- 13 minutes ago
Earl Sweatshirt and MIKE, on the heels of their collaborative double album with Surf Gang “POMPEII // UTILITY,” visit Pitchfork to weigh-in on whether things like Music Festivals, Freeways, Cults, Aura Farming, Astronomy, Michael Jackson, Myspace, 50 Cent, Grailed and Longevity are overrated or underrated.
Director: Amy Haskour
Director of Photography: Charlie Jordan
Editor: Sam DiVito; Alex Mechanik
Talent: MIKE and Earl Sweatshirt
Senior Producer: Michael Beckert
Line Producer: Jen Santos
Production Manager: Evie Roop
Talent Booker: Katie Pearce
Camera Operator: Chloe Ramos
Sound Recordist: Sean Paulsen
Post Production Supervisor: Christian Olguin
Post Production Coordinator: Stella Shortino
Supervising Editor: Eduardo Araujo
Assistant Editor: Andy Morell
Director: Amy Haskour
Director of Photography: Charlie Jordan
Editor: Sam DiVito; Alex Mechanik
Talent: MIKE and Earl Sweatshirt
Senior Producer: Michael Beckert
Line Producer: Jen Santos
Production Manager: Evie Roop
Talent Booker: Katie Pearce
Camera Operator: Chloe Ramos
Sound Recordist: Sean Paulsen
Post Production Supervisor: Christian Olguin
Post Production Coordinator: Stella Shortino
Supervising Editor: Eduardo Araujo
Assistant Editor: Andy Morell
Category
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MusicTranscript
00:00My grandma definitely saw the Great Depression and Public Enemy.
00:04That's just crazy, bro.
00:14Underrated, twin.
00:15We were just talking about this, man.
00:16We were just talking about this at the studio right now.
00:19Yeah.
00:19Write you somebody else's song, man.
00:21Hurry up.
00:22No cap.
00:22Get you a bag, man.
00:23Why you always want to be seen like that, man?
00:25You overrating being seen.
00:28Yeah.
00:28Just some little work.
00:29Yeah, it's low-key.
00:30Put in some pain, bro.
00:31You seen what happened for Frank.
00:33Put your pain in, bro.
00:34Got to that plan.
00:35Everybody want to be mysterious, but nobody want to be the ghost.
00:41Nobody want to be the ghost.
00:43Yeah.
00:47Underrated, underrated.
00:48Shout out to ghosts, man.
00:55Underrated.
00:58Where else you gonna go to see all your favorite artists, to get that dehydrated, to find your
01:05friends.
01:05Okay.
01:06Where else you gonna go, bruh?
01:08Yeah.
01:09And you could play with anybody.
01:10Like, I played Gov Ball, and it was like me and Megan Thee Stallion.
01:17And then, like, I pulled up with my whole family, like, and everybody had something they
01:21could listen to.
01:22No good.
01:23That's when your family really believes that you do music.
01:26Like, when you play a festival, they're like, whoosh.
01:31I think the first-
01:31My uncle met Solange.
01:33He was like-
01:35Bro, I think that the first, like, after I did Gov Ball, I, like, opened my Instagram.
01:40I was like, yo, we need to keep these ones coming.
01:44You said you made your Instagram not private?
01:47Yeah.
01:47I think-
01:50I said, oh, I'm looking to fuck up.
01:57Oh, overly underrated.
01:59Yeah, super underrated, not gonna lie.
02:01Y'all gotta be showing Vans a little more love out here.
02:04Yeah.
02:04I feel like it's not enough love for Vans.
02:08You had to be there, too.
02:10The Vans got everybody out of what they was doing beforehand.
02:15Mm-hmm.
02:15And I feel like even if you didn't skate, you could still really, like, put on some Vans and,
02:21like-
02:21Let them know that you was different.
02:23Yeah, no cat ever.
02:24You thinking that your mind was moving-
02:26You was somewhere else with it.
02:28Yeah, I'm here, but I'm somewhere else with it.
02:30Somewhere else with it.
02:35Gotta be underrated.
02:37Yeah, low-key underrated, not gonna lie.
02:40I feel like I fuck with dogs.
02:42I got a dog.
02:43So you underrating cats?
02:45Yeah, off-air.
02:46You be practicing underrating cats every day.
02:49Naturally, we'll show you that they low-key need more love.
