Dec. 10, 2013, Childish Gambino released his second album, “Because the Internet” through Glassnote Records. It debuted at No. 7 on the Billboard 200 and received a Grammy nomination for “Best Rap Album.” This album has a thought-provoking story that many fans theorized and uncovered themselves.
“Because the Internet” spawned four singles: "3005," "I.Crawl," "Sweatpants" and "Telegraph Ave. (“Oakland” by Lloyd)." All of these songs are popular, but one stands out for many.
The song, “3005” is upbeat, with lyrics about loneliness often misconstrued as a love song. Lyrics like “Got a house full of homies, why I feel so the opposite” and “So, therefore, I’ve lost all hope of a happy ending,” allow listeners to understand his feelings of emptiness while living a “lavish” lifestyle.
We see this pattern throughout the album as we learn about his character.
When looking at the tracklist, listeners will notice that it is separated into five acts. The album goes along with a 72-page screenplay written by Gambino surrounding this character called “The Boy.” This screenplay is now available on the Dissect Podcast website.
“The Boy” is a spoiled teen who lives in a mansion, hangs out with friends and sits behind a screen "trolling" people on the internet. As we go through his story, we unravel his feelings about life. He experiences existentialism and tries to find freedom in his emotions.
In many interviews, we see Childish Gambino take on this character. His iconic brown jacket, white T-shirt, language use and lackadaisical attitude convey the album's character.
“Because the Internet” was an intriguing project. Gambino places the internet theme everywhere in pieces for the audience to dissect. This project featured a GIF as an album cover, a short film titled “Clapping for the Wrong Reasons,” fans discovering hard drives and a tour called “The Deep Web Tour” in 2014.
Many Gambino fans love this album because they see it as timeless. It aged well because there are connections between what the internet was then and what it is now.
One of his hit songs, “II. Worldstar,” features lyrics such as: "When it all go crazy when I hear that action, I'm a be Scorsese / My n---- hold it horizontal man, he a professional / (Damn my n----, be a professional, what you doin' man?).”
“Hold it horizontal” stuck with Gambino throughout this era. When we hold the camera horizontally rather than vertically, it becomes a wider picture. We get to see more action and room for finding conclusions. This serves as a long-time pattern in the internet age.
There is a line between fiction and reality. This album is surreal and allows questions, just like real life. Gambino created websites, accounts, games, interactive graphics and more for fans to interact with.
The album gave fans another look at who Childish Gambino is and how humans are complicated. The internet can be a place with a lack of vulnerability. Gambino saw the way the internet and real life are disconnected and wanted to bring them together.
Toward the end of the album, we hear “The Boy” give an overview of how things fall into place and the lessons we learn in life.
In “III. Life: The Biggest Troll [Andrew Auernheimer]” we hear lyrics like “Because the Internet, mistakes are forever / But if we f--- up on this journey, at least we're together” and “Eventually all my followers realize they don't need a leader / Stay on your own s---, f--- what these clones think.”
Life can be depressing, loving, embarrassing and joyful; make the best of it by being you.
Childish Gambino’s “Because the Internet” was ahead of its time. It has been quotable for 10 years. It is interconnected and multifaceted, like life and the World Wide Web. This album and the meanings behind it are subjective for any listener. Gambino encouraged thought and discovering identities during the “Because the Internet” era.
With 19 tracks and a run-time of 57 minutes and 52 seconds, go back, take a listen and celebrate the 10th anniversary of “Because of the Internet” by Childish Gambino.
