Earl Sweatshirt, born Thebe Neruda Kgositsile in 1994, is a South African-American rapper and producer acclaimed for his introspective lyrics and distinctive style. The son of South African poet Keorapetse Kgositsile, he began his career as Sly Tendencies before joining Odd Future in 2009. Gaining early recognition with his mixtape Earl in 2010, he released his debut album Doris in 2013 after returning from a year and a half at a boarding school in Samoa. Doris reached the top five on the Billboard 200, and his follow-up albums I Don't Like Shit, I Don't Go Outside and Some Rap Songs also received widespread critical acclaim. Earl later signed with Warner Records, releasing Feet of Clay and the well-received album Sick. In 2023, he collaborated with The Alchemist on the joint project Voir Dire.