Score 8.5/10
Written by: David Williams
Childish Gambino, the musical stage name of multi-talented artist Donald Glover, still has his 2013 sophomore LP Because the Internet on his mind: "It's the rap OK Computer. It's prescient in tone and subject matter, and it's extremely influential. And I know no one's gonna give me that until I'm dead. But it's true." he said in Interview Magazine. His style skews to the eclectic and artsy side of hip-hop, resulting in the creation of high-concept level albums that challenge people to take multiple listens to his work to be able to grasp the full scope of the message he is aiming to get across.
The critical failure of his debut album, Camp, allowed him to reassess his shortcomings on where he went wrong in the process. Donald reflected on how "concept doesn't outshine content." His message wasn't clear enough, and the songs didn't stick with the listeners to make them want to revisit the music to grasp his narrative, but with experience, he was able to deliver something much more gripping with his next record.
Because the Internet was nominated for Rap Album of the Year by the Grammy's while also eclipsing over a million records sold, this is his most ambitious work from a musical standpoint regarding theme and concept. Even the cover art is an animated GIF of Donald intensely glaring at the viewer, which rapidly diminishes into a blurry image of an unrecognizable person.
Glover tapped into the Hollywood side of his career, creating a companion piece that came along with the album in the shape of a 72-page screenplay. He also shot a short film, Clapping for the Wrong Reasons, serving as a prequel for the world he had just constructed. The story focuses on "The Boy," a rich, bratty kid bored with the monotony of life, played by Glover himself. The music is a soundtrack for the audience to have in the background while reading the script. He brought something to the table that was bigger than just an album merging his acting with his music into one singular piece of art.
Photo Courtesy: Donald Glover
During album promotion, Donald dressed as the protagonist wearing a trapper hat, white t-shirt, and brown shearling coat during interviews and his music video for the lead single "3005." The level of commitment in bringing what he wrote onto the page into real life is something to be admired. This is his version of method acting getting deep into the character, which was reminiscent to a lesser extent of Joaquin Phoenix in 2009 for his promotion of the mockumentary I'm Still Here.
The entire album was a collaborative project between Donald and one of his long-time friends Ludwig Gorannson who is an Oscar and Grammy-winning composer in his own right. They have worked together on every Childish Gambino record. Ludwig is able masterfully to mold sounds together from song to song. In one instance, he would shelve out a gorilla-pounding bass line in one track or have a guitar riff placed perfectly in the next, or the way he layers synths together is surgeon-like, sonically bringing Glover's vision to life with his production.
Glover's subject matter is more prevalent now than ever with his thoughts on egocentrism, narcissism, and clout chasing in today's world. Lyrics about society's need to grab instant fame by posting attention-grabbing videos/images online are spot-on. The best example of this is in his song "Worldstar," which is about the website of the same name made famous for posting fight videos to a mass audience, the track contemplating one of the many epicenters of debauchery and tomfoolery on the internet.
In the fast-paced banger "Sweatpants," he raps from, The Boy's perspective, "I'm born rich, life ain't fair," carrying on the theme of a person who has everything at their disposal from conception. Donald drives home the point on the idea of how this might push someone's ego through the roof. The narrator feels his most braggadocios on the album, pelting his wealth in the faces of authority, not caring about the ramifications afterward, saying, "rich kid, asshole, paint me as a villain."
Artwork by Sam Spratt
Prince created a song for the new millennium, "1999" even though this originated 16 years before the title, the record was still as relevant for the brink into the year 2000. Childish Gambino attempts to generate his version with "3005," envisioning people still finding a reason to play his music 90 years into the future. Donald is at his best by combining pop and hip-hop together in one pot, singing about his existential thoughts on loneliness.
He raps at a far greater volume over trap production on the more sonically aggressive songs. Donald's flow cadence, adding in some extra spicy double entendre ever so often, was much improved. He seemed to digest the notes critics gave him from Camp showing his ability to harness his message clearly and concisely while also delivering his punchlines better than Amazon's next-day delivery.
The soulful "Urn" and the happy-go-lucky feeling "Pink Toes" are prime examples of the improvements in Gambino's singing. He carries the notes in a fashion that makes you crave more of what he brings to the table. His falsetto is more laser-focused, and his melodies on the choruses move the songs forward, keeping the replay value rate high.
The deep dark underbelly of the internet has expanded in today's civilization more than ever before, involving cyberbullying, disinformation, and online celebrity. The elements and concepts Glover touched upon will only continue to grow in the coming years. So much so that Donald seems to have turned his back on being online. "The internet moves like a drug. An accelerant. This isn't the world for me."
Because the Internet is a piece of work years ahead of its time in spirit and significance, the content matched the concept of coding a digital age triumph for all to enjoy. When Donald says this record is a classic, it's not trolling; it's truth.