reasons why childish gambino aka donald glover because the internet album worth listening to

6 Reasons You Shouldn't Sleep On Childish Gambino's 'Because The Internet'

December 10, 2013 - 7:32 pm by Chris Yuscavage

Well, we certainly didn't see this coming. Even though Donald Glover—aka Childish Gambino—has a slew of successful mixtapes under his belt and even though his debut album, Camp, was generally well received and earned him a pocket of faithful fans, we didn't think that his second album, Because the Internet, which is available today, would be as good as it is.

The project, which features guest appearances from Chance the Rapper, Azealia Banks and Jhene Aiko, is forcing a lot of publications to rethink their "Best Albums of 2013" lists right now and is already being heralded as a project that will help launch Childish Gambino into the mainstream. If you're still sleeping on Childish Gambino—or, worse, if you're still writing him off as a gimmicky joke rapper because of his acting career—it's time to wake up. These are 6 reasons you might want to buy Because the Internet today.

Photo Credit: Getty Images

its a concept album reasons why childish gambino aka donald glover because the internet album worth listening to

Reason #1: Childish Gambino's Because the Internet is a well thought out concept album. During a recent interview with Tim Westwood, Gambino talked about how he rented out a mansion in Los Angeles earlier this year and started recording random songs, which is how he eventually ended up recording enough material for Because the Internet. But the truth is that the album is more than just random songs slapped together. As you've probably guessed, Because uses the Internet for inspiration and features songs with titles like "Worldstar" and "Life: The Biggest Troll." And just in case you're unable to follow the concept, Gambino also wrote a 75-page screenplay to go along with the album. So this is clearly something that he worked hard on and thought a lot about before he presented it to the public. Photo Credit: Getty Images

he takes chances reasons why childish gambino aka donald glover because the internet album worth listening to

Reason #2: Childish Gambino takes a ton of chances on Because the Internet—and just about all of them pay off. We can pretty much guarantee that you haven't heard anything like Because the Internet this year. Here, Glover sings almost as much as he raps. He utilizes guest appearances from the likes of Chance the Rapper and Azealia Banks in small, meaningful doses. And he makes unconventional moves, like recording a song called "The Party," which is arguably one of the strongest cuts on the album, that is only 1:31 long. A lot of people have used the word "experimental" to describe the project. We don't want that word to scare you off, but it's certainly applicable. Photo Credit: Getty Images

sounds more confident reasons why childish gambino aka donald glover because the internet album worth listening to

Reason #3: Childish Gambino sounds more confident than ever rapping. Have you tried to listen to Childish Gambino in the past but struggled to take him seriously as a rapper? That's been a complaint that others have had as well. But on Because the Internet, Gambino raps well and he raps like he belongs on the mic. That's not to say that he wasn't rapping well on, say, Camp. But it is to say that he's noticeably improved and knows how to play to his strengths as a rapper. Photo Credit: Getty Images

isnt afraid to sing reasons why childish gambino aka donald glover because the internet album worth listening to

Reason #4: Childish Gambino also isn't afraid to sing at times. We were surprised by how much Gambino decided to sing on Because the Internet the first time we heard it. We were also surprised by how much we enjoyed it. Shortly after the album leaked online last week, a lot of people posed the question "Does Childish Gambino sing better than Drake?" on Twitter. And believe it or not, Gambino got his fair share of votes from fans. But don't worry: The singing on Because the Internet isn't overbearing like it has been on some of Drake's projects. Gambino mixes in just enough of it to prove that he's capable of pulling it off without overdoing it. Photo Credit: Getty Images

good production reasons why childish gambino aka donald glover because the internet album worth listening to

Reason #5: Composer Ludwig Goransson helps tie all of the album's productions together. Although Goransson—who has worked on TV shows like Community, New Girl, and Happy Endings—doesn't produce every song on the album, he worked on a number of them. And judging by how the album sounds, he played a key role in helping to weave all of the productions on the album together. He also sat down with Gambino prior to the recording process for the album and spoke with him at length about the direction of the project. That again proves how much time and effort went into this album from the beginning. Photo Credit: Getty Images

replay value reasons why childish gambino aka donald glover because the internet album worth listening to

Reason #6: Once you listen to Because the Internet once, you'll want to listen to it again…and again…and again…and… The first time you hear Childish Gambino's new album, your reaction to it is likely going to be "WTF?!?" There is a lot going on on the album, and it's nearly impossible to catch every sample, every rap, and every nuance associated with the album. But as you listen more and more, you'll start to understand what Gambino was trying to do here. Or you won't, which will make you want to listen to it one more time. It's a challenging album, for sure, but one that you won't mind replaying in an effort to fully grasp the concept. So what are you waiting for? Because the Internet is Gambino's strongest effort yet, because the Internet said so. Photo Credit: Getty Images

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