Donald Glover is a true polymath. From his “humble” beginnings as a writer for “30 Rock” to his 2013 release of the dynamic album “Because the Internet,” Glover has worked not to bridge gaps, but rather to engineer smooth jumps between disparate worlds — among them stand-up comedy, acting, rapping, writing and producing.
With this reputation, Glover takes on yet another venture under rap alias Childish Gambino — a mixtape and EP combo titled “STN MTN/Kauai,” which acts as an intriguing yet flawed combination of Gambino’s subconscious and conscious thoughts.
The mixtape, which dropped Oct. 2, begins with Gambino speaking over a crackling radio transmission, stating, “I had a dream I ran Atlanta.” The tape — hosted by DJ Drama, whose claim to fame is the “Gangsta Grillz” mixtape series and his stint as T.I.’s DJ — boasts several remixes and a few new tracks. All are influenced by the smooth sound of traditional (i.e. 1980s) Atlanta hip hop. And while combining Gambino’s ability for wordplay with beats from Lil Wayne’s “Go DJ” or Kari Faux’s “No Small Talk” would have been a match made in creative heaven, this never fully develops.
Aside from trill melody and rapid-fire spitting in “Money Baby,” and the soft, spoken-word rhymes of “U Don’t Have to Call,” the remixes remain lyrically unimpressive. The offending tracks are filled with stereotypical rap braggadocio — for example, “Tesla the color of Satan (whip)/ B****** are mine for the taking/ I understand why you hate us.”
“STN MTN” is just not as thoughtful or deep as Gambino’s previous projects, from “I Am Just A Rapper” to “Camp.” While the one significant original track “Candler Road” is good, and the mixtape has some potential small-scale hit tracks based on their catchiness alone, the raps here are generally superficial. At least the skits which take place across several tracks provide some comic relief.
The subsequent EP — “Kauai,” dropped Oct. 3 — is a different story, featuring Will Smith’s ever-precocious 16-year-old Jaden in a role called “The Boy.” Smith narrates several skits about spending time with friends on Kauai, actually providing a soothing voice-over. “Kauai” is more pop and R&B-influenced than “STN MTN,” and effectively conjures up the surreal island vibe Gambino desires. As he explains in an interview with Complex magazine, “The Gangsta Grillz mixtape is a dream, and the dream ends when I wake up in Kauai.”
On the EP, “Sober” is a particularly notable track, starting with a falsetto solo from Gambino and transitioning with a deep bass drop about midway through. “Retro” is snappy, as is “The Palisades.” The subject matter on “Kauai” is much improved from “STN MTN,” as Gambino touches on deeper topics of love, desire and friendship. The album has a lively, sweet, slightly-romantic feel, and contains true quality songs.
With this in mind, does Donald Glover’s latest chapter as Childish Gambino live up to his past work, or does it mark a step in a different direction? That is a hard question to answer. At the very least, Gambino and Glover are both sure to keep audiences guessing as to the content of a next move.
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