By Kyle Mantha

Childish Gambino is most known for his two albums “Because the Internet” and “Awaken, My Love!”, but he has been releasing music for the better part of a decade, and the majority of it is extremely overlooked. His amateurish debut mixtapes “Sick Boi” and “Poindexter” have thankfully been lost in the ever-moving internet hype machine, but the rest of his releases are all quality projects. From his series of ironically titled “I Am Just a Rapper” mixtapes to his free album “Culdesac”, Gambino has some seriously well-written and unique work under his belt.

Perhaps the most criminally overlooked record in Bino’s discography is his 2014 EP “Kauai.” Sandwiched between “Because the Internet” and “Awaken, My Love!”, the EP is often an afterthought when it comes to discussing his catalogue. However, it is actually one of his most ambitious and unique releases, and deserves to be discussed a lot more than it is.

The production on “Kauai” is a tasteful blend of soul, R&B, and pop. Bino spits very few bars on this project, and honestly, it’s kind of better that way. As much as I love Gambino’s confessional hashtag-rap style, he is truly at his best when he’s crooning over soulful instrumentation. His airy falsetto makes plenty of appearances on “Kauai”, and he spends a lot of time pondering philosophically about love, time, and happiness. Throughout the project, we find Gambino flirting with musical stylings that are reminiscent of Pharrell’s early work with Chad Hugo. The track “The Palisades”, produced by Christian Rich, pulls obvious influence from the Pharrell and Snoop Dogg collaboration “Beautiful”, as well as “Frontin’”, one of Pharrell’s most famous solo tracks.

One of the EP’s more notable aspects is that it contains several guest appearances from Jaden Smith, who plays the character of “The Boy”, who also happens to be the main character in “Because The Internet.” Much of Gambino’s work is concept heavy, but “Kauai” is by far the most obvious example of it. On “Because the Internet” and “Awaken, My Love!”, Gambino keeps the storyline embedded in multi-media projects like screenplays and concerts. “Kauai” is Bino’s only project where he directly tells the story in the music. Jaden appears on the tracks “Pop Thieves” and “Late Night in Kauai” and delivers spoken word monologues that make direct reference to the story of “The Boy.” The monologues are very spiritual and philosophical, making references to youthful love and the eternal search for connection.

Often times, EP’s are much more consistent than full-fledged albums. It makes perfect sense. There are less songs which means less room for filler tracks. Gambino is no exception to this rule. While “Because the Internet” and “Awaken, My Love!” are much more musically ambitious, “Kauai” is a phenomenal listen from start to finish. There isn’t a dull moment, and there is not a single track that feels strained or out of place. Even Jaden Smith’s lengthy monologues only serve to add to the project’s atmosphere. Gambino often says that he likes to build worlds with his albums, and while many would disagree, I think “Kauai” has achieved that effect to the highest degree.

Overall, “Kauai” is short, sweet, and casual. It’s a perfect listen for a day at the beach, a smoke session in a friend’s backyard on a summer day, or even if you’re just spending the day in your room doing nothing. It’s excellent chill music, which is something Gambino doesn’t make too often these days. Most of his music is very daunting, and demands the listener’s attention. That’s not a bad thing at all, but it’s nice for him to have a project that is able to act as background music to other activities. So while “Kauai” isn’t his most ambitious or inventive project, it’s certainly one of my favourites from his discography.



Kyle Mantha is a writer and musician living in Ontario, Canada. You can follow him on Twitter here.