When Childish Gambino dropped off his sophomore album Because The Internet on this very day, six years ago, did he have any idea how well his album title might have aged? Perhaps the internet's unchanging and unpredictable nature is the only constant throughline between then and now. In 2013, Gambino was far removed from the artist he would evolve into. Still shaking off some of the Camp's camp, Gambino's reputation as "The Community Guy" proved an unexpected hurdle for the young creative. In that sense, Because The Internet felt like a statement in itself, one that would foreshadow (albeit in an unpolished fashion) his deeper visionary qualities.
As with any transition, especially an artistic one, there must always be an anchor point in which the comfort zone is retained. On Gambino's beloved sophomore project, "Worldstar" held that particular honor. Not entirely removed from the mischevious lyricism of its predecessor, "Worldstar" found Glover spitting a high-tempo flow with some conceptually relevant bars to match. "She on Hollywood and Vine, thinkin' that she Hollywood on Vine
Makin' movies with her friends all the time," he raps. "Showin' off her ass, that's a net twerk, but I saw through it like a wet shirt."
In a time where Glover's music was far from revered, Because The Internet played an important role in showcasing his potential in its rawest form. Here, ambitious ideas were given ample space to grow, with even his seemingly nonsensical lyrics tying into the deeper social commentary. In many ways, a retrospective listen of the album would be a welcome task -- especially given that the internet has changed so much and yet stayed unwaveringly the same. When was the last time you bumped Donald Glover's fan-favorite?