02:51So, yeah, underrated.
02:52Yeah.
02:57Underrated?
02:58Yeah.
02:59I would say as a nigga being in the passenger seat is super, super underrated.
03:02What's your perspective from the passenger?
03:04Yeah.
03:05I love to look outside and watch out on some emotional shit for her.
03:10So, for me, when you're on the freeway and you're just seeing life go, I'm also the type of person
03:15where, like, I be trying to see what somebody else got going on in their car.
03:21So, I'd just be having, like, solo fun.
03:24Yeah.
03:30So, you're people watching from the car?
03:33Where I'm in, looking through, looking at somebody else's shit, at certain times, I'd even be, like,
03:39trying to get a nigga attention.
03:41Okay.
03:45For real.
03:46But, yeah, it's my life.
03:51Y'all get on them freeways, y'all get out there.
03:54You know what I'm saying?
03:55They didn't build them for no reason.
04:01Obviously, underrated.
04:05Obviously, underrated.
04:06Niggas needed discipline out here.
04:10You know what I'm saying?
04:11And we haven't seen a positive cult yet, so how are you going to overrate it if we ain't see
04:17it yet?
04:19Don't knock it till you try it.
04:20Try a positive cult out before y'all niggas keep making all these negative documentaries.
04:30Underrated, low-key.
04:32I feel like you low-key got an aura from him.
04:34I think that's what life is about.
04:36It's like farming your aura.
04:38Even at the crib, but when you're outside, low-key, you aura farm at the crib, so you can have
04:45the fruit of your labor when you're outside.
04:53Underrated, underrated.
04:54Obviously, a lot of niggas hating on aura from him, but I actually think it's cool.
04:59People need stuff to believe in the cup.
05:01I 100% agree with everything that he just said.
05:03That's my exact take.
05:08Oh, that's so underrated.
05:10Underrated as fuck.
05:11That's so underrated.
05:11Underrated, bro.
05:13Super underrated.
05:13Super underrated.
05:14Get out there.
05:15Yeah.
05:16Get out there.
05:17I feel like every time you have a life-changing experience is one time you look up and be like,
05:22yeah.
05:24I feel like that's how you stamp.
05:25Like, oh, yeah, that shit is crazy.
05:27They can look up one time in the sky like, yeah.
05:29Yeah, you need that.
05:30Yeah, you gotta get out there.
05:37Obviously, underrated.
05:38Yeah.
05:39I was just watching this performance he did on YouTube.
05:44It's crazy.
05:45We was watching the performance he did on YouTube.
05:47I can't remember which one it was, but we linked the homie the next day, and we were like,
05:51yo, we was just at the studio yesterday watching this crazy-ass, like, three-hour-long Michael Jackson performance,
05:57and he's like, bro, us too.
05:59And it was the same video.
06:01My nigga, yes, bro.
06:02I was like, oh, that mean a nigga, Michael Lowkey, trying to reach back out.
06:07I'm like, I'm like, he trying to reach back out.
06:12Like, yo.
06:14Yeah.
06:15Underrated.
06:17Underrated.
06:18Go.
06:19It kind of, like, invented pop music as we know it.
06:24I was about to say, you know what's underrated?
06:26That video I was trying to show y'all the other day.
06:31That is, that's way more underrated than even him.
06:35I wasn't aware of that video.
06:37What was the premise?
06:39Like, what was the premise?
06:39It was, like, CNN live, like, Michael Jackson's ghost, like, so I was like, like,
06:46I don't see it.
06:47But then it was a jump scare.
06:49It was a jump scare.
06:50I just remember because.
06:51It's such a stupid.
06:52It's so dumb.
06:53It's so powerfully stupid.
06:55Right.
06:56I personally fuck with jump scare culture OG, so.
07:01I was fucking with that one OG.
07:05The jump scare is so bad.
07:07It's like, it's like Zombie Mike for the Thriller video.
07:12It's just like.
07:15This shit low-key slow as fuck.
07:17It's really slow.
07:18It's a horrible jump scare.
07:20It don't move fast enough.
07:22It's like.
07:23I'm fucking crying.
07:25Hey.
07:25I need to find this afterwards.
07:27I got it right now.
07:28I got it loaded.
07:35I'm gonna take this one right.
07:36It's overrated.
07:37It's overrated.
07:39It's overrated.
07:39It's overrated.
