Because the Internet
Childish Gambino
We have reached another milestone for the You Can Be My Wave journal. This is the 200th entry, and I am still surprised and incredibly proud of myself for continuing to work on this passion project of mine. As I did with the 100th entry, I have decided to center this entry on another one of my favourite albums. For any readers out there, thank you for checking out my journal and for taking the time to read my silly ramblings. Let's see if we can do 100 more.
At the time of its release, I remember the reviews for Because the Internet not being the kindest to Mr. Glover. I never really understood where the harsh criticism came from, because my initial point of view was that this record was truly something special. The love for this album only grew after repeated listens; as more and more of its secrets were revealed to me. Was there something I was missing? Was there something they overlooked? Who's to say? Today, I still consider Because the Internet to be a hip-hop odyssey that is perplexing right out of the gate and takes so many dramatic turns throughout its nearly one hour runtime. Chaos, beauty, confusion, serenity, aggression; all of these feelings are communicated so potently through incredible production and strong, technical execution on the part of Donald Glover and his collaborators.
A big part of why this album is so great is in fact the production. It is so expansive, unpredictable, covers a great deal of sonic territory, and is immensely creative. The instrumental for II. Worldstar still blows my mind to this day; taking your typical accented click track and manipulating it with delay so that it ping-pings all over the place. The way I. Crawl begins, you would think you were thrust into the eye of a tornado with gusts of airy synths, white noise rockets that launch after every snare hit, and the wild hollering of Mystikal, yes, the gruff voice that brought you the classic Shake Ya Ass. The trunk rattling vibrations on I. The Party are cool enough on their own to carry the entire track and the oppressive bass on II. No Exit, coupled with the claustrophobically close capturing of Glover's vocals, make the track truly harrowing.
Not only does every sound feel perfectly crafted, but the songs themselves feel so multi-phased; many taking you on a crazy journey. II. Worldstar goes so incredibly hard, but resolves in quite the soothing jazz passage. II. Shadows also has a pretty dramatic flip at the end, where the smooth and soulful direction the song rides in for most of the track is derailed by buzzing electric guitars and an ominous keyboard line. Then there's II. Zealots of Stockholm [Free Information] which is an absolutely insane, winding experiment. Heavily distorted bass, distant vocals, and speedy trap percussion; this track is a real challenge at first, but has grown to become one of this record's most thrilling moments. II. Earth: The Oldest Computer (The Last Night) has similar electro-hop leanings, but pulls in a much more accessible direction. I enjoyed this sound on Heartbeats from Glover's previous project, however, to compare the sound of these two songs, the production is night and day. The former sounds cheap. The latter feels commissioned for a high-priced motion picture.
On the vocal front, it should be clear to everyone who listens to this record that Donald Glover is an undeniable talent. Throughout this record, he showcases so many rhythmic patterns; effortlessly employing multiple all within the em of one song. Just listen to the last thirty seconds of I. The Party for a clinic on rap flow. On top of that, Glover can also be quite an expressive performer. He typically has this smooth natural sound when he is both singing and rapping, but every once in a while, he can spin his inflection to enhance the vibe of a particular track. For example, I love the way Glover really digs in on a few lines at the end of the first verse of I. The Worst Guys. On IV. Sweatpants, he employs an animated snarl that plays really well with the arrogant boasts that litter the track.
As far as the content of what Glover says, I think this is where many critics take him to task. Many consider him to be a low-hanging punchline rapper, or they take issue with the plot holes in the larger Because the Internet narrative (the LP version of this album actually comes with a full script that ties in with the album), or both. I guess this is where the critics and I split off because I think many of Glover's lines are quite witty. I have to mention II. Worldstar again because it is packed with so many impressive lines that could have multiple meanings. "She on Hollywood and Vine, thinkin' that she Hollywood on Vine," is a nifty little line that simultaneously references the site of the Walk of Fame as well as the now defunct, pre-TikTok social media platform. Then there's dizzying lines like "I'm more or less a moral-less individual making movies with criminals tryin' to get them residuals," which packs about as many internal rhymes as a DOOM bar. I am so enthralled by this track, I honestly consider it to be one of my all-time favourite rap songs. Glover shines the brightest on this track, but believe me when I say that the light is only slightly diminished on the rest of the tracks here.
I feel like there is so much more I could say, so much more that I want to say about Because the Internet. I have barely scratched the surface, but I also feel like listening to this record is such a cool experience that I would hate to spoil anymore of it here. Naturally, given the amount of mind-altering, experimental material here, some tracks (notably the more pop-rap directions of 3005 and I. Pink Toes) are not as thrilling. However, that hardly detracts from the consistent level of magnificence, excitement, and wonder this album delivers. Revisiting this brought me so much joy again and I hope it does the same for you if, or when, you decide to give it a try.
9.0
Standouts: Pretty much all of it.
Hip-Hop, R&B (2013) Glassnote. Reviewed April 8th, 2022
