Because The Internet can be a difficult listen at times, but it’s well worth sticking with. With no notable ‘singles’, it’s designed to be sat down and listened to through the whole of its running time (preferably with the accompanying screenplay in hand).
Connecting with the album is nearly impossible, understanding it is difficult, and often enough, its inflated ego is irksome, but Because the Internet is too free and fascinating to be dragged down by these complaints, so if a Yeezus with more flash and fun is what's required, Gambino's got the good stuff.
Because The Internet shows off his full array of talent (writer, musician, comedian) and makes him stand out from the rest.
It's one of the least cohesive hip-hop records of the year, but it's that incoherent nature that makes it so compelling.
Because the Internet is a vast improvement over his debut effort, showcasing an artist who has confidently found a way to coalesce his love for music and films into one hybrid effort.
Because the Internet is ambitious and daring. The surrounding flutter of puzzle pieces adds depth, but the record still stands on its own as a bold statement on modern life and the cold distance technology places between human relationships.
Because The Internet is the first release of Glover’s that doesn’t have the mist of amateur work.
Anxious introverts may recognize what Childish Gambino does here, repeatedly: flit around, try to be sociable, but then flee. Childish Gambino still manages to mostly hold our attention, though, because he concerns himself instead with his own terms.
Most of these developments are steps in the right direction, yet there are still areas where Because The Internet falters: It indulges far too often in dubstep tendencies.
‘Because The Internet’ actually represents a subtle withdrawing from the pugnacious playacting of ‘Camp’ for a better focus on the traits that make its maker singularly appealing.
Because the Internet is not to be dismissed. Gambino is observant and often funny, and his loose-limbed flow can sting.
It’s all very ambitious, but experiencing Because the Internet as the artist intended requires an hour of fully plugged in attentive reading, embedded Youtube clip viewing, and listening. On its own, Because the Internet’s album component breaks a number of Childish Gambino’s poor rap habits.
Where his debut was crude, cartoonish and silly, this effort is faux-reflective, misguided and ultimately collapses under the weight of a concept that’s almost impossible to make sense of.
While Because The Internet is much more likable and ambitious than Childish Gambino's last commercial effort, Camp, this album is not without its hangups.
Bloated with all manner of interstitial suites and assorted skit-like stopgaps, the 19-track Because the Internet could serviceably represent the titular web Gambino finds so perplexing.
This reveal, that everything has been in character, doesn’t make the immaturity of the music acceptable. It’s the artistic equivalent of throwing up a brick from the three-point line and goofily claiming, “I meant to miss.”
It sounds like nothing more than a talented guy reciting erratic ideas and fragments of phrases scrawled on unconnected Post-it notes, over production cooked up by himself and cohort Ludwig Goransson with the apparent intention of combining every genre of music ever made available on a torrent site — often in the same song.
At one point it might have been fair to say that nobody could have created a wetter approach to rap than The Fresh Prince unless it had been written and performed by his on screen cousin Carlton Banks himself. That is until now.
i had to force myself through it. the whole album feels like it was a desperate attempt to be special and "different" all while sounding very messy and boring in the process. sweatpants is dope though.
Re-Review
If Camp is Donald Glover’s Pablo Honey, then this is his OK Computer.
Right off the bat you will notice that the song titles are really weird and are apparently divided into certain things that I like to call “acts.”
This is one of the most difficult albums I’ve ever listened to in terms of comprehension, and it lacks cohesiveness, but it’s still jam-packed with quality tracks.
Favorite: Flight Of The Navigator
Least Favorite: The Party
Crawl: 8.5/10
Worldstar: 8/10
The Worst Guys: 8.5/10
Shadows: 8.5/10
Telegraph Ave.: 9/10
Sweatpants: 9/10
3005: 10/10
The Party: 7.5/10
No Exit: 8/10
Flight Of The Navigator: 9/10
Zealots of Stockholm: 9/10
Urn: 7.5/10
Pink Toes: 9/10
Earth: The Oldest Computer: 8.5/10
Life: The Biggest Troll: 9.5/10
Been wanting to listen to this for SO LONG and finally decided today was the day. So many good songs on this album. Definitely worth a listen.
1 | The Library (Intro) 0:04 | 69 |
2 | I.Crawl 3:29 | 84 |
3 | II. Worldstar 4:04 | 80 |
4 | Dial Up 0:44 | 72 |
5 | I. The Worst Guys 3:39 feat. Chance The Rapper | 86 |
6 | II. Shadows 3:51 | 84 |
7 | III. Telegraph Ave. ("Oakland" by Lloyd) 3:30 | 86 |
8 | IV. Sweatpants 3:00 | 91 |
9 | 3005 3:54 | 94 |
10 | Playing Around Before the Party Starts 0:54 | 73 |
11 | I. The Party 1:31 | 74 |
12 | II. No Exit 2:51 | 80 |
13 | Death By Numbers 0:43 | 74 |
14 | I. Flight of the Navigator 5:44 | 86 |
15 | II. Zealots of Stockholm [Free Information] 4:50 | 81 |
16 | III. Urn 1:13 | 80 |
17 | I. Pink Toes 3:27 feat. Jhené Aiko | 83 |
18 | II. Earth: The Oldest Computer (The Last Night) 4:42 feat. Azealia Banks | 82 |
19 | III. Life: The Biggest Troll 5:42 feat. Andrew Auernheimer | 89 |