Earl Sweatshirt

Known as much for his much-publicized hiatus as he is for the rest of his career, Thebe Neruda Kgositsile (better known as Earl Sweatshirt) is both a solo rapper and member of Odd Future, a hip-hop collective out of Los Angeles, California. Born Feb. 24, 1994, Sweatshirt received his first taste of fame as a 16-year-old. His debut mixtape "Earl" - featuring fellow Odd Future members Tyler, the Creator and Left Brain - earned critical praise. However, the lyrics dealing with drug references (including the video for the titular track), along with themes of rape, sex and murder, also caught the attention of Sweatshirt's mother, law professor Cheryl Harris. (Of note, Sweatshirt is the son of Keorapetse Kgositsile (aka Bra Willie), a political activist and the former poet laureate of South Africa. Kgositsile and Harris separated when Sweatshirt was six years old.) She promptly sent him to a school for troubled youth in Samoa. Upon his return, Sweatshirt immediately picked up where he left off, singing with Columbia Records for the release of his proper debut album, Doris (2013). The album debuted at number one on the U.S. Top Rap Albums chart, in addition to placing number five on the U.S. Billboard 200. It similarly garnered widespread critical acclaim, including earning a place on several best-of-year lists and even a perfect score from the Los Angeles Times.