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The track record for rap albums put out by Hollywood actors has never been particularly good. There have been a few earnest attempts from the likes of Romany Malco and Omar Epps (h/t Commish), however more often than not when a celebrity picks up the microphone it results in a mockery of the art form, like Gary Coleman dressed as a cowboy rapping alongside an MJ lookalike or Joaquin Phoenix doing his best imitation of the annoying drunk guy at the karaoke bar. So I had some serious reservations when I heard that Donald Glover, the comedian from Community and one-time candidate for the role of Spider-Man, had released a new album under his rap persona Childish Gambino, Culdesac. His part in Community's classic paintball episode happened to be the funniest thing I'd seen all year, however, so on the strength of that I decided to give him the benefit of the doubt and check it out.
In the interviews that Glover has given recently, he's been quick to mention Lil' Wayne and Drake as the sources of inspiration behind his budding music career. Their influence is evident throughout his latest album, and after listening to Culdesac you'd be forgiven for thinking that Glover is auditioning for a spot on the Young Money roster. With a delivery that relies heavily on the sort of freeform pause punchlines that Drake and Nicki Minaj have made infamous (" -- Mobb Deep!"), mixed in with the occasional outbursts of R&B style crooning, Childish Gambino comes very close to earning the label 'derivative.' What saves him, however, is his wit, undoubtedly honed during his years as a stand up comic, dropping enough memorable lines ("I be steady gettin' paper / Call me Dunder Mifflin") to keep the listener from hitting fast forward. This album certainly isn't for everyone, but for fans of hip hop's "post-808 era," or even fans of Community, it's certainly worth a look.
Here are two of the better tracks from Culdesac:
Childish Gambino - I Be On That (right-click to d/l)
Childish Gambino - Fuck It All (right-click to d/l)
You can download the entire Culdesac album for free over at Donald Glover's website.
7/19/2010 4:45:50 PM posted by Fresh