my hand like Cigarill’s/ Slick oil in a fish’ gill.” Sweatshirt talks about his own struggles with drug addiction, using the analogy of a fish that’s slowed down because of the oil in its gills.

These lyrics could be confusing to a listener unfamiliar with Sweatshirt’s mysterious lyricism, which emphasizes creating meaning with as few words as possible. But “Old Friend” exhibits Sweatshirt’s willingness to talk about real issues, even if it’s encoded in his distinct flow.

The rest of the album bounces between lo-fi and dark trap beats, utilizing the talents of producers The Alchemist, Samiyam and Black Noi$e with samples from old rock bands and Latin pop artists.

The tracks “Lye” and “Lobby (int)” are some of the best-produced pieces on “SICK!,” transitioning the Alchemist’s ability to use sampled horns into Samiyam’s synthesizer-loaded “Lobby (int).” Samiyam even adds a broadcast snippet about MLB player Mike Trout to the interlude, and both beats allow Sweatshirt to continue his methodical bars.

Best Track: Fire in the Hole

While the majority of the album blends Sweatshirt’s flow with the versatile production, the best use of that is in the finale, “Fire in the Hole.”

He first introduced the song in 2021 at the Hollywood Bowl, and he joked before performing that he was going to “get personal” as the live band started the piano, guitar and drum beat behind him.

Sweatshirt even introduces a sample with the lyric “Threw on some Bootsy/ I rather be with you when I’m high,” going right into a snippet from the Bootsy Collins track “I’d Rather Be With You.” This addition is brief, but it displayed his latest creativity by focusing on the smallest detail.

The other lyrics are more simple and the song ends with a piano solo after a gradual fade of all three instruments. His willingness to highlight production was prevalent on his most popular song “Riot” from 2018, but this song is like the Philly Special: perfectly executed.

One Skip: Titanic

Unlike his second studio album “Doris,” which has star-studded features like Ocean and Tyler, the Creator on the majority of its tracks, “SICK!” only has two listed features in its entirety. But on “Titanic,” Sweatshirt relies on the help of his close friend, professional skater Na-kel Smith.

The production is still strong, implementing one of the only trap-heavy beats across the project, but Smith’s inclusion sounds unnecessary. At the beginning of the song, Sweatshirt raps “Sweatshirt, ’cause you know how revenge is best served/ Cold dish” to which Smith adds “Pressure cookin’ roast.” This addition among others scattered throughout the rest of the track don’t add anything to the narrative that Sweatshirt tries to create on every verse.

The flow itself is also one of the weakest on the whole project, and Sweatshirt finishes every line in his only verse by not stressing the last syllable. This approach comes off as lazy, not matching the tone created by the bass-heavy production.

Hardest Bars: Tabula Rasa (feat. Armand Hammer)

On the second-longest track of the project, Sweatshirt only comes into the song for the final verse, allowing hip-hop duo Armand Hammer to get the first say. But their verse is underwhelming compared to Sweatshirt’s, which is packed with meaning despite being only 23 lines.

He starts the verse with conversations about his family, mentioning his ancestry as a “family tree sap” before suggesting that he’s trying to figure out how he fits into his own family history with the lines “This game of telephone massive/ I do what I have to with the fragments.” This perfect comparison to the childhood game creates an image of Sweatshirt sorting through the pieces in a puzzle, thinking that putting them all together will lead to his own inner peace.

Sweatshirt makes another reference to the pandemic in this song, saying “Asymptomatic, but I get sick of the delays/ Faster, faster.” He uses the word that many people now associate with COVID-19, but quickly rhymes it with the next part about how his patience has gone down recently.

Final Thoughts:

In comparison to his previous work, “SICK!” sounds closest to his last project “Some Rap Songs” from 2018. But this edition is a more refined album, with improvements in the production and even more poetic lyrics pertinent to today’s society.

Sweatshirt is unique with his flow, delivery and lyricism compared to other popular rappers out right now. He’s kept his devoted fanbase by resisting what’s popular, sticking to the style that helped his star rise more than a decade ago.

And his style, for the most part, shines through “SICK!” to make it one of the most meaningful musical projects released so far in 2022. Sweatshirt has shown that he’s not just an old member of Odd Future or an artist that can shine on features. He’s found the perfect avenue for his thoughts through his solo career, and “SICK!” is just a peek into his journey through the ongoing pandemic.

Published on February 8, 2022 at 9:02 pm