To put things into greater context, let’s look back at a few albums by hip-hop artists considered to not sound like or, by some fans, even be “hip-hop” by certain standards, and examine their importance and impact on the forward motion of the music. giving us “In Search of…,” would we have a Tyler The Creator or an Earl Sweatshirt to speak of? Not even a little bit. Without Kanye going left on “808’s & Heartbreak,” how would Drake, Kid Cudi or Chance the Rapper fit into today’s hip hop landscape? Without N.E.R.D. And they inspire and give birth to other artists and movements. ![]() They make both hip-hop artists and fans feel caught off guard, sit up and take notice, and search out and discover new sounds, unfamiliar territory and new possibilities. They prevent things from becoming boring. They help hip-hop from staying in a state of stagnation. Moments in music and albums such as “Awaken, My Love!” are vital to both the preservation and the forward motion of hip-hop music and culture. Over the years, there have been plenty of albums by hip-hop artists that are deemed to not be “hip-hop,” or that are categorized as not sounding like a traditional hip-hop album, be they debut albums or albums by established artists that were born from a sense of wanting to try something new. It’s an idea that’s existed in hip-hop for decades. Of course, the idea of an artist like Childish Gambino releasing and album like “Awaken, My Love!” after finding some success with one style or another is nothing new. So he purposely created something that was completely different than the wounded millennial first world problems on “Because the Internet” or the conceptual diversions of “STN MTN/Kauai.” ![]() You get shades of classic funk and rock albums like “Stand!,” “Maggot Brain,” “Cosmic Slop,” and “Electric Ladyland.”Īnd that’s clearly the method to his madness: Glover doesn’t want to be boxed into any little compartment when it comes to his acting, writing or music. When you listen to “Awaken,” you are reminded of James Brown, of Jimi Hendrix, of Sly and the Family Stone, George Clinton and Parliament Funkadelic, of Bootsy Collins and his Rubber Band, and Prince. Not only did his new FX series “Atlanta” win two Golden Globes and two Writer’s Guild Awards, but Glover also released another studio album under his emcee moniker, Childish Gambino, with “Awaken, My Love!” The album was received to high critical acclaim and birthed the hit single “Redbone.”īut “Awaken, My Love!” sounds nothing like any of the other projects that Glover has done before. ![]() In 2016, he had what was arguably the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed year of his career. Donald Glover is an artistic, creative juggernaut.
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