Doris sees the now 19-year old Earl Sweatshirt growing up in a big way. Much to the dismay of some of his old fans, his days as the kid who only raps about raping and killing women are pretty much over. Instead, Doris is full of low-key, gloomy songs that are heavy on symbolism and self-reflection. While his Odd Future cohort Tyler, the Creator branched out a bit earlier this year with his new record Wolf, Sweatshirt all but completely abandons the sound that made him a talking point in the world of hip-hop and makes Tyler's sound change look tame in comparison. The beats are jazzy and loaded with keys and oft-kilter drum patterns and he has settled into a new flow that is much slower and laid-back than in the past while still maintaining a powerful and confident edge to contrast the understated sound he's established. Sweatshirt may have changed stylistically, but one thing has not changed from his first album, his knack for witty wordplay and crafting complex, intense verses. Just about every verse on this record is smart, nuanced and wildly impressive from a technical standpoint. At such a young age, he already has a pretty firm grasp on what achieves longevity in this industry: consistency, originality, flow, lyrical punch and quality production (which is about the only thing Doris lacks at times, the rest of these Sweatshirt has in spades.)
Doris also sees Sweatshirt bringing in more guest artists to diversify the music and aside from two abysmal verses from Tyler, the Creator (who I'm a fan of normally, he just dropped the ball on these tracks) on "Sasquatch and "Whoa", the cameo appearances deliver. Fellow Odd Future members Domo Genesis and Frank Ocean deliver some of their most impressive verses to-date (Ocean especially shines on "Sunday", which is by far the most honest and just plain best verse he's ever laid down. He's a great singer as well, but I would love to hear a full-length hip-hop record from him someday.) Odd Future has shown considerable growth as artists since first bursting onto the scene in 2010 and it shows with the quality of the material members of the group have been outputting this year. The verses from Odd Future members are definitely good, but the work from non-OF members Mac Miller and Vince Staples outshine them. Miller continues his 2013 hot streak with a banger of a verse on "Guild". Keeping up with the theme of the album, Miller has made considerable strides as an artist recently and seems geared up for a long career making quality music. The real surprise here is though is the work from the pretty much unknown 20-year-old Vince Staples. He delivers three verses on three of the best tracks on the album ("Burgundy", "Hive" and "Centurion") and this is no coincidence, the kid can flat-out spit. He keeps up blow for blow with an established rare talent like Sweatshirt, which is no easy feat. Hell, his verse on "Hive" could very well be the best verse on the entire record. I would not be at all shocked if this record launches Staples's career to the next level, this kid has the potential to be an absolute force in the world of hip-hop.
The long wait for Doris pays off in droves. Sweatshirt has successfully channeled the intensity and lyrical prowess that made him an internet phenom into something this is radically different than anything he's done in the past. It's insane that this is the same kid that dropped Earl in 2010. While Earl was an impressive album, it's refreshing to see him change things up and deliver a much more focused and grown-up release that builds further upon his strengths as an artist. I have a good feeling that things will only continue to look up for Sweatshirt after the release of Doris. With his new sound and enhanced focus added to his consistently impressive lyricism, his next release could end up being the genre-defining masterpiece that listeners know he is capable of making. Well done Mr. Sweatshirt and keep up the good work as one of the brightest young stars in hip-hop.
4/5 Stars
Standout Tracks
1.Hive
2.Centurion
3.Sunday
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