Feet of Clay (EP)

The extended play was as a surprise release, announced the day before its release.[7] A music video for "East" was released alongside the EP.[8] On April 24, 2020 "Whole World" was released as a single for the deluxe version of the EP.[9] The deluxe version of the EP released on July 24, 2020.[10]

Professional ratings

Aggregate scores
Source	Rating
AnyDecentMusic?	7.3/10[11]
Metacritic	79/100[12]
Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[4]
Clash	7/10[2]
Consequence of Sound	B[13]
The Line of Best Fit	8/10[1]
NME	[3]
Pitchfork	8.4/10[14]
Rolling Stone	[15]
HipHopDX	3.8/5[16]
Sputnikmusic	3.8/5[17]

According to the review aggregator Metacritic, Feet of Clay received "generally favorable reviews" based on a weighted average score of 79 out of 100 from 12 critic scores.[12]

The EP received praise for its lyricism. Udit Mahalingam of The Line of Best Fit writes that the EP "retains the low-fi stream-of-consciousness sensibilities established in Sweatshirt’s past work whilst trading introspection with a much more tender sense of retrospection" and "is a pocket-sized self-portrait that depicts the way things are, just as they are."[1] Writing for Rolling Stone, Danny Schwartz states: "His dense words-per-second ratio, as well as the fluid, associative logic that guides Feet of Clay, makes each song appear as a bottled capsule of unfiltered stream-of-consciousness that spills out of him like water from an Artesian well. It's more likely that Earl takes great pains to arrange the syntax of every line, given the way his digressions can culminate in sudden moments of clarity."[15] AllMusic's Fred Thomas praised its themes, stating "The seven tracks represent different, curious branches extending out from the seeds planted by Some Rap Songs, each reaching for new ideas and switching gears when another thought arrives. It continues Sweatshirt's streak as an innovator and as one of the more compelling artists of his time."[4]

The album's production received more mixed reception. Dan Weiss of Consequence states: "Feet of Clay is such a maze of compellingly crudded-up soundwork that it's hard to focus on the words without keeping Genius open in one tab, and it doesn’t help that Earl’s double-encrypted flow is as impenetrable as it's ever been."[13] Writing for the Los Angeles Times, Randall Roberts praised the album's experimentation, writing that the EP shows Sweatshirt "experimenting with structure and meter while pouring forth streams of consequential ideas", and compared it to free jazz, stating: "As with the free-jazz innovators of the 1960s, Sweatshirt continually pushes against the notion that rap music requires any formulas at all."[18] Dhruva Balram of NME praised the production, writing "The production on the project, mainly overseen by Earl – with support from Cali producer The Alchemist – ranges from dark, haunted tunes to lo-fi production that’s rough around the edges. Agile blends of cassette and vinyl hiss warps around Earl’s own slurred lyrics and vocals. Samples are opaque, chopped beyond recognition" and concludes that "The project forces you to stop and listen to each line to decipher the meaning. The brevity and density of the album, coupled with the unique production, makes it seem like an epilogue to Some Rap Songs. Earl Sweatshirt has made another project that listeners will scrutinise and dissect repeatedly." HipHopDX's Kevin Cortez concludes that "the EP is yet another polarizing entry in Earl’s canon, directly challenging listeners with grating production without ever begging anyone to listen. As abrasive as it feels, it's a lyrically rewarding payoff for listeners who choose to sift through the muddle and explore a high-brow exercise into poetry. Otherwise, old Odd Future fans and casual Hip-Hop listeners will be turned off by its off-putting and annoyingly grating aesthetics."[16]

Notes

• All track titles are stylized in all caps.

Sample credits

• "Mtomb" contains a sample from "Theme for the People" by Mtume, written by James Mtume and Reggie Lucas.
• "El Toro Combo Meal" contains a sample from "Your Kiss of Fire" by The Hopkins Bros., written by Lyman and Frank Hopkins.
• "Whole World" contains a sample from "Tango en segunda" by Sui Géneris, written by Charly García
• "4N" contains a sample from "Let Me Love You," written and performed by Michael Henderson, co-written by Ray Parker Jr.

• Earl Sweatshirt – vocals, programming (tracks 1, 2, 4, 6, 7), engineering, mixing
• Liv.e – featured background vocals (track 3)
• Mavi – featured vocals (track 5)
• Mach-Hommy – featured vocals (track 7), programming (track 7)
• Maxo – featured vocals (track 9)
• Navy Blue – featured vocals (track 8)
• The Alchemist – programming (track 3, 9)
• ovrkast. – programming (track 5)
• Black Noise – programming (track 8)
• Swarvy – additional programming (track 3)
• Joe Visciano – mixing
• Chris Athens – mastering