I have mixed feelings about Childish Gambino, on one hand I think that Donald Glover is a genius who’s success has bred more resentment by black nerds than The Big Bang Theory. On the other hand I see him as a guy who’s taken his time in the limelight to discover himself.
Childish Gambino has dropped a couple albums that were just rappity rap and I honestly wasn’t crazy about them because they never felt genuine. However thanks to the success of “Atlanta” Bino has finally been accepted as a Nigga so he can make the music he really wants to. And he made the most cocoa butterest newport smoking with your shirt off album he possibly could have.
Enter "Awaken, My Love!" Or as I like to call it "wait Black girls like me too??"
This is some shit you listen to when you’re fucking your girl so well she forgets to ask why you didn’t apply to any jobs today. Donald Glover decided to stop rapping to prove his blackness and just live, and its a fucking HIT.
Every song is just dripping with soul and melanin, white girls heard this shit and went to sleep with a satin head wrap on. It’s fantastic.
I won’t lie tho, I was expecting some rappity raps, I spent a month listening to non rap music so my spirit was ready for lyricism but what I got instead was raw emotion. This is an album you listen to on your way to the barbershop, only to walk past the barbershop and into a store that sells incense.
Yes, this is no line up music.
I for one welcome this new Donald Glover, he’s tired of proving that he belongs and started just making the art he really wants to make. He’s not the best singer but who is? Gambino does his thing, and I’m really happy that he’s finally enjoying himself creatively.
It feels unfair to have to rate this album but I give it 6.5 "Unity" scented incense sticks out of 8.