Thebe Neruda Kgositsile (born February 24, 1994), known professionally as Earl Sweatshirt, is a rapper, producer, DJ, and a former member of the LA-based collective Odd Future. He produces under the alias RandomBlackDude.
Earl first met fame with his debut mixtape in 2010, Earl. Along with Tyler, The Creator’s Bastard and the group’s Radical, the mixtape was released for free, helping the collective rise to prominence, garnering critical acclaim as well as controversy surrounding the group’s lyrical content.
Due to personal problems, Earl’s mother sent him to Samoa for 2 years at the Coral Reef Academy. In 2012, he returned to his home in Los Angeles, where he would contribute to The OF Tape Vol. 2 and Frank Ocean’s debut album, channel ORANGE.