Gambino ‘needs to go back’ to original style

A person might recognize Donald Glover as a character on the NBC show “Community.” But Glover is also a rapper who goes by the Wu-Tang generated name Childish Gambino, and he recently released his mix tape “STN/MTN.”

The California-born, Atlanta-raised rapper is striving for some success in the rap game rather than being known for his time spent as a writer on “30 Rock.”

An example of this would be his moderately popular song “3005.”

His album before the STN/MTN mix tape titled “Because the Internet,” which featured “3005,” was a stepping stone in his rap career with features from one of the new faces of rap — Chance the Rapper.

But Gambino is starting to sound less like himself and more like a singer who is trying to blend the styles of Frank Ocean and Drake.

The evidence of that blend is heavy in the song “Move That Dope/Nextel Chirp/Let Your Hair Blow.”

The song was produced by DJ Mike WiLL Made It, who has produced for many current pop stars, including Miley Cyrus and Lil Wayne. The song seems to be the mix tape’s hopeful golden ticket to fame.

Gambino also tends to repeat the same words throughout the mix tape, blatant in songs “Southern Hospitality” and “F***s Given.”

The album sounds as if he has hit writer’s block.

Coming from a fan’s point of view, Gambino needs to drop the similarities of Drake and go back to the style he began rapping with.

He started out by writing his songs about how much “Saturday Night Live” star Tina Fey helped get him through personal problems like alcoholism. Gambino would also make jokes in his songs about how people have thought he was Danny Glover’s son.

Overall, the mix tape was enjoyable to listen to, but Gambino’s diminishing creativity was thick. Hopefully Glover can take some time off and write some really great music in the future.