First things first: If you’re not watching Community, the show from whence Donald Glover, aka Childish Gambino, gets the money to fuel his rap career, you’re doing television wrong. Easily the funniest show on television. Watch it Thursday nights (trust me, you won’t miss The Big Bang Theory) and make your life just a bit happier. Now, then.
Childish Gambino is in many ways the embodiment of all the things hip-hop has shunned in recent years. Even before getting to the allusions to The Office, Pearl Jam, and the admissions that he has no aspirations to be swimming in dollar bills, Glover’s precision as he raps shows a certain attention to detail not present in popular rap. But therein lies Childish Gambino’s conceit; he makes it perfectly clear he doesn’t want to be “rap cool”. Instead, Childish Gambino positions himself as a genuine human being who happens to make rap music about his everyday life; think of him as the Tom Hanks of hip-hop. As a result Gambino’s debut EP is an intelligent and commendable debut, despite its inability (refusal?) to appeal to a wide audience.
There are no anthemic, club-ready hooks to be found in the 20 minutes that make up this set. Opener “Be Alone” has Gambino singing a melancholy chorus behind delicate keys, until the verses start and suddenly the feelings of rage and frustration come pouring out. You might think that a TV star rapping about his problems wouldn’t resonate, but again, these aren’t a rich man’s problems. They’re the problems of a guy who likes Star Wars and doesn’t have girls falling at his feet all the time. “Freaks and Geeks”, which, yes, does hearken back to Judd Apatow’s short-lived dramedy, features some of Childish Gambino’s greatest rapping of the five songs. “Lights Turned On” is the closest thing that could pass for a single, but it also feels like the least honest of the batch.
In short, Childish Gambino is a breath of fresh air for those who are tired of the monotony of current hip-hop and rap music. It’s far from perfect, but if Donald Glover wants to keep this up in between semesters at Greendale Community College, I’d be all about it.
Childish Gambino – Freaks and Geeks
Filed under: Reviews Tagged: | Childish Gambino, Community, TV
