Since "Because the Internet," Childish Gambino (the music alias of actor/comedian Donald Glover) has been experimenting with what hip-hop can be. He's not the first rapper to sing a lot on his albums, and he's not the first to use trippy, beach-psych beats, but he pushes the boundaries of the genre more than most.
Now, he's out with a mixtape and an EP, all at the same time: "STN MTN / Kauai." They're connected through a light narrative — "STN MTN" is his dream of being on top of the early 2000s Atlanta hip-hop scene, while "Kauai" is set on the beaches of the Hawaiian island after he wakes up. Accordingly, "STN MTN" is all throwback and turn-of-the-century bravado, while "Kauai" showcases his soulful experimentalism.
"Kauai" is the stronger of the two, the natural evolution of the unique blend of weird digression and poppy appeal of "Because the Internet." The EP is "set" in Kauai, one of the main Hawaiian islands (the profits for the EP sales actually go to cleaning up the island), and its lush, peaceful songs reflect the island's spirit well.
It's also not really a rap album. Single "Sober" leads off the album, and Gambino doesn't rap once on the track. Instead, he croons with the best of them, laying down light R&B lyrics across an upbeat, spaced-out beat. "Oh honey now girl" isn't lyrical wildfire, but the way Gambino sings it, it's like honey for the ears.
"Late Night in Kauai" is a contemplative beauty, more a confessional than a song. The beat is nothing but minimalist drums, over which Gambino, close friend and collaborator Fam and Jaden Smith — yes, that Jaden Smith — lay down something in-between rap and beat poetry.
Jaden Smith's presence on the album may seem confusing, but according to Gambino, Smith perfectly fits his vision of "The Boy," a metanarrative character representing youthful, urban ennui that showed up in Gambino's script for "Because the Internet."
Smith fits in better than you'd think — he raps with a delicate flow and his perspective is nakedly, refreshingly immature, but never in an obnoxious way. As Fam says on "Late Night in Kauai": "My n---a Jaden Smith dropping jewels and n---as don't believe him 'cause he's Jaden Smith, but it's all about the packaging, right?"
"Kauai" is alternatingly thoughtful and infectiously fun. It goes down smooth, but it's no forgettable EP — this one should be on playlists for years to come.
"STN MTN" is clearly a passion project for Gambino, who grew up in the actual Stone Mountain suburb in Atlanta. If its goal is just to faithfully recreate the style and feeling of early 2000s Atlantan hip-hop, then it succeeds, but it follows its concept at the expense of quality.
The lyrics default back to old hip-hop standards: braggadocio, sex, drugs, owning the game. It's all perfectly fine — most hip-hop fans have gotten used to listening to lackluster lyrics as long as the rest of the song is good enough, but Gambino can do better. It never hits the level of wish fulfillment that rap's most outsized storytellers like Rick Ross or Young Thug thrive in.
The biggest issue is that Gambino's just not great at getting dirty. Lots of gangsta rap songs serve as portals to an exaggerated version of the hood, and there's a lot of fun to be had with their transportive quality. "STN MTN," however, feels like Gambino dressing up — it hits all the right beats, but it's too academic to really hit home.
That being said, it's definitely possible that "STN MTN" hits your sweet spot. It harkens back to a very specific kind of hip-hop, and some of the songs, such as "All Yall," really have a lot of fun with the format. However, as a Gambino project, it smacks of an inessential diversion.
Though concepted as companion pieces, "STN MTN" and "Kauai" are two very different beasts. "Kauai" stands alone much better than the sometimes gimmicky "STN MTN" does.