The Rundown: Childish Gambino, Because the Internet
A track-by-track look at the rapper/actor's second album.
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The Rundown: Childish Gambino, Because the Internet - Donald Glover, known in the hip hop world as Childish Gambino, combines his skills as a screenwriter with his propensity for singing and spitting on his latest album, Because the Internet. The 19-track effort serves as an ode to both the good and bad that comes along with the permanent fame maker known as the World Wide Web, and sonically, BTI is different from anything out right now, thanks to unique instrumentation, sound manipulation and amorphous production. Read on for a track-by-track look at the Georgia rapper's latest with features from SPIN rapper of the year Chance the Rapper, as well as Azealia Banks, Lloyd and Jhené Aiko.(Photo: Glassnote Records, Universal)
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"I. Crawl" - Slow creeping bass and an angelic voice on the chorus gives this track a 3D feel. Childish Gambino uses Yeezus-like production, a deliberate distortion that makes this introductory track sound like something you might hear in 3005.(Photo: Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
Photo By Ethan Miller/Getty Images
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"II. Worldstar" - A hallway echo warms up the track before the bass kicks in and Childish Gambino rips it, paying homage to the hip hop entertainment site with rhymes like, "Yeah, muthaf***a, take your phone out to record this./ Ain't nobody can ignore this/ I'm more or less, a moral-less individual/ Making movies with criminals/ Tryin' to get them residuals/ When it all go crazy/ When I hear that 'action,' I'm a be Scorcese." (Photo: Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images)
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"I. Worst Guys" featuring Chance The Rapper - Subtle snare, an electric keyboard and a cornucopia of drums craft a slow sound, which Childish Gambino counters with a fast flow. The song centers around him and Chance The Rapper sharing stories of dating ups and downs.(Photos from left: Matthew Eisman/Getty Images, John Ricard / BET)
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"II. Shadows" - Childish Gambino gets acoustic on this simple yet soulful track. The multi-talented MC starts out singing, "Love me better, kiss me better, listen more," before diving right into his signature spoken word style. The track cuts off abruptly halfway through, switching to just drums and distortion as it rides out. (Photo: Chris McKay/Getty Images for BET)
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"III. Telegraph" ("Oakland" by Lloyd) - The track starts out in a half-skit with Childish Gambino listening to veteran crooner Lloyd singing on the radio. As the real song comes — turns out it's an ode to the land of "Hyphy," Oakland, Calif. — Gambino starts out softly singing before rapping over the clapping beat. (photos from Left :John Ricard/BET, John Ricard / BET)
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"IV. Sweatpants" - This one has a psychedelic beat with a sample similar to the controversial Marvin Gaye clip that Robin Thicke is in a legal struggle over. "You faker than some Sweet n' Low/ Yeah you got some silverware but really are you eatin' though?/ Breakfast, lunch and dinners for beginners you ain't even know," rhymed Childish Gambino. The "Heartbeat" MC sent a shot out to the haters on this one, "Don't be mad 'cause I'm doing me better than you doing you." (Photo: Theo Wargo/Getty Images for Samsung)
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"V. 3005" - On this single, Childish Gambino promises friendship and loyalty ("til 3005") over one of Because the Internet's catchiest and most feel-good tracks.(photo: John Ricard / BET)
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"I. The Party" - "We gon' have a party. All my friends will be there. We drink only vodka/ There's music everywhere," sings Childish Gambino in his best Pharrell impersonation over this track that best exemplifies the versatility of Because the Internet. Though the song is brief, coming in at a minute and a half, Gambino closes by dropping one of the album's hottest verses. (photo: John Ricard / BET)
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"II. No Exit" - Spoken word starts off this futuristic track, which tells the story of Childish Gambino pleading for his girl not to leave. He goes to a darker place as his verse kicks in and the track gets more schizophrenic.(Photo: Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
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