[DISCUSSION] My take on STN MTN/Kauai **WALL OF TEXT WARNING** Part 1: The Context So we already know that Childish Gambino likes to put together large conceptual projects (see BTI) and if you don’t know what Im talking about, go git learnt. This guy is no slouch when it comes to telling a story in a complex and innovative fashion. I think Gambino is caught in a tough position artistically because he appeals to so many different audiences. No matter what kind of music he releases, someone is going to wish it was different. People are fans of him for a wide variety of reasons, but at the end of the day no one can deny that he is an extremely talented and creative mind. If we over-simplify his music it can generally be broken into two categories: his harder hip-hop side and his softer more pop-esque music. He has created fantastic songs in both categories but finds himself in a position where when he releases a song in one style, fans/critics that prefer the other tend to speak up. If it’s a catchy pop song, hip hop heads are begging for BARS because we know he is more than capable, and if it’s an ATL street rap song hes just doing a bad knock off and trying too hard (this comment is after reading a lot of reactions to the STN MTN side). Granted this does not happen every time he puts out music, I am getting the impression that a lot of people are unimpressed with the first half of STN MTN/Kauai. While it may be a vocal minority, and Gambino certainly has a dedicated fan base, it must be a frustrating battle to ignore the critics and continue to create music for both sides. Upon release of this project I stumbled upon the impressive r/donaldglover subreddit to get the correct track list order, so shout out to those guys who seem to have a good thing going over there. They also found the secret track and answered any question I asked promptly and politely. I’ll explain why I put quotations around correct later. Childish Gambino hails from Georgia so has always been exposed to the sound coming from the ATL. The city has made its mark on the map of music for its charismatic rappers, DJs, personalities etc. Names like Gucci Mane, Young Thug, I LOVE MAKONNEN, and Migos all come to mind. This style is reflected very obviously on STN MTN in both the production and an over-the-top DJ Drama hosting throughout. DJ Drama is well-known for his classic “Gangster Grillz” series of mixtapes which Gambino reference’s in his lyrics. Now don’t get me wrong, I’m a huge fan of all of the aforementioned people, however objectively I understand how Drama can come across as a little excessive for some audiences. Additionally, this half was released first via websites like hotnewhiphop and datpiff, in the fashion of a mixtape. The contrasting side to Gambino’s music sounds much closer to names like Kid Cudi, Bruno Mars, or even Michael Jackson. This style is represented on primarily Kauai and this half was released on iTunes, more in the fashion of an album. There are people who may have heard of Childish Gambino only for songs such as “3005” and these people would probably prefer to purchase Kauai off iTunes than find STN MTN off some random hip hop website. Others simply may not pay that much attention to music and pick up the “new Childish Gambino” without realizing two distinct sides to the album and a “correct” track list exist. I also found a third version of this project circulating and to me it’s unclear whether this was intentional or not from Gambino. Certain websites are distributing a version of STN MTN/Kauai with a blend of songs from both sides and has a shorter track list than the original 18 track version. Right off the bat the buzz circulating this project combined with the relatively unique way in which it was released really struck me as intriguing. If we think back to how BTI was woven into a much larger story than just the songs on their own, I think we can expect an at least comparable level of depth in his future projects. I think this multi-platform release is extremely dynamic because depending on YOUR context (level of interest in his music, taste in style etc etc) you may experience a different STN MTN/Kauai than your friends. When I say the “correct” track list I am referring the fact that there is usually an official track list that the artist his/herself will lay out for his/her album, and that is generally what I will make a point to listen to. But the way in which this project is being released creates a situation where the audience can sort of tailor their experience (knowingly or not). Generally speaking I think the audience of this project can be broken into three categories: people who want just one side or the other, people who were interested in both sides of the project but download a blended version (perhaps not knowing there is a correct version), and people