Earl Sweatshirt swerved into public consciousness as part of the edgy but brilliant California rap collective Odd Future in the late 2000s. Practically from day one, he was considered the tastemaker’s choice member, virtuosic even as a teenager. Rather than play for the mainstream, Earl has spent the past decade or so immersing himself in New York’s underground rap scene, resulting in one of the most unique and unpredictable discographies of his generation.
One of his prime inspirations for that new path was Mike, the beloved underground New York rapper whose own body of work is thrilling and vital. Here, the pair link with Surf Gang, the producer-musician clique that credibly lays claim to the title of “the next Odd Future” on Pompeii // Utility, a hyperactive and engrossing double record that finds Mike taking one side and Earl the other.
True to their respective styles, Mike’s Pompeii is warm and fizzy, songs such as Afro and Tampering countering his deep, laconic voice with bright, spectral beats. Earl’s Utility is darker and more downcast, a necessary yin to Mike’s yang; where Mike often sounds commanding, Earl wanders through songs such as React like a kid lost in a supermarket, mumbling sharp observations and darkly comic asides for anyone who cares to listen. The pair only appear together twice, appealingly teasing the notion of a full duo record. This is an effective thirst quencher in the meantime – a laid-back and poetic showcase for two of experimental hip-hop’s most compelling stars.