Comedian, writer, actor and all-round exceptional human, Childish Gambino aka Donald Glover has again graced us with his musical stylings. His second album, Because The Internet is a 19- track monster that Glover admits is his “most honest work to date”.
Exploding with guest vocals from Azealia Banks, Chance The Rapper and Jheane Aiko, Because The Internet scrutinises the modern music industry. It reflects upon pop culture and concerns itself with the hedonism consuming much of today’s youth.
A step away from the misogyny and aggression of today’s hip hop releases, the album is exciting and refreshing. Gambino weaves between an impressive vocal range of saccharine choruses and his signature monotonous, near-robotic vocals. He spits with urgency and desperation lyrics like: “Give a fuck or give them hell just not a chance to react” and “Nobody here has got it figured out, so therefore I’ve lost all hope of a happy ending.”
If there’s one thing a hip hop album is good for it’s telling a story. Cinematic and dramatic, Because The Internet can join the likes of OutKast’s ATLiens and Lupe Fiasco’s The Cool as a thematic and thoughtful concept album. Constant key and tempo changes in tracks give the album a rich narrative that takes the album to unexpected places. Production is intense as tracks are flooded with sound bites, background chatter, layered vocals and dramatic intros.
While his debut album CAMP was flooded with blaring, expensive hip hop beats, the musical stylings of this one are more varied. First official release, 3005, takes an electro turn while flight of the navigator and Urn emit hazy, lo-fi sounds with serious Curtis Mayfield vibes and pink toes is an upbeat, sunny tune.
Because The Internet dances around answering the question: what are we all doing here? You won’t exactly discover the meaning of life with this album but it will make you think. It’s ambitious and loaded with guts.
BY ISABELLA UBALDI
Best Track: life: the biggest troll – Closing track that transforms to a towering vocal attack.
If You Like These, You’ll Love This: KANYE WEST My Dark Twisted Fantasy, WALE Attention Deficit, KENDRICK LAMAR Good Kid, mAAd City
In A Word: Internet.
