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Earl is an extremely talented kid... Not just for a kid, or a young rapper, but as a lyricist in general. I don't think we have heard enough from him to call him the "best" yet, and in all honesty I think he's going to have a hard time outliving the novelty of OFWGKTA, while still staying relevant and abiding by his own high standards.
I think he's going to have to eventually do what Frank Ocean did and distance himself from the collective in order to become the artist he has the potential to be. Right now, he's killing it in spite of, not because of, Tyler's presence on his records. I thought I was kind of done with Tyler honestly, after Wolf revealed itself to be an almost unbelievably one dimensional record, full of self-referential (and self-important), famous-person whining. Similar to the egocentric, degenerative wallowing in celebrity self-pity that ended up putting the nail in Eminem's coffin.
.. But the beats on Doris are so god damn buttery sweet; the perfect mixture of eccentric slop and and this jilted, angular, distinctly human take on melody that provides the perfect backdrop for Earl's boy genius wordplay. So it's still working, but eventually the kid's gotta become a man, and if he plays his cards right, and stays sharp, I think he could be a truly amazing figure in hip hop.
He sounds wise and sad beyond his years, which almost makes me want to draw a Kurt Cobain comparison; like he's in on a joke that the rest of the world just doesn't get yet. Makes for utterly inspiring art, that kind of mindset.
As for who's the best, Kendrick certainly seems to be heading in that direction, but Chance the Rapper is extremely skilled as well, albeit with more of a goody goody, overachiever vibe that gets on one's nerves after time. Cadence and flow wise, they're neck and neck for me.
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