Released: 2013 • Features: RZA
Now, let’s dive deep into “Molasses” by Earl Sweatshirt featuring RZA. This gritty, raw track is a testament to Earl’s struggle with his own demons and his navigation through life’s challenges, all while maintaining his status in the hip-hop realm. Through vivid metaphors and bold statements, he depicts the struggle every rapper faces: building a reputation, dealing with the industry, and handling fame while juggling personal issues.
Earl opens up the song describing his state of mind, ‘search inside my purse to buy something worthless.’ This line emphasizes the theme of materialism and struggles with addiction that Earl often explores in his music. The phrase ’99 problems all gone in one joint’, references Jay-Z’s ’99 Problems’, but Earl is using the ‘joint’ literally, possibly expressing his dependency on marijuana as a coping mechanism for his issues.
In the line ‘I’m a bubble in the belly of the monster, with a duffel full of troubles’, Earl looks at himself as a small part of a larger, monstrous society, carrying around a metaphorical bag of troubles. He goes on to describe his resilience and readiness for the long game in the rap industry with ‘standing on the cop’s truck, stacking for the long run.’
The chorus ‘I’ll fuck the freckles off your face, bitch’ can be perceived as Earl challenging anyone who might try to stand against him or underestimate him. His over-the-top bravado is typical in the genre to demonstrate superiority and confidence.
In the verse ‘them teeth with the golds bright, the light switch’s mad at us’, Earl is showing off his gold grills, a status symbol in hip-hop. At the same time, he is twisting it into another metaphor, illustrating that he’s shining so bright, even a light switch would be envious.
The line ‘And write with the same hand I smack ’em up with’ succinctly summarizes Earl’s duality – he’s both a rapper and a fighter. His lyrics can inspire, but he’s also ready to defend himself and his music.
“Molasses” is a deep dive into the mind of Earl Sweatshirt, peeling back layers of his persona and delivering insights about his mindset while dealing with the complications of fame, pressures of success, personal trauma, and the eventual resilience that carries him through. It’s a fierce declaration of Earl’s place in the rap game and a sober look at the struggles he endures.
