AOTW: Childish Gambino

Donald Glover is a multi-talented individual that you might recognize for his role as Troy Barnes on the NBC show "Community" (if you aren't watching it already, start cause it's pretty damn funny) or maybe you've caught some of his stand-up act, or maybe you're a fan of his work on 30 Rock as a writer and actor. It's no doubt that Glover is talented, and he's gained a lot of respect and accolades for his work on TV, but it's his work as rapper Childish Gambino that has got my interest piqued.

In the last two years or so, Gambino has been pretty active on the blog scene releasing a couple mixtapes and dropping singles every once in a while giving people a taste of his skills as a rapper; and he's been doing this for free! As a rapper Childish Gambino has a sound and flow that is similar to guys like Danny Brown and Lil Wayne. This is not to say that he's sounds exactly like those guys or that he's trying to be these guys ( cause they can be very similar at times), but that they all rock a high energy flows that seem to be spilling out uncontrollably rather than the rappers consciously spitting them. He has significant skills with delivering punchlines and his comedic chops show through in his bars. He also is a co-producer on some of his tracks, which I'm a big fan of. I'm not sure how much he does himself, but most of his tracks are decent and don't usually have an amateurish feel to them.

Gambino is hoping to join the exclusive club of celebrities who have had successful careers when attempting crossovers from their original medium. I'm sure he's probably trying to avoid producing something that is either laughable and forgettable or something that is mediocre at best, which is the case for most who try. Case in point: Shaq's acting abilities. Sure he might be one of the greatest centers of all time, but his abilities on the silver screen are comparable to Sasha Vujacic's on the court; passable and capable of moments of greatness, but you're in for some trouble if you expect the guy to carry the majority of the load. Gambino is most likely aiming to follow a more Will Smith like trajectory who has had successful transition from rapper to actor.

So check out his latest release "EP" which is only about 7 songs long, but it's probably his most polished. His previous efforts were often uneven and he seems to play the outsider/ different card a little too much despite the fact that his rhymes and subjects aren't really that out there. This shouldn't put you off him because after listening through his releases I can tell you that he has only gotten better and will probably only to continue to get better. He's got a long while to go before becoming a crossover success like Will Smith, but he's got a lot of potential so hop on this hype train before you miss out.

Track List

1) My Shine

2) These Girls

3) I Love Clothes

4) Bitch Look At Me Now

5) So Fly

6) Freaks and Geeks

7) I Be on That

8) Yes

9) I'm so Focused

10) Lights Turned On

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