By: Djimon Danner
Childish Gambino, a.k.a. Donald Glover, is an actor, writer, comedian, rapper, singer and record producer who has released two innovative projects this fall. He has developed a gangsta grillz mixtape produced by DJ DRAMA, titled STN MTN as well as an original album, Kauai. The two projects have been deliberately paired as they are a juxtaposition of ideas and styles. The separation between his two projects shows his versatility, while the intertwining styles and motifs demonstrate his depth.
STN MTN falls within the gangsta rap category and sounds like his previous mixtape Royalty, in which he was trying something new and sounding more “gangsta” . Kauai opposes STN MTN with a more lethargic vibe and a hip pop sound. Gambino describes the STN MTN mixtape as a dream in which he “runs” Atlanta, and Kauai begins when he wakes up from the dream on a beach in Kauai. The character played by Jaden Smith, “the boy” from Kauai, is the same character throughout his previous projects and also STN MTN. All of his albums are just one big story, but each album is separated to express a certain part of the story.
The mixtape has 11 songs which can be downloaded for free through websites like datpiff.com. Kauai can be purchased for $6.99 on itunes. In an interview, Gamino told Complex News that half of the proceeds will go to the Hawaiian island of Kauai, which has been struggling with pollution. The other half goes to policies to enforce rules for police to wear video and audio cams due to a rise in police violence.
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