Chilidish Gambino – EP Review

Donald Glover is a self-proclaimed “renaissance man” – he writes for 30 Rock, acts on NBC’s hit show Community, and is a talented comedian.  But for some reason, a lot of the mainstream media is ignoring his music, released under the moniker Childish Gambino.  Glover is a talented rapper and his work – musically and lyrically – is unique in the rap music spectrum.  It’s emotional and honest, and it’s an interesting look into the life of an on-the-rise celebrity.  It’s a shame that many people consider his music to be a side project, when Glover is putting a lot of himself into his songs.  And in the coming months Childish Gambino is only going to get more popular.  Quote me.

This collection of five songs, titled EP (download it here) in the mp3 files, is definitely a huge step forward from 2010′s Culdesac (which is saying a lot).  Every track seems to have a raw, rock-like intensity.  Glover raps with tenacity, and every lyric, even the more humorous bits of wordplay (“Lemme poke-ya-ma, Raichu“) have a lot of emotional weight.  It’s something that’s missing from most mainstream rap music, where everyone seems to be more concerned with commercial success than relatability and honesty.  I guess that is what separates the best rap music from the worst – but Childish Gambino succeeds at this in a way not many other rappers do.  When Glover raps angrily, “You are the bestest/I will obey you/these words I wrote for you while you were fucking other dudes” on the opener “Be Alone,” you know he means what he’s saying.  “Lights Turned On”, with its quick pace – driven by dramatic strings, synthesizer, and Gambino’s almost frantic flow – make the track an instant standout.  It’s tough to find artists who succeed so well musically and lyrically, but this EP is a great example of the perfect combination of each element.  I think it’s easy for rappers to forget about the musical elements of their tracks and be satisfied with stagnant, uninteresting beats.

Childish Gambino’s potential for success is immense; his music reminds me of a combination of Kanye (lyrically) and indie rock (musically).  And I think the buzz surrounding him is slowly growing.  It’s really a shame more people aren’t taking notice or taking him seriously.  He says on “My Shine,” “Man, why nobody wanna admit they like me just a little bit?/Won’t be on the freshmen list, guess I’ll just keep spittin’ shit.”  Keep spittin’, Donald.  Eventually, they’re going to realize what they’ve been missing.