There were a few entry points to Odd Future back in their early stages. If you were really on your shit, you may have come across Tyler, The Creator's "French," or maybe you found your way in through MellowHype's more approachable BlackenedWhite project. Still, chances are you gt your first taste of the crew through Earl Sweatshirt's "EARL" video. The chilling is-this-for-real? content mixed with Earl's youthful appearance was enough to raise a few eyebrows, but the surgical rap styles are what kept people coming back.
At this point, Sweatshirt was still in his rebellious shock-tactics stage, but beyond the juvenile rape humor, it was clear there was something special going on. The instrumental still stands as one of Tyler, The Creator's grittiest and most memorable beats, making "EARL" the quintessential early OF track.
Quotable Lyrics:
Yo, I'm a hot and bothered astronaut
Crashing while jacking off
To buffering vids of Asher Roth eating apple sauce
Sent to Earth to poke Catholics in the ass with saws
And knock blunt ashes into their caskets and laugh it off