Although he has only been on the rise for the last few years now, Childish Gambino’s style has managed to drastically change. His genre has shifted from being hardcore and in your face rap that is in his first record label albums “Royalty” and “Camp”, to what some would choose to label as indie or alternative rap in his most recent album “Because of the Internet”. It seems like in his earlier albums he was making an attempt to break away from his acting and comedy career as Donald Glover, by being an overly aggressive and offensive rapper.
It is easy to see why he would do this since he has had such a successful career in entertainment outside of music. From writing script for the hit NBC show “30 Rock” and starring on NBC’s comedy show “Community”, he has accomplished a lot. This meant he really had to come out swinging in order to break out of his own shadow. His new album however gives off the feeling that he is trying to be himself, and establish who he actually is as an artist. The change in his style and sound is easily noticed and has not hurt his success yet.
Like most rappers, Childish Gambino is not particularly timid. He holds absolutely no restraint when it comes to what he says or raps. He is obscene, combative, and his beats are in your face. The melodies are artistic in their own way, but are still pretty much what you expect from rap music. This is the version of Childish Gambino you get in his first albums produced from a record label, “Royalty” and “Camp”. “Royalty” is an album that features a different artist in almost every song on it. “Camp”, on the other hand, is entirely him, featuring another artist here and there.
Even in these earlier albums it is easy to tell that he is not a normal rapper like the ones you hear on the radio occasionally. His style is indisputably unique and his lyrics are astonishingly clever. This is immensely apparent in his newest album “Because of the Internet”. His sound can be described best as different. He catches you off guard with this different direction he has gone in, but it is not that he changed everything about himself. The beats in his songs have remained heavy and exceedingly mind numbing.
Each song is catchy and chalked full of its own personal mixture of wit and humor, just as we have come to expect from him, but, he seems to have this whole new air about him. It is not that he has found confidence in himself or anything like that, but more like he has decided who he wants to be as a rapper and an artist. Some people choose to label him as this new genre of indie or alternative rap, and they are not wrong. Especially since the album came with a short film that he wrote, produced, and starred in called “Clapping For No Reason”. He’s decided to be himself, and this album is proof that being himself will work for him.
Childish Gambino’s change in genre is obviously not subtle, all you need is his lyrics to see that. He started his music career being humorously vulgar and fitting the hip hop mold flawlessly. Now his lyrics are deep and unusually thought provoking with a sprinkle of profanity that effortlessly emphasizes his points. Comparing the two phases shows that both work well, but being himself has really let his creativity out. There is no doubt that fans will follow him no matter where he decides to go now after this phenomenal display of versatility.
So, even though he has only been on the music scene for the last few years now, Childish Gambino’s style has been able to adapt to what he wants it to be. Whether it is his genre from being more like the normal, hardcore, radio rapper in his albums “Royalty” and “Camp”, or whatever new genre he decides to call this in his most recent album “Because of the Internet”. It seems like in his earlier albums he was making an attempt to break away from his acting and comedy career by being an overly aggressive and offensive rapper.
It is easy to see why he would do this since he has had such a successful career in entertainment outside of music. From writing for “Thirty rock” and starring on the show “Community” he has accomplished a lot, so he really had to come out swinging in order to break out of his own shadow. His new album however gives off the feeling that he is trying to be himself, and establish who he actually is as an artist. The change in his style and sound is easily noticed and has not hurt his success yet.
