Actor-turned-rapper Donald Glover, who performs under the moniker Childish Gambino, surprised listeners last Thursday when he unexpectedly dropped “STN MTN,” a new mixtape and the first half of a dual release, followed the next day by his new EP entitled “Kauai,” out of seemingly thin air.
Fresh off the unexpected success of his sophomore album, Gambino recently began leaking rumors that new tracks were in the works, but managed to keep more substantial details tightly under wraps, a difficult feat in today’s information-saturated culture.
Named after his hometown in Georgia, “STN MTN” is noticeably less introspective than some of the rapper’s other recent work. As a result, longtime fans should likely recognize many tracks on this mixtape as Gambino returning briefly to his signature style of hard-hitting beats, which in this context often sound primitive and tribal, and rowdy verses, with standout examples like “Candler Road” and “All Yall.” These two tracks aren’t the only head-nodders however: most of the songs feature party-worthy base tracks and catchy hooks. In fact, Gambino really only slows things down during the song “U Don’t Have to Call,” which begins with an a capella verse before segueing into a rhythmic beat and background falsetto vocals that are more typical of the R&B genre. Gambino really bares his soul on this song, employing spoken word to deliver details about his formative past. The track is arguably one of the best on the mixtape both musically and lyrically, and it gives listeners an honest look at the man behind the curtain.
It should be noted that Gambino doesn’t fly solo here. Over the mixtape’s 40-minute runtime, Gambino samples from a plethora of fellow R&B and hip hop artists including Ludacris, Rich Kids, K Camp, Future, Usher, Timbaland and Lil Wayne. He often transitions between two or three tracks per song, switching tempo and beat at will. These unexpected transitions add rich layers to each song while at the same time maintaining the mixtape’s overall cohesiveness.
Lyrically, Gambino reveals that he has matured considerably since his humble beginnings. His flow is flawless and his affinity for one-liners has not been lost. For instance, when rapping about his heightened status, Gambino spits “I might drop them bars, that AT&T” and “I’m decent, Liam Neeson I’m taking over.” The young Georgian also isn’t afraid to revel in some shameless self-promotion as he demonstrates on the track “Childish Gambino @ The Atrium,” a mock advertisement for a free blowout concert in his hometown. And the rapper deserves to promote himself on this mixtape, at the very least because he manages to rhyme a word with “orange.”
The final song on the mixtape, “Go DJ,” samples Lil Wayne’s 2004 hit. This track was a huge blast from the past for me and ends with Gambino acknowledging everyone who had a hand in bringing “STN MTN” to fruition. This is a nice gesture from a musician who has already made it big and shows real humility on his part. He proceeds to throw in a nod to his fans before signing off with “And then I woke up,” a line which carries listeners seamlessly into his sequel EP “Kauai.” Although at this point I have only given “Kauai” a cursory listen, it serves as a fitting compliment to the bass-heavy “STN MTN” and has a noticeably mellower aesthetic that befits the Hawaiian locale for which it was named.
No matter what your level of familiarity is with Childish Gambino, his new project indicates that once again, hip hop is fast becoming a spectacle worthy of consideration, both as an art form and as a culture-shaping force. Whether Gambino is, as he proclaims in the song “Candler Road,” “the last great American poet” still remains to be seen. One thing that is for certain, however, is that he has come a long way, both musically and lyrically, from his first release, and is proving that he’s just getting started.
