Childish Gambino: Fire Fly [Video]

Thanks to GFUNK, we've been listening a little closer to Childish Gambino as of late, particularly his Royalty mixtape. At first, we found his flow a little to Kanye-ish, feeling as if he were unnecessarily reaching to be received as the next rebel. Yet, upon closer examination, it's evident that the essence of his success lies not in his lines (though not to undermine) but rather hides behind the less obvious elements, particularly his ear for electronica. Fire Fly, for example, opens with a student/skateboarder cooking chemicals in a lab, followed by an image of a planet that seems to close for comfort and quite frankly reminds us of Melancholia. Nevertheless, his approach is fresh, and in no way resembles any of the run of the mill rubbage that has hit our inbox as of late and for that he should be commended.