Review Summary: Not just an album.
You have to admire Donald Glover, if not for the ludicrous amount of work he has put into his newest album. Set aside the fact that he got his rap name from the Wu-Tang Name Generator. Set aside the fact that his last album left you wondering why he didn’t just stick with his acting career. If at first you disregarded Childish Gambino’s music, I implore you to give
Because The Internet a listen. Not only has he crafted an album of 19 tracks, but also wrote a 74-page screenplay, complete with embedded videos and tracks to play as you read. While the screenplay itself isn’t exactly a marvel of modern literature, it still serves to provide a unique listening experience that gives the album a deeper meaning.
His last album,
Camp, was riddled with mainstream, recycled-sounding beats, and laughably bad lyrics coupled with an unsure delivery that seemed to mimic other rappers shamelessly. The problems present in Camp are almost nonexistent in Because The Internet. While Gambino’s wordplay and lyrics are still a bit immature at times,
(i.e. Cut a white girl with the same black gloves on,
Got no patience/Cause I’m not a doctor,
Put shrooms in my roommate’s coffee/Got more likes than a white girl talking)
overall he has improved and seems to be finding his own rapping style, and even surprisingly impressive on some tracks, specifically "Sweatpants". Not to mention the production, which delves into psychedelic rap and includes different genres like R&B in “Shadows”, and jazz in “The Worst Guys”.
The features on this album seem to suggest that Gambino didn’t rely on other rappers to improve the quality of his album. On “The Worst Guys”, Chance the Rapper makes an appearance, but only for the chorus. The interludes on this album range from seemingly pointless to brilliantly flowing, such as “Dial Up” and “Playing Around Before The Party Starts”. They seem to add more depth to the emotional aspect of the album, which Gambino has infused beautifully into this album. He conveys thoughts and feelings of helplessness and depression with a confident delivery.
Because The Internet is not only an impressive release from Childish Gambino, but also an impressive release in general.
