Childish Gambino remains one of the more unique acts in hip-hop — simultaneously supporting an acting career that most would be content with. The intertwining of the two forms of art in his music is very interesting to witness as his writing ability really fully shines on his debut full-length album, CAMP. While his raw talent in wordplay was evident before, he’s really taken it to the next level with this release, displaying a talent in creating metaphors that I think is only rivaled by the Lil’ Wayne we knew and loved. In addition to refining his writing skills, he displays a more conscious ability to make better, more complete tracks. Firefly shows him going in on an uplifting beat reminiscent of early Drake. He addresses the hate with no caution, acknowledging that he’s hard to define but still standing on stage willing to challenge anyone.

|The only white dude who’s allowed to say the n word/Fuck the cool kids, not Chuck Inglish but anyone who hates to feel distinguished |

He switches it up quite a bit, with 3 minutes of lyrical fire on Bonfire that goes straight into an honest ballad on All the Shine, in which he reminds us of the entertainment factor that we often forget when overanalyzing rap:

| I talk about my dick and what girls is fly
I know it’s dumb, that’s the fuckin reason I’m doin it
So why does everyone have a problem with talkin’ stupid shit |

He experiments with a thick distorted electronic melody on Heartbeat that works fuckin awesomely. Definitely something I’d like to see more of. Backpackers reverts back to a traditional hip hop beat that shows off his lyrical ability. In all, the album reflects his relative youth in the rap game in the fashion he defends himself, but it’s obvious he’s furthering his craft while still providing a unique perspective from different (racial among others) angles.

Tracklist

1. Outside
2. Fire Fly
3. Bonfire
4. All The Shine
5. Letter Home
6. Heartbeat
7. Backpackers
8. L.E.S.
9. Hold You Down
10. Kids (Keep Up)
11. You See Me
12. Sunrise
13. That Power