Earl Sweatshirt Biography: Songs, Age, Collaborations, Albums, Girlfriend, Instagram, Net Worth, Height

Thebe Neruda Kgositsile, known professionally as Earl Sweatshirt, is an American rapper, songwriter, and record producer widely regarded as one of the most gifted and introspective lyricists of his generation.

A founding member of the influential Los Angeles collective Odd Future (OFWGKTA), Earl first stunned the hip-hop world at age 16 with his precocious, horrorcore-laced debut mixtape.

Profile

• Full Name: Thebe Neruda Kgositsile
• Stage Name: Earl Sweatshirt
• Born: 24, February 1994
• Age: 31 years old
• Birthplace: Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
• Nationality: American
• Occupation: Rapper, Record Producer, Songwriter
• Height: 1.80 m
• Parents: Keorapetse Kgositsile and Cheryl Harris
• Siblings: 1
• Spouse: None
• Partner: Aida Osman
• Children: 1
• Relationship: Dating
• Net Worth: $5 million

Early Life and Education

Thebe Neruda Kgositsile, born on February 24, 1994, in Chicago, Illinois, grew up in the Mid-City and Palms areas of Los Angeles after his parents separated.

Named after poet Pablo Neruda by his father, renowned South African writer and activist Keorapetse “Bra Willie” Kgositsile, he was raised primarily by his mother, UCLA law professor and critical race theorist Cheryl Harris.

Thebe attended UCLA Lab School and later New Roads High School in Santa Monica. In 2010, at age 16, he was sent to Coral Reef Academy in Samoa, where he stayed for nearly two years—an experience that strongly influenced his music.

He is of Black South African and African-American/Jewish heritage and was raised in a secular, intellectually focused home.

Career

Thebe Kgositsile burst onto the scene in 2009–2010 under the alias Earl Sweatshirt moniker, dropping jaw-dropping verses on Odd Future tracks and releasing the shocking, self-produced mixtape Earl (2010) at age 16. The viral “Free Earl” campaign exploded while he was in Samoa.

Upon returning to Los Angeles in 2012, he released his official debut Doris (2013) on Columbia/Tan Cressida, debuting at No. 5 on the Billboard 200 and earning widespread praise for its maturity.

He followed with the darker, more insular I Don’t Like Shit, I Don’t Go Outside (2015), which he largely produced himself.

Earl’s artistic peak came with the grief-stricken, lo-fi masterpiece Some Rap Songs (2018), made in the wake of his father’s death, followed by the abstract Feet of Clay (2019) and the Alchemist-produced VOIR DIRE (2023).

Known for his reclusive nature, cryptic social media presence, and refusal to chase trends, he has collaborated with Mach-Hommy, MIKE, Zelooperz, and his own collective and consistently lands on year-end “best of” lists from Pitchfork, The Needle Drop, and The Fader.

Earl Sweatshirt continues to release music on his own terms, often via surprise drops and limited vinyl runs through Tan Cressida.

His influence on the current wave of abstract, emotionally raw hip-hop is profound, and he remains one of the most respected figures among both underground heads and mainstream critics.

Social Media

• Instagram Handle: @soapmanwun
• Twitter Handle: @earlxsweat

Personal Life

Earl became a father in 2019 when his then-girlfriend gave birth to a son; he has spoken movingly about parenthood changing his perspective and has kept the child’s identity private.

After years of being intensely private about relationships, he confirmed in early 2025 that he is dating writer and comedian Aida Osman.

He lives quietly in Los Angeles, spends time with his mother and brother, and has been open about past struggles with depression, substance use, and therapy.

Discography

• Earl (mixtape) (2010)
• Doris (2013)
• I Don’t Like Shit, I Don’t Go Outside (2015)
• Some Rap Songs (2018)
• Feet of Clay (2019)
• Sick! (2022)
• Voir Dire (with The Alchemist) (2023)

Net Worth

Earl Sweatshirt has an estimated net worth of $5 million. His income is derived from album sales and streaming, limited-run merchandise, occasional high-value festival bookings, production royalties, and publishing from his Tan Cressida imprint.