photo by Megan Howell
Donald Glover’s rap persona Childish Gambino has recently released his second album, because the internet. The 19 track album features accompaniments by Chance the Rapper and Azaelia Banks, but the best feature of the two disc album has to be the included script Gambino wrote, located at becausetheinter.net. The script illustrates Gambino’s year as his character, The Boy, and as you read, this conceptual album becomes a preview inside the artist’s psyche. The website link has songs from the album designated to listen to as you read each section of the screenplay. It’s honest, pure, and exciting.
His sophomore attempt shows more confidence since Camp and Royalty, owning his nerdiness and projecting cool internet culture with every verse he spits. The music holds everything from jazz to dubby static to R&B you’ll love getting stuck in your head. It’s less honest than Camp, which felt like the listener was sitting on the edge of Gambino’s couch at 3 A.M listening to his innermost thoughts and creating a bond with him, but this album’s confidence is contagious, making you want to scream at the top of your lungs driving down the freeway at 90 mph like you’re king of the world.
The new hip hop beats and catchy, clever song lyrics that make up each verse transform the NBC Community star/stand up comic/30 Rock award winning writer we knew as Donald Glover into the one of a kind artist, Childish Gambino.
Gambino will headline a free, open to the public show March 15 at SXSW in Butler Park, the insanely popular and expensive festival in Austin.
