"Grief" Brings Poetry to an Often Empty Industry

As a 16 year old rapper, crafting an image as a horror-core musician is not really the best idea. Earl Sweatshirt fit this model as he emerged onto the music scene, stomping through topics like murder and abuse without ever missing a beat. 5 years later (2 of these years spent in a correctional facility in Samoa), Earl has pulled a full 180. His recent release, “I Don’t Like Sh!t, I Don’t Go Outside” served to cement his new image; an incredibly personal and dark work, Earl leaves the attention grabbers behind, choosing to address his own vices and life. “Grief,” the only single released before the album, encapsulates his new image or rather his lack of any constructed image.

“Grief” is a reflection on Earl’s internal state and how it became what it is. The song takes a no- holds- barred approach, dealing with drug habits in one line and passing relatives in the next. Addiction is addressed within the first verse; Earl delivers, “Step into the shadows we can talk addiction/ When it’s harmful where you going and the part of you that know it/ Don’t give a f***, pardon me for going into details.” This complex bar delivers more than self reflection. It addresses the way in which society dances around the problem of addiction, tossing it into the shadows and making Earl feel as though apology is needed after mentioning his experiences.

As with anyone famous, Earl has discovered that money and success bring along their share of phony friends. Using an extended metaphor, he finesses his wordplay as he raps, “Cut the grass off the surface/ Pray the lawnmower blade catch the back of a serpent.” While literally talking about trimming his grass and stumbling upon a snake, the message lies on a different spectrum. The grass is the facade that people put up to further their ends; people who build fake personas or are dishonest with their intentions are known as snakes, so Earl is really talking about tearing down the fake fronts people put up in order to disassociate himself with them.

Touching on an all too relevant topic, Earl uses his smooth wordplay and repetition to note the ever- present issue of racist police. “Mama taught me not to be like the bodies lying in them/ Pigs, riding in them/ I’m a target so it’s hard to even eye me in ‘em,” he utters. The bodies lying is a reference to violence that leaves people dead in the streets. He narrows down the topic with the next line, clearing up why the bodies are there: they have been victims of corrupt police, hence the label “pigs.” The final line quoted is perhaps the most poetic in delivery. With heavy assonance on the “e” sound, Earl delivers a tongue twister delving into the awful inferiority with which law officers address him.

Earl Sweatshirt is one of the best lyricists alive (fun fact, his father is a very famous African poet). While much of his prowess lies in wordplay and his ability to bend language to his needs, the messages of this new album are poetic in themselves, a cathartic relief for the growing young man. Sure, the album doesn't speak to politics as much as the new Kendrick does, but Earl crafted a relatable masterpiece, an album that holds its weight in the level of intimacy it conveys.

I have attached the music video to "Grief" for your enjoyment, While not related to the poetry element of the work, it is a fantastic visual.