Week 13:

Childish has been around for some time now, and I know him as an extremely clever lyricist who does a bit of everything. His videos are typically great and he’s a pure entertainer. I’ll know a lot of this, but very much looking forward to diving a little deeper. Red Bone – I remember when this album came out, and fans of Gambino were pissed cause they assumed it would be a rap album. This album was far from that, but this song down the road ended up being his biggest smash ever, in a genre we had not seen him perform in before. This song is very catchy, and an interesting intro into what will be very different vibes moving forward. Musically it’s clean and smooth, and the vocals are fun and different. The song does not need to be as long as it is, but overall, a fine start. 3005 – This song was my most played song of the year a few years back, which is kinda crazy cause I would’ve never guessed that. I personally love this song. I think it’s catchy and easy to listen to. Different from many rappers, he is as clear as day in what he is saying. You don’t need a lyric video to understand what he’s actually saying which is appreciated. The build that leads into the beat drop at the 2nd chorus is good as they come, solid production all the way around. I also really like the transitions in this song. Fade out chorus into his talk heavy rapping, changing styles and flows. Very cool in my opinion. Les – I don’t know this song at all, which is shocking that it’s this popular. Vin mentioned to me it’s big on tiktok, which makes sense cause I don’t have that app. But here we go. Catchy beat immediately, and another talk heavy song. He reminds me of Lil Dicky with the way he just conversates during a verse. It sets up for cool changes in rhythm and flow. Childish builds his verses so well. His energy continues to elevate as he builds towards a big moment, whether it be the chorus or a change in the beat. More on that when we get to Bonfire. Firefly – Hype song, immediately took me back to early college days. Now this is a more classic rap song. A second singer sings the chorus with him, and he’s flowing a bit more than the previous two songs. This is constructed like a classic rap song, which is ironically pretty unique for Childish. I really love the lyric in the first verse where he says they’re half right. He understands he’s not this absolute killer rapper, but he also knows he does have talent and can spit on any type of beat. This starts his chip on the shoulder approach, which is relevant in a lot of his music. I can relate to that feeling in a baseball sense. Was never good when I was a kid, but loved it and stuck with it and got better. Even in college, awkward unorthodox stance batting in the 7-8 hole, oftentimes seeing a first-pitch fastball that you can smoke, which is selfishly some of my favorite at bats in my college career. The don’t sleep on me attitude. Very fun. PS… 2nd verse, you a fake fuck like a fleshlight is hilarious. Best song yet. Bonfire – I think this was my intro to Childish, which is pretty intense. By far his most aggressive song in this batch, and I personally love it. Are you allowed to say ‘I made the beat retarted so I’m calling it a slow jam?’ I guess you’re not allowed to say pretty much anything he says, so why not haha. Yeah, this song goes hard and we see extremely clever lyrics throughout. Love it. That Power – Some decent singing off the rip, and kind of a new style of rap up front. What an interesting musical piece after the 2nd chorus, leading into storytime. As much as I enjoyed the story, this is the exact reason he is not accepted into the rap community. Rappers are supposed to be gangsters, hard as hell, tough, guns and drugs. Then you have this geek fool telling a story that breaks down the wall of who these rappers actually are. Childish is a nerdy guy at the end of the day, as you can tell by his references of everyone always calling him an oreo (referenced multiple times in earlier songs). And his raps do oftentimes cater more to a white crowd or a new listening audience to people who never loved rap. Then they hear this, love it cause it’s different, but it comes off as a gimmick and doesn’t pay respect to a lot of the greats. I mentioned Lil Dicky earlier, and this concept is very similar to the one he discusses with Snoop Dog in Professional Rapper. That song is an interview concept, and LD talks about his style, and Snoops response is “I don’t get it, so this shit like a joke to you?” Lil dickys response is ‘nah it aint like that, I just happen to be a nutty abundantly funny individual.’ The OG rappers don’t like this funny, non-traditional rap, so it’s tough for Childish to have a place in the community, which seems to be consistent with the rest of his life. The kid who didn’t really fit in at all growing up. The facts are, he’s himself and authentic, and that’s why he has so many fans. A bit of a rant here but lemme know if you see it the way I do as well. Lithonia – I’ve heard this song, but had no idea it was Childish. Unique for sure. You can argue this is crappy pop punk rock music. Very versatile this Childish Gambino, but I don’t know if this is his lane. Sober – I have always been a fan of this song, and he does a nice version of it on youtube if you just search for this song live. I just like the smoothness and fluidity of this song. A smooth high-pitched voice with a fun rhythm behind it. I like the transition towards the end that leads into a very spacey and trippy beat and sound. Nice. Me and Your Mama – Lmao what the hell is this intro. He really is an odd dude and his mind is too creative sometimes. This is why people hated this album lmao. People were expecting hard hitting bars like they got from bonfire and freaks & geeks, and instead you get this nonsense. I also don’t care for the rock n roll ish screams. The last song was so smooth and clean, and now this is choppy and it feels like he’s pushing out and forcing each word. A bad ending to a very strong listen. Overall Review: Childish Gambino is a pure entertainer and a super creative mind. He displays versatility throughout his music. I would say his highlight is when he does more hardcore rap, just because of how witty and clever his lyrics are. The clarity in his words while still flowing so freely is impressive. I will say, I don’t ever think he raps to a very high level. It’s clean and concise, but not overly difficult as far as rapping goes. The more impressive parts are in his lyrics and flows. For the other stuff, he displays the ability to sing really well, and it’s cool how he can mix up genres so much. There really aren’t too many people who can do that like he does. This has been by far the most versatile entertainer we’ve had so far, but I don’t know if I would consider him to be elite in any one area. I personally really enjoy the sound of his music, and I’m a sucker for songs like 3005 and sober. After this listen though, Firefly and Bonfire is where he’s at his best. I give Childish a 7.8, and I would love to see him live. Me and a bunch of other white dudes who like his style. Good choice Vin, this was fun!