who made sure to view the project as it was supposed to be (that’s me). I think that is incredibly interesting to create a project that is this dynamic upon release. Gambinos wide audience will have an equally wide set of reactions due simply to the fact more than one method was used to release the album. Part 2: STN MTN The very first words from Gambino on STN MTN are “I had a dream I ran Atlanta” and he proceeds to describe the dream of a hopeful young rapper growing up in Georgia. This first half of the album is very much a “typical” ATL street style mixtape and every song reflects that by being generally bragadocious in the fashion many other rappers these days. The lyrics and beats are very reminiscent of other mixtapes in this style and I couldn’t shake the sense that Gambino made a point to come across a little corny. STN MTN feels slightly satirical (lines like “Check out how I’m eating, it is very cool”) but at the same time the music is high enough quality it acts as a genuine homage to street rap. He spits some mean bars over solid beats, brings strong features, and synergizes with Drama surprisingly well. Also in the style of a mixtape he goes in over a couple of beats from other rappers such as “Move That Dope/Nextell Chirpin/Let Your Hair Blow” and the Lil Wayne classic “Go DJ” and again does a very respectable job. At the end of the final song (“Go DJ”) he goes down a long list of radio shows and DJs giving shouts out for all the support in his rise to fame. Keep in mind this is still encapsulated in the section of this album after he said “I had a dream I ran Atlanta”. The final words of STN MTN are “and then I woke up.” concluding the mixtape and first half of the story. Childish Gambino presents this entire side of the story within the idea that this style of rap, this success, this swagger and personality and confidence he has are all part of an elaborate dream of his. This very well may have been a dream of one young Donald Glover back in the day, being a prospective rapper from the Georgia area. Or perhaps this was the sentiment of his peers and those with whom he confided his intentions to pursue hip-hop. I believe this concept of a rapper portrayed in STN MTN is something Gambino struggled with personally because deep down he knows that it isn’t genuine to his character, despite what could be his own desire to achieve that or pressures from others to become that. The product presented is one of genuinely high quality. I think that is perhaps one of the most ironic aspects of the whole concept: despite hearing or feeling like this style of rap is not where he fits best, he actually does what I consider to be a really good job. If you aren’t into this kind of music to begin with then don’t expect to be suddenly won over because it’s Childish Gambino, but if you can handle not taking it too seriously it’s fairly entertaining. The irony continues when he lists all the radio shout outs within the “dream” because he actually does receive recognition from the mentioned people. As far as I know Gambino is well respected on all of the mentioned radio shows and consistently receives praise for his skilled lyricism. While he may not “run Atlanta” from a music industry perspective he has reached a level of fame far above just being a famous rapper from ATL. While the STN MTN side may have had a slightly satirical flavour to it, he did not create an entire parody of a mixtape. Childish Gambino has accomplished not only what he describes to be “a dream”, but has found success in many other ways throughout his career(s) Part 3: Kauai Now that we have woken up from the “dream” we jump right into the song “Sober” and it’s very clear that the mood of the project has changed as we enter the second half. Gambino repeats many times “now that it’s over, I’ll never be sober” which can be interpreted in a few ways: this could very easily about the end of a meaningful relationship, or possibly the sobering reality now that he has woken from the initial dream. But either way it invokes the relatable emotions of sadness in the low following what was an exhilarating high, which can cause one to turn to a vice. This represents the other side to all the great things that go along with Gambino’s ever rising success but also sonically represents Gambino’s diversity. There is a heavy drop that sort of took me off guard the first time around that may surprise others as well who prefer the easy-going type of music in the rest of the song. I think that is a great example of Gambino not wanting into fit one particular genre, but just create good music. Gambino shows fantastic range across the back side of this album and does it in 3 fewer songs than the first half, including a “3005” remix dubbed the “Beach Picnic Version” and another ‘secret’ version. A dedicated fan found the secret