Stone Island has released a limited edition exclusive vinyl of POMPEII // UTILITY, the highly anticipated double album by Earl Sweatshirt and MIKE, produced entirely by New York collective Surf Gang, through its Stone Island Sound cultural program, marking one of the most significant alignments between the Italian brand and the contemporary underground rap scene to date.
The exclusive edition features a black overlay applied to the original ceramic artwork by sculptor Sharif Farrag, recontextualizing the image and adding, the brand says, new spatial and emotional depth to the composition.
The Album: Years in the Making
POMPEII // UTILITY was released on April 3, 2026, via 10K Global, Tan Cressida, and Surf Gang Records. A double LP, 33 tracks long, 15 from MIKE and 18 from Earl Sweatshirt, the project had been in the making for nearly a decade, according to a press conference held ahead of its release.
The…
title and concept were inspired by the eruption of Pompeii, building on themes of construction and destruction in both the lyrics and visual language, and evoking, in the artists’ own words, “African and diasporic traditions where art and story are collective, iterative, relational”.
All artwork for the project was designed by Sharif Farrag, a ceramic sculptor and close friend of Earl Sweatshirt, who hand built the ceramic pieces that form the album’s visual identity. The album follows Earl Sweatshirt’s Live Laugh Love (2025) and MIKE’s Showbiz! (2025).
What Stone Island Sound Did Rather than simply licensing the album imagery, Stone Island Sound brought POMPEII // UTILITY to life through an intimate, fan first series of listening parties across Los Angeles, New York City, and London, each held inside a Stone Island flagship store, capped at 70 attendees, and free to enter on a first come, first served basis.
Each event opened with a Surf Gang DJ set featuring Harrison, evilgiane, and Eera, followed by a Q&A panel where Earl Sweatshirt, MIKE, Sharif Farrag, and the Stone Island team sat alongside the audience and fielded questions directly. Every attendee received a Stone Island…
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