Childish Gambino- Because the Internet
Entertainment conglomerate Donald Glover’s sophomore album Because the Internet is a showcase of lyrical talent, and stylistic promise; however that’s not to say that Glover, or Childish Gambino as he goes by, has yet to find his identity as a rapper.
Because the Internet isn’t really just an album, it’s rather a portfolio that Glover has created displaying the cleverness/wit in his writing, his experience in film scoring, and his talent in acting. The album itself has a reflexively titled seventy-three page long contextual screenplay, and a filmed prelude to said contextual screenplay, Clapping for the Wrong Reasons. This is really one of the albums greatest strengths, and coordinate downfalls.
On it’s own the album starts strong with tracks such as “Crawl,” and “Worldstar,” which are very gritty, angered, well instrumented, well sampled, and trap inspired. The production level is there, and they genuinely seem, well, genuine to Gambino’s style. However after these tracks it feels that at times Gambino was testing the water with different types of styling. Tracks like “Shadows,” and “Telegraph Ave,” come off as overly soft and campy. The listener feels uninterested. The tracks suffer lyrically too, aside from Gambino’s verse in “Telegraph Ave,” the lyrics are unimaginative, and dull. That is until “Sweatpants,” and the album’s single “3005,” reign the listener back in with the style that Gambino should have based the album off of entirely in the first place. The tracks then become dark. “The Party,” and “No Exit” are short violent and tortured--they’re very interesting. However even then the listener’s attention isn’t held long because the transition song “Death by Numbers,” throws rest of the album into this drawn out dream state, with some good verses by Gambino in a sea of experimental instrumentals, and mediocre R&B vocals. Without context from the screenplay the second half of the album--post “3005”-- is trippy and confusing, it goes over your head; but, you can still appreciate some of the instrumental work, as well as Gambino’s strong, correctly applied, lyrical style. It just shows that context is necessary to make a listen to this album worthwhile.
The screenplay and prelude in conjunction are a character piece focused on adding a new level of depth to Because the Internet. And really, the duller moments of the album on a first listen bloom with the new contextual basis. It tells the story of “The Boy,” a man deeply apathetic, and depressed--perhaps due to his pretentiously simple name-- and his lonely life as the son of a rich and powerful man. The screenplay commentates on “the age of the internet,” with its memes and detached personal relationships, as well as an array of other topics such as the subculture of partygoers and aimless youth. Ironically the main character lacks an identity, something that Gambino as a rapper has struggled with since the release of his premiere album Camp. This is addressed in the screenplay in an exchange of dialogue at the beginning, where at the time “The Boy” really is just a boy, and is coming home from summer camp:
Gambino didn’t make any real friends (fans) off that album, it wasn’t good--mostly because it wasn’t Gambino, it wasn’t the style that really suits him. This makes me question whether this screenplay, and album as a whole, is reflective of Glover’s rap career. In the screenplay “The Boy,” who is actually portrayed by Donald Glover in the test footage, consistently denies that his friends are really his friends. Maybe this is reflective of his real life circle jerk of fans who tirelessly defend music of Gambino’s that isn’t even true to his rightful style.
Anyway, the screenplay adds lyrical parallels to the album that make you understand the character, allow you to add depth to the already substantial tracks, and appreciate some of the tracks such as “The Worst Guys,” and the whole post “3005” half of the album. It definitely strengthens the album as a whole; however, I can’t help but feel that the screenplay puts the listener into this perspective that gears towards the screenplay. As a listener--and reader, and watcher (sigh)-- I feel like I wanted to like this album so much because of all the effort I put into listening to it. But, this longing was shoo'd away by thematic contradictions and the lack of direction the themes have in this album when working alongside the screenplay. These flaws in relevancy are most noticeable in tracks such as “Shadows," and stylistic contradictions are noticed within tracks such as “Earth: The Oldest Computer.” Also, "Pink Toes," I have no idea what this song is doing in the album.
As a fan of Donald Glover I really saw promise in his rap career after listening to this album. Glover really does care about hip-hop and you can see that this is his favorite medium to work with. I think that it really honed what styles he needs to stick with. I hope with some self reflection he can make his next project, whatever it may be, grand and virtuoso.
Favorite Tracks: Crawl, Sweatpants, 3005, The Party, No Exit, Zealots of Stockholm (Free Information)
Least Favorite Tracks: Shadows, Pink Toes
Because the Internet:
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