07:40I can speak too much on it.
07:42A lot of things in the world is underrated.
07:47Overrated.
07:47I ain't rapping in front of no green screen.
07:52It's done, bro.
07:53It's done.
07:54I got less statements and observations than I have questions.
07:59What is it?
08:03Like, um...
08:04Salute.
08:05Y'all turn up.
08:11Super underrated.
08:12The iridescent green guys.
08:15Those are underrated.
08:16They come around, they're making a lot of noise.
08:19They making a crazy entrance every time.
08:21They always hit somebody in the ear or got them in the neck while they talking.
08:26So niggas think that the intentions is bad, but them boys is chillin', man.
08:31Leave the iridescent bugs alone, man.
08:34I like them.
08:36They underrated.
08:42Underrated.
08:43How are you feeling about peanut butter?
08:46You said some disparaging comments about peanut butter.
08:48I have, I have, I have.
08:50But I feel like peanut butter is one of those things that it come with.
08:53Like when I was younger, it was definitely overrated.
08:56And I think with age, when you put it.
08:58By children?
08:59By the rest of the.
09:00Exactly.
09:00And you know, I'm definitely, I run with the pack.
09:04Like if there's no peanut butter, we not fucking with peanut butter, so.
09:08But as I get older, start finding more of myself and who.
09:14Nah, but peanut butter with a good pairing, important.
09:19And then I also learn about the peanut butter stews with key.
09:23Pairing.
09:24Expand.
09:25The peanut butter with a good pair, like jelly.
09:33Like jelly, no cap.
09:34So I see how it would be underrated.
09:37But then there's also a lot of good African cuisine that got peanut butter in it.
09:41That I'm like, that's a lot of good key.
09:44Just a good spoon.
09:46Get you a spoon.
09:47Get you a big ass spoon of peanut butter.
09:48I feel like two of you get you like a fancy ass jar of peanut butter.
09:53Different.
09:53What is a fancy jar of peanut?
09:55Oh, when it separates.
09:56Type shit.
09:57Yeah.
09:57There's just weird stuff going on.
09:58Oh.
09:59I feel like that make it from.
10:00I don't like it.
10:01I like artificial peanut butter.
10:04It's going to last.
10:05The Jiffy.
10:06The Jiffy joke?
10:06Last through like a nuke.
10:07Yeah.
10:09Syrup too.
10:10I don't like.
10:12Syrup is nasty.
10:12I don't like like nice syrup.
10:15I feel like I low-key grew out of syrup.
10:19What are we talking about right now?
10:21That shit.
10:21That shit is.
10:22Yeah.
10:23But you know, I got weird ones, bro.
10:25I got weird ones.
10:26But you like, you're doing a French toast?
10:30You're doing a pancake, a waffle?
10:31French toast.
10:32Yeah.
10:33I like to put like a buttermilk on there.
10:36You're letting the buttermilk?
10:38And then?
10:40We going in.
10:40A French toast already.
10:41The French toast already be.
10:43Do you hear what's being divulged right now?
10:46Literally.
10:46The French toast already be having its own juices going on, bro.
10:53You don't got to put syrup on a French toast, bro.
10:56You know?
10:57You know?
10:57It's true, bro.
10:58Y'all heard it here first.
10:59Pitch for it.
11:00This nigga don't be putting syrup on a French toast.
11:04I respect.
11:05You different.
11:06You know what I mean?
11:13What do you call this?
11:14On a graph?
11:16Oh, yeah.
11:17He bailed curves.
11:19He something.
11:20It was like, underrated.
11:22Then it was like, overrating.
11:25Like a lot, all day.
11:27What the hell is happening?
11:29And now I feel like it like...
11:30They underrating him right now.
11:32Now they run back underrating him.
11:33Yeah.
11:34I feel like the Marty Supreme shit was like...
11:37That's when you like, on your bad boy.
11:39Like, yo.
11:40I want my dark shit.
11:42Whether y'all fuck with it or not.
11:43So now...
11:44He kind of purposely in that underrated kind of like...
11:48Underdog kind of, you know.
11:50I think he messed up his return.
11:52He left his like...
11:54Zone.
11:56His like...
11:57Yeah, yeah, yeah.
11:57Where his existential zone.
11:59Okay.
11:59Did his thing.
12:00That we've seen people do.
12:03Ava Rex.