track within the files as it was referenced on BTI and on Gambino’s twitter/interviews. Yet another example of r/donaldglover doing it big as Gambino gave them the official confirmation tweet. Another interesting dynamic on STN MTN/Kauai is the repeated appearances of Jaden Smith. I did not spend a lot of time unraveling BTI so I don’t have the best opinion on this, however I went and watched Gambino’s latest interviews for research and he explains how Jaden is essentially “the character created on BTI”. There are also some people who have suggested this project could serve as a prequel to BTI, using the connection between the two projects having the theme of “The Boy”. If you’re interested in hearing more about Gambino’s own thoughts on this project, I recommend checking out his interviews (link provided at bottom). He’s a well-spoken guy who is ahead of most other people in the industry. Jaden Smith receives a lot of criticism/attention due largely in part to the fact he is Will Smith’s kid, but he is creating a buzz for himself around his seemingly obscure tweets and budding music career. In the interviews Gambino discusses his thoughts on self-worth and how people need to turn their name into a brand, not to just get labelled into a single box. This mentality is very clear in the career Donald Glover has created. Personally I enjoyed the addition of Jaden into the picture because I have certainly read some of his tweets and scoffed, but this sort of disposition against a 14 year old kid who is an extremely unique position is pointless. “My nigga Jaden Smith droppin jewels and niggas don’t even believe him cuz he’s Jaden Smith” – Fam on “Late Night ft Jaden Smith”. I’m not saying I went a found a deep meaning within each one of Jaden’s tweets, but I know that before this project I certainly did not take much of what he said seriously. Following listening to the album and the interviews, I couldnt help but reflect on my own moments where I fall into judgmental mindsets without due cause. True to its Hawaiian namesake, Kauai has a warm- on-the-beach vibe, definitely reminiscent of all the artists mentioned in part 1. Kauai is not what I would call a “pop album” in the way that STN MTN was a “rap mixtape”. It’s an engaging mix of songs that certainly sound closer to the pop realm but don’t settle into any one genre. I think more people will find the Kauai side of the project easier to listen to and that’s mainly because it’s extremely good. “3005” is revived with a pair of bonus versions giving the song new life for me, for now at least. Gambino talks about how they intended “3005” to be the catchy radio song, which it was, during the BTI era because it’s got that ear worm affect. After, he laughs and admits that it also turns into a song that is irritating to hear after a while. I certainly agree with that sentiment but nestled within the folds of Kauai the new “3005” fits right in. Part 4: Conclusion I think the way this album made me self-reflect on several things, including my opinions on both Jaden Smith and Childish Gambino himself, is a testament to the creative ability of Donald Glover. He completely got me wrapped up in this project in a way that not many are able to. I’ve started writing interpretations like this before on other albums (I won’t name names) and find that after only a small bit of analysis I’ve reached the end of what there is to interpret. It is not uncommon for albums released these days to be nothing more than a collection of singles with a few fillers to round out the track list. The reason I was able to write so much was because I felt so strongly that Gambino really created an incredible project that shouldn’t be passed over quickly. This day and age it’s an ever shifting hype wave of what’s latest and greatest and people tend to listen to an album once or twice, keep the handful of songs they like best and move on. All I hope to accomplish here is help create some interesting conversation about this project, but also provide some perspective on ways to deeper consider any given album. A friend mentioned to me that I should make sure to finish this up ASAP so as to not miss said hype wave on this project, but I believe that albums should not be something that we consume and move on from in one week (or less). I hope I can get a few people to reconsider the way in which they experience albums, even if it’s just this one. TL;DR If you jump right to the TL;DR you may be skimming over the surface of STN MTN/Kauai and missing a lot of what this project has to offer. Relevant Links: * Childish Gambino interview w/ The Breakfast Club: ift.tt/1psh0sU * Childish Gambino interview w/ Rosenberg: ift.tt/1xzUAz4 * Bonus: Freestyle with Rosenberg: ift.tt/1xAboWt
Posted on: Wed, 08 Oct 2014 04:00:23 +0000
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