Photo via @earlsweatshirts

On last year’s SICK!, Earl Sweatshirt mostly stepped out from the murk that had shrouded his heady, staggering collage of rhymes since dropping 2018′s Some Rap Songs. Hearing Earl figure is way onto a bridge between more impressionistic, experimental avenues in working with a slew of beatmakers and a desire to place his voice above the surface is a welcome change of pace, especially in this moment where so much of the rap underground that’s been breaking through lately has been a kindred creative spirit in every his every move. “Making the Band (Danity Kane)”, a new single from Earl, indirectly references his reinvigorated flirtation with mainstream culture in its titular homage to the girl group created by the Aughts MTV reality show of the same name as well as his linking up with Clams Casino and Surf Gang’s Evilgiane, who has also been on a similar trajectory with the recent big stream success of producing Kendrick and Baby Keem’s “The Hillbillies”. That he invokes Diddy, Bruce Banner, and Gene Hackman by name at once in the track’s flow tells you more about the energy he’s going for, yet the muted, mercurial bed of synths and metallic tinkers still make room for his introversions even when shining off clearer pathways.

Directed and edited by: Hidji World and YGA

Earl Sweatshirt’s “Making the Band (Danity Kane)” single is available now.