by Charlie Vogel, staff writer Donald Glover, a.k.a. Childish Gambino, is on a roll. The first season of his show "Atlanta"—which he has described as “Twin Peaks with rappers”—recently premiered on FX to massive critical acclaim. Last week, he released Awaken, My Love!—his third studio album. In honor of the accomplished actor, writer, comedian, and rapper’s meteoric year so far, I have decided to kick off my “Oft-Overlooked” column with a review of his 2010 mixtape Culdesac. Why is this mixtape often overlooked? For starters, it falls victim to the unfortunate fact that, prior to the release of his debut album Camp, Gambino’s rap career was seen by most as a casual hobby. Fans who liked his comedy or who favored his budding hip hop career faced alienation from most; Gambino was often categorized as fake and uncommitted to rapping. Although Mr. Glover’s music has come a long way since, many of his current fans would be hard-pressed to name a song he released prior to Camp--the single "Freaks and Geeks" being one of the few exceptions. While Culdesac garnered generally positive reviews from critics, it lacked widespread publicity upon its release and still remains largely unknown, even among his fan base. Essentially, like many of his other early singles, this tape has flown under the radar for casual listeners and even fans. This oversight is a shame, as Culdesac is filled to the brim with tons of nerdy references, braggadocious, over-the-top bars, clever innuendos, and wacky and complex wordplay that can take several listens to fully understand. Though he released several mixtapes during the budding stages in his career, Culdesac is the project that embodies the best aspects of his early style while also presenting a variety of characteristic that would become staples in his later, more popular work. Tracks like “Hero,” “I Be On That,” and “Let Me Dope You,” showcase his ability to talk down on his haters using some of the weirdest and funniest lines I’ve ever heard from a rapper. One of my personal favorites comes from the sixth track, "You Know Me": “My career is like award shows, it's going long / I make it look real easy, like I'm showing thong.” Of course, it wouldn’t be a Childish Gambino project without a heartfelt song or two about a girl (or girls) that he’s admired or longed for. These tracks are often very hit-or-miss, but here they shine. The Adele sample on “Do Ya Like” is simply infectious, and his soulful singing on the songs “Got This Money” and “So Fly” portrays a genuine sense of endearment and emotion. Finally, Gambino addresses several other important aspects of his life on this project. On “The Last” he discusses his childhood, on “I’m Alright,” his struggles coping with fame, and on “Glory,” how he yearns to make his parents proud. These songs get very heavy, very fast, and also carry some genuinely heart-wrenching descriptions of both Gambino’s suicidal thoughts and his existential fears. The Gambino we hear in these tracks is a clear precursor to the sad, philosophical musings of his character “The Boy” from his later albums Camp, Because the Internet, and Kauai—this sense of emotion is something he’s held onto throughout his music career thus far. So, if you are a fan of Childish Gambino, or even if you just like the song "Freaks and Geeks," give Culdesac a listen. It’s a nice complement to his more mainstream work, and since his new album indicates a total departure from his typical style, it will definitely be interesting to trace his progression as an artist from his earliest work to his newest. Comments are closed.
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