Donald Glover, under the name, Childish Gambino made his major studio debut with his album, Camp. Released on November 15, 2011, Camp took the hip-hop world by storm by adding a more alternative take to the genre, with the help of Glassnote Records. Being new to the music business, Glover decided to take freedom in his songwriting while receiving help with the instrumental from his longtime producer, Ludwig Göransson, and created a chaotic and smooth album. Running for about an hour, Camp consists of 13 songs and created a major entry for Childish Gambino into the music industry.
Introduction
Camp had a major impact in making it cool to add alternative and unique elements to hip-hop. Through rapping and gorgeous harmonies, every track has an impact on the album, whether or not it is good. Ludwig Göransson impacted the music greatly by adding synth-bass along with stringed instruments, which added depth and dynamics to the beat. Gambino’s melodic vocals carried most of the songs along with his fast-paced raps, with his background vocals completing the album. Camp is filled with metaphors that convey themes of ostracization, harmful stereotypes, and relationships. Camp is an interfering album with the themes and production behind it but only a few songs truly stick out as amazing.
Production
After seeing potential in his earlier EP, Glassnote Records signed Gambino and began production for Camp immediately, with the help of Ludwig Göransson. Drums and strings of a guitar were added throughout the album to contrast against Gambino’s aggressive tone. Contributing to the hip-hop feel of the album, heavy bass, and keyboards were added along with a synth that creates a presence around the music. Without these instruments, Glover’s vocals would feel out of place and empty. The music adds emotions that contribute to the popularity of the album.
Vocal Performance
Childish Gambino was just learning his vocal range when this album came out, experimenting with many vocals to find the best sound for each track. On most of the songs, he went in the correct direction with his vocal performance. The smoothness of his voice added to the complexity of the music, blending well to make a few of the songs stand out; however, some of the tracks like “Letter Home” and “Backpackers” lack the precise vocals and are forgettable. Gambino’s rap style carries most of the songs in this album which lack the singing portions and adds to the already complicated instrumentals. The background vocals also add a lot by creating a dramatic environment that comes together seamlessly with Gambino’s rapping style.
Meaning
Gambino jam-packs meaning into each of his songs on Camp. Throughout the album, we see themes of not feeling enough, relationships and struggles with harsh stereotypes as Gambino attempts to make people feel less alone in their challenges. The album tells Childish Gambino’s story and how he persevered passed all of his traumatic experiences. He speaks of his struggle with his identity as a person in “Outside” and “That Power.” We understand Gambino’s love relationships with “Les” and “Heartbeat” where he confesses that he is in love with a woman who is perfect for him and life. In the songs “You See Me” and “Kids,” we learn of Gambino’s troublesome upbringing and how it made him feel like he wasn’t enough. By the end of both songs, he overcomes his thoughts and shares his experiences with others in his music to make them feel less alone. Even though not every song on Camp sounds the best, the meaning behind each one elevates the complexity of the album.
Conclusion
Although this album has good songs on it, it isn’t the best we have heard from Chilish Gambino. The production creates an effective environment for the vocals to shine, yet they don’t thrive as they should. The meaning elevates the album to new heights but feels like something is missing. Being Gambino’s first album, Camp is a great album, but not his best.
Song Rankings:
- “Les”
- “Heartbeat”
- “Outside”
- “Sunrise”
- “That Power”
- “You See Me”
- “All The Shine”
- “Hold You Down”
- “Kids”
- “Bonfire”
- “Fire Fly”
- “Backpackers”
- “Letter Home”
Strongest Track ~ “Les” is the best song to come off of this album. With themes of admiration and being one’s self, Gambino’s vocals create an atmosphere around the message. Beautiful strings from a violin tied together with a precise drumbeat add depth to the feeling of the song. With a run time of 5:17, “Les” gives the listener chills due to its profound deeper meaning. Even though the song is long, Gambino uses every second to his advantage to create a calming yet emotional track. The song is a love letter that is written for the most perfect person in Gambino’s life and it’s only fitted that the song matches the vibe of that person.
Final Notes
Song rankings are always subject to change over time, so don’t take these too to heart. They also are just our opinion. We would love to hear your opinions, so leave them in the comment section below. We also suggest subscribing to our blog. To do so, go under the tab “Contact” and fill out the form. That will allow you to receive emails of new blogs and maybe get them ahead of time. Finally, go give Camp a listen for yourself.