tighten up.

It’s Monday night, class is over, and it’s Cristina’s birthday, so there’s really no better way to celebrate than at Flaco’s for their $3 margaritas. Somehow we managed to get on the subject of Childish Gambino’s latest release, Camp (okay, is this really surprising? three hip-hop loving females talking about newly released hip-hop?). If you click through, you can read the Pitchfork review, which awarded the album a generous… 1.6. Okay, maybe not so generous. The review was brutal and filled with Kanye comparisons. But you know, this album is one that you can either really love or hate (yeah, I know, cliche). While Jamie xx’s “Rolling in the Deep” remix feat. Childish Gambino was fucking awesome, I still don’t know how I feel about this album. None of it sounds new. When “Backpackers” starts, I’m expecting either Mikey Rocks or Chuck Inglish to start rapping (which oddly enough, CG references The Cool Kids in the song), “L.E.S.” sounds like Food & Liquor-era Lupe Fiasco, with “Fire Fly” sounding like L.A.S.E.R.S. Like Pitchfork focused on, the Kanye references are heavy. To be perfectly honest, I have a harder time taking Donald Glover seriously as a rapper than I do Aubrey Graham.

Camp has catchy songs, don’t get me wrong. “Bonfire” is my shit right now (and if I could, I would angrily scream ‘it’s a bonfire, turn the lights out’ all the time). However, it’s a weak album with no room for longevity. 

Niggas keep asking on whether this dude’s for real or not
I’m not trying to come hard, I’m trying to come me
That’s why these older songs that I used to make I’d release free
What’s the point of rap if you can’t be yourself, huh?

- “All the Shine”

He says this, but I don’t believe his ‘hard’ lyrics are really him. They all seem forcibly provocative, fake, and attention-seeking. This album won’t be making any of my top 50 lists any time soon, but I’ll still keep boppin’ my head to it.