Earl Sweatshirt Says Columbia Records Screwed Up His Album Launch

BY Josiah HughesPublished Mar 24, 2015

Yesterday (March 23) marked the release of Odd Future rapper Earl Sweatshirt's new album I Don't Like Shit, I Don't Go Outside, a release that was announced just last week. In a new interview, the performer explained that his label screwed up the full album roll-out.

Speaking with NPR, Earl said that he had problems with Columbia Records (with whom he works through his own Tan Cressida imprint) throughout the full stage of the album's release. He explained that he was "apprehensive" to talk to the label until the album was done, "cause I would rather just finish the package and present it with instructions."

Earl went on to explain that he wanted the label to post the "Grief" video last Monday night (March 16), with no explanation. Instead, it posted the album's artwork, tracklisting and release date, without getting the video up until the next day.

"My whole thing with everyone was like, 'This is going to be as important as we treat it,'" he said. "Cause it rings true all the way around, from 3 Stacks to Kanye. However important you treat yourself is how everyone's going to treat you."

He recalled, "Brah, I was devastated. I was ready to like kill.... I was so mad cause it was like — especially because I feel like this is my first album. This is the first thing that I've said that I fully stand behind, like the good and the bad of it. Because it's just — I've never been this transparent with myself or with music. I've never been behind myself this much. So for them to not treat as importantly as I was treating it was just like — I couldn't help but to feel a little disrespected, you know?"

While Earl is willing to move on from the flub, he's waiting for Columbia to admit its errors. "Zero percent went right," he said. "And that has to get acknowledged. Remove my emotions from it. Remove race from it. Remove anything from it. Remove importance from it. Zero percent right."

Don't Like Shit, I Don't Go Outside is available now. The album can be streamed below.

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