12:05Timberlands.
12:07Doing me.
12:08And then...
12:09He did...
12:11He said that...
12:11He came for...
12:13He came for the theater.
12:15And they said...
12:16Yeah.
12:17They said, hold on.
12:21Hold on.
12:22Yeah.
12:23Cause he was about to have a safe return home, bro.
12:25He did his...
12:26He paid his...
12:27Timberland fee, bro.
12:29He did his thing.
12:30He got the rap fee.
12:31He came...
12:32Yeah, yeah.
12:33He just...
12:33The whole thing.
12:35He said the movie name on the song.
12:37He...
12:38What?
12:39He could've got down.
12:41Took off...
12:43The...
12:43Peli Peli.
12:45And got...
12:45Just...
12:46Right back.
12:47But he...
12:48Nah, he...
12:49He tried to come for the ballet, bro.
12:51Yeah.
12:52So...
12:52I guess by the law of...
12:55Underratedness.
12:55He underrated?
12:56Yeah.
13:02Underrated low key.
13:03I...
13:03I got to sit at...
13:06Court side at the Knicks game.
13:07And that shit low key.
13:09I was like, this is fire.
13:10This is pretty tough.
13:11And then the ball...
13:12I remember like...
13:13The ball had like hit my foot.
13:15I wanted to do some crazy shit like...
13:18Literally.
13:19Did a twerk?
13:21Like...
13:23Like...
13:23Damn.
13:25He's like...
13:25Yo, Mike.
13:26You crazy.
13:29He's like...
13:30Nah, you good.
13:31For some reason to spliff his lips.
13:34Like...
13:34Damn.
13:34This guy is fucking killing.
13:36Literally.
13:36That shit is fire.
13:38That shit is cool.
13:42I bet you they're underrated by like...
13:4613 year olds.
13:48Like heavily.
13:50I bet you 13 year olds is like...
13:52I don't give a fuck about...
13:53Tom York.
13:55Maybe.
13:56Yeah.
13:56I love Kenny Bump though.
13:59Radiohead.
14:00So...
14:00I guess it's underrated.
14:01I do want to meet the...
14:03Preteen in 2026 that's dying about Radiohead.
14:09That's a weird kid.
14:12Unique person.
14:18Underrated.
14:20Underrated.
14:22Stop.
14:23Stop that shit.
14:24Y'all know what y'all be doing.
14:26Stop that shit.
14:27Nah.
14:28Niggas be coming to LA.
14:32Go eat somewhere else there, man.
14:34It's fucking...
14:3511.45 PM, bro.
14:37What you want to eat, bruh?
14:39It's a hamburger, bruh.
14:42Yo, the animal style fries.
14:45That shit slap.
14:46I fuck with the fact they got a secret menu.
14:49That's cool.
14:50People don't want to put in enough pain to learn about the secret menu.
14:54Cap.
14:55I think a taco the other day was talking about the animal style fries.
14:59Not the animal style milkshake.
15:01That's disgusting.
15:03The Thousand Island milkshake?
15:06That's heavy.
15:11Underrated, bro.
15:12Take you a tea break.
15:14Stop doing all that shit.
15:15Relax.
15:16It's more fun when you come back.
15:23Underrated, you know nothing about that.
15:25I was on MySpace.
15:26I just had older cousins and my older sisters.
15:29Yeah, I feel like the stakes weren't that high for you on MySpace.
15:32Nah.
15:32The stakes were so high for me on MySpace, bro.
15:35Like, it was like middle school stakes.
15:38Like, it was like serious shit was going on.
15:41Niggas was like really tight about friend, like top eight replacements and shit like this.
15:47People was like catfishing each other at my middle school.
15:50The homegirls catfished me.
15:52I was like, damn.
15:59Underrated.
16:00Yeah, super underrated.
16:02I lucky didn't realize how much of a super villain he was.
16:06No cat.
16:07I feel like until I got older to like make sense, like really make sense of everything.
16:12I lucky peep like how much of a chess piece he is and all this shit.
16:16He's going to live forever.
16:17Like, he's like, he's really doing this shit.
16:23That shit is funny.
16:24He might be famous.
16:25Who gave him access to that AI program that's better than everybody else's?
16:31You know, he just dropped that video.
16:33Niggas trusted.
16:34Why is it that it's so good?
