Just hours before his scheduled performance at London’s Field Day Festival, rapper Thebe Kgositsile, who goes by Earl Sweatshirt, cancelled a slew of European tour dates, admitting that he had been battling anxiety and depression.
“He thought he would be ready to perform but simply is not yet able to,” his representatives said in a press statement. “He would like to apologize to his fans and promises to be back as soon as he is able to.”
The following statement was released to Pitchfork from his representatives:
“Earl is battling anxiety and depression which has been compounded by the grief from the recent passing of his father. He thought he would be ready to perform but simply is not yet able to. He would like to apologize to his fans and promises to be back as soon as he is able to.”
Sweatshirt’s father, Keorapetse Kgositsile, was an activist and South African poet. This past January, he passed away at 79-years-old.
He was scheduled to perform at multiple shows including Dublin’s Forbidden Fruit Festival, Denmark’s Northside Festival, and Parklife Festival in Manchester. These appearances are now cancelled. It is unclear at this time if he will perform at Pitchfork Music Festival, which is set to take place from July 20 – 22 in Chicago, Illinois.
The rapper’s latest album is I Don’t Like Shit, I Don’t Go Outside from 2015, which was named one of the year’s 40 Best Rap Albums by Rolling Stone. He appeared with Kendrick Lamar and Danny Brown on the track “Really Doe” and Samiyam’s song “mirror” in 2016.
