We all big brother now

December 5, 2013 5:45 AM

The imminent Childish Gambino album 'Because the Internet" (as rumored, recorded at Chris Bosh's house) leaked over the weekend so the rapper/actor provided a streaming link to an iTunes site so that his fans could hear it while supporting him. The record features songs about: Oakland, World Star Hip Hop (in reaction to being shot at in Atlanta), being The Worst, and Death (so much death).
posted by Potomac Avenue (22 comments total)

can't listen until later this evening, but i'm super stoked for this album. thanks for the post!
posted by nadawi at 6:38 AM on December 5, 2013

Isn't the word the in the album's title now redundant?
posted by jessssse at 6:51 AM on December 5, 2013

Can we not turn this into a "please explain rap music to me" discussion? It seems to happen every time hip hop is talked about on this site.

That being said, after a couple of listens, I can't fuck with this album.

I think Glover sees that the music in our post 808's and Heartbreaks hip hop world is getting stranger and more interesting (Drake, Yeezus, K. Dot, Danny Brown, Chance), and he is trying way too hard to be very very strange and very very interesting. Add that to the fact that he has very little natural hip hop talent (in regards to flow, vocals, and lyrics).

Sorry to be down on it so quick in the discussion, it just seems like he's trying too hard.
posted by R.F.Simpson at 7:10 AM on December 5, 2013 [1 favorite]

God, yeah. The worst thing is when artists try too hard. Your reach should always be well within your grasp, or what's a heaven for?
posted by Bunny Ultramod at 7:36 AM on December 5, 2013 [12 favorites]

I'd say that his flow is abrasive, but I like abrasive (Busta, MC Ride). Some of his lyrics have made me laugh out loud, even though they do sometimes devolve to that 2000-and-late hashtag structure. Looking forward to listening, thanks for the post!
posted by pony707 at 7:38 AM on December 5, 2013

I'm not able to do this; possibly because I'm in Canada and the iTunes store is region-sensitive. Possibly because I just suck. I'm looking forward to the album!
posted by Shepherd at 7:47 AM on December 5, 2013

he is trying way too hard to be very very strange and very very interesting.

this makes me really want to listen to the album because I think Donald Glover is a very very strange and interesting person and probably isn't "trying" but rather just being himself.
posted by dogwalker at 9:30 AM on December 5, 2013 [1 favorite]

Your reach should always be well within your grasp, or what's a heaven for?

For what it's worth, Browning paints Andrea del Sarto as a bit of a fool in that poem.
posted by Rustic Etruscan at 9:39 AM on December 5, 2013

That said, yeah, "Looks like someone's got a case of the tryhards" is an obnoxious attitude in general.
posted by Rustic Etruscan at 10:03 AM on December 5, 2013 [1 favorite]

For what it's worth, Browning paints Andrea del Sarto as a bit of a fool in that poem.

Well, what do you expect from the poet who invented a snub nose revolver? (He said, not really clear on the history of poetry.)
posted by Bunny Ultramod at 10:18 AM on December 5, 2013 [2 favorites]

Trying too hard? This album is great, and sounds pretty smooth. This is easier to listen to his material I've heard before. It's more pop rap/R&B, but in a damned good way. For whatever reason, the older material sounded like he was in some character, while this sounds like he's comfortable being a musician/ singer/ rapper/ whatnot.
posted by filthy light thief at 11:04 AM on December 5, 2013 [1 favorite]

Metafilter: please explain rap music to me
posted by Outlawyr at 11:21 AM on December 5, 2013

Thanks for posting, I loved Camp, and still listen to it on occasion. Excited for new material.
posted by thankyouforyourconsideration at 12:24 PM on December 5, 2013

Not to be dense, but I created an Apple id JUST so I could hear this (and deftly sidestepped their requirements to add billing information for absolutely no reason), but it seems like only 4 songs are available to listen to, and not even in their entirety. Am I doing something wrong, here?
posted by redsparkler at 1:17 PM on December 5, 2013

Oh, wait, I found it. It's in the Radio, not the iTunes store, which is where the link was redirecting me. Computers are hard, guys.
posted by redsparkler at 1:21 PM on December 5, 2013

There is no need to be snarky and quote Browning poetry at me for not liking a Childish Gambino album.

I'm simply saying that he appears to be trying to do something that he knows is critically and commercially popular right now (sounding weird and interesting like the examples I cited) but not succeeding in any meaningful way.

How is that "an obnoxious attitude"?
posted by R.F.Simpson at 3:28 PM on December 5, 2013

You're saying he is producing bad insincere art for commercial gain. You can't see how someone who likes and respects Glover would think that's an obnoxious thing to say?
posted by Sebmojo at 4:20 PM on December 5, 2013 [2 favorites]

Not really.

I'm an enormous Kanye fan, but I don't think the criticisms labeled against him are obnoxious, just different perspectives on a complicated artist.
posted by R.F.Simpson at 4:40 PM on December 5, 2013 [2 favorites]

Roscoe's Wetsuit
posted by dogwalker at 6:17 PM on December 5, 2013

Have you guys seen the "script" site? Really lovely treatment for the album.
posted by raihan_ at 7:25 PM on December 5, 2013 [2 favorites]

Ad Hominem please come back.
posted by Potomac Avenue at 12:09 PM on December 6, 2013 [1 favorite]

I'm just glad to discover that quoting Browning is still so potent nowadays.
posted by Bunny Ultramod at 8:44 AM on December 9, 2013