16:37Like, why would...
16:38I was going to say that because I want no beef.
16:41No beef.
16:43No smoke.
16:48That shit is underrated.
16:49Underrated.
16:49I'm not going to lie.
16:51Post-COVID, probably underrated.
16:53Yeah.
16:53I done got some heat off of girls.
16:55I can't lie.
16:56I done tried to meet a nigga when I was on tour.
16:59Like, make the tour van do a detour to meet a nigga off of girls to get some shit.
17:06But I feel like he thought I was lying.
17:08No cat.
17:08I'm like, nah, bro.
17:10Like, we would really pull off on you right now.
17:11When you're in, like, Lawrence, Kansas?
17:13Yeah.
17:15Bro, we like...
17:16In Canada?
17:16We about to go to some shit we've never been to.
17:24It's totally underrated.
17:26Totally underrated.
17:27Nobody thinking about the long game no more.
17:30But longevity is totally underrated.
17:33Yeah, get you something, bro.
17:34Yeah.
17:35Y'all go get you some longevity, man.
17:36Yeah, bro.
17:39The cat.
17:39The future.
17:40Does anybody think about the future?
17:42Think about it.
17:43Hold it down, man.
17:46Just wait a little bit.
17:47What about living to be 100?
17:50That...
17:51I'm not going to lie.
17:52I think that's so underrated.
17:54I be seeing mad niggas talking about, like, yo, like, when I really wouldn't live past 60 years old.
18:00I'm like, you ain't even trying, gang.
18:02Like, I mean, like...
18:04If you have the grace and the, like, wellness enough to be alive until 100 years old, like, that's a
18:14very good thing.
18:15And like...
18:16It depends on your 100.
18:17I agree with you 100%.
18:19You want a balanced 100.
18:22Yeah, and I'll be fucked up.
18:23You don't want to be fully falling apart, but I feel like a balanced 100, too, is you don't want
18:28to be too lucid.
18:29That's so weird.
18:31Where you...
18:31Just like some...
18:33You looking good.
18:33Like, lithe 100-year-old, just spry, like, lucid 100-year-old, just scaring the shit out of anyone.
18:43Like, I want to balance the 100 to where people are like...
18:47You know the 100 that I'm talking about.
18:49Like, if some dude's like, I'm 100, and you're like, oh my god, what the fuck?
18:52And now you don't want to stand near them.
18:56I want the 100 where you're like, damn, is that dude 100?
19:00Where you're like, damn, I thought your ass was 100.
19:03Yeah.
19:04I know you're trying to, like, come out the ancient cave or some shit.
19:08Like, yeah.
19:08Yo, come back here.
19:09Yeah.
19:10Somebody else bring you into this shit.
19:13I want people to, like, follow me down, like, a hallway where I'm like...
19:17Come point to, like, a lot of manuscripts.
19:21Right.
19:22Like, not talking a bunch.
19:23Smells like garlic.
19:25That was crazy.
19:26Also, just imagine you, and you can still communicate, and you're 100 years old, and you're with
19:32niggas that was born, like, 20 years ago.
19:34Like, gang, do you know what the fuck was going on, like, 80 years ago?
19:39For sure, bro.
19:40My grandma definitely saw the Great Depression and Public Enemy.
19:44That's crazy, bro.
19:47That's heavy.
19:48So, we actually asked you this question 12 years ago.
19:51What?
19:52Oh, this fucking shirt with this hat, bruh.
19:56That's overrated.
19:57Oh.
19:57I don't want to live to be 100.
20:00Did I say nope?
20:01Yeah.
20:02Gross, if you're 100.
20:03You know what I mean?
20:06That's fucked up.
20:07Similar guy.
20:08It's not that far off.
20:11Alright, name one.
20:12Did I say something about a smell?
20:14A 100-year-old that, like, you would smell their face.
20:22Consistency.
20:23I wouldn't smell one 100-year-old's face.
20:26I'd cry.
20:28It's a big concern of mine.
20:30Longevity.
20:31Come on.
20:32Consistency.
20:33But growth, though.
20:34I feel like that was negative.
20:37That guy right there.
20:39What he was talking about with the 100-year-olds.
20:42That wasn't so nice.
20:43Yes.
20:45Yes.
20:45Yes.
20:4530 years old.
20:47Find out barely anything.
20:48Maybe I find something in general.
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