Step Inside The Mind of Earl Sweatshirt With A Wildly Diverse DJ Set (Video)

Earl Sweatshirt is the latest to play a DJ set for Boiler Room. Performing under the alias “Earl Fletcher” at Babylon Skate Shop in Los Angeles, the Odd Future member’s set is truly all over the place. Some may see it as a sprawling mess. For others, it is a look inside the mind of one of the most enigmatic MCs to come to prominence in the last 5 years.

As with the music produced the members of Odd Future–from Tyler, The Creator to The Internet, Frank Ocean to Hodgy Beats–Earl’s tastes are incredibly diverse, and they manifest in a set that is truly free form. He moves from Soul to Jazz to Trap to Bounce to Boom Bap to Dancehall, often with minimal or no transition. He opens with the extra soulful sounds of Eugene McDaniels’ “Supermarket Blues,” quickly shifting to the Dub sounds of Linton Kwesi Johnson’s “Dread Beat An’ Blood,” establishing right away that there will be no predictability.

Throughout the 80-minute experience, Fletcher covers an unbelievable amount of ground, hitting songs by The LOX, 2 Chainz, Lil B, Maxo Kream, SKEPTA, Ding Dong, The New Birth, Juvenile, DJ Quik, and more. At times the crowd is engaged. Other times, they seem lost. It is part dance, part listening-session, and part Earl indulging his own muses.

This set is not for everyone. However, for those looking for a sonic adventure, it’s a cool journey.