Earl Sweatshirt isn’t a household name, but on the evening of Black Friday in Boston, you would have had no idea. About 1000 lucky fans braved the cold and got to see a special rap show. Earl Sweatshirt and The Alchemist hit Boston’s Royale for a show that felt like the kind of thing that, in a few years, you’ll be able to say, ‘I was there for it.’
It was high energy, yet still laid-back, and had the crowd hooked from the moment up-and-coming opener Mike took the stage, with his family in the wings watching. Fresh off their collaborative ‘Voir Dire’ album, the two tore through a setlist of 20-some odd songs from their collaborative album, unreleased tracks, as well as Earl’s solo work. Despite the album still being pretty new, fans knew every word along the way.
The super diverse fanbase showed Earl and The Alchemist a ton of love, and the big takeaway from the evening was feeling that Earl, especially, gave the love back. It felt like a hangout or an underground show, with no fancy production or set design. Just two great musicians who didn’t need a ton of radio play, and fans who appreciated the depth of their connection. Earl seemed genuinely appreciative smiling throughout the entire evening and laughing around with his friends, even down to making fun of his jacket.
The big takeaway for real hip-hop fans was that in a world of top 40 hits and radio play, true artistry is very strong. A lot of rappers come out late, making the crowd wait, but Earl didn’t need the hype. He came out right on time. You don’t need to be selling out arenas, have a million features on every track, or bring out a ton of guests to put on a show that fans will remember for years. Greatness doesn’t always get the shine, but you know it when you see it on a cold Friday night in Boston.
LISTEN TO EARL SWEATSHIRT HERE!
