Earl Sweatshirt, born Thebe Neruda Kgositsile in 1994, is an American rapper, producer, and songwriter widely regarded as one of the most influential lyricists of his generation. The son of celebrated South African poet Keorapetse Kgositsile and UCLA law professor Cheryl Harris, he was raised in Los Angeles and immersed in literature and music from an early age.

He first gained national attention in 2010 at age 16 as a member of the Los Angeles collective Odd Future, alongside Tyler, the Creator and Frank Ocean. His self-released debut mixtape EARL (2010) and its viral title track sparked an enormous online following while he was still in high school.