torre_avenue
Banned
I don't listen to his music. My brother does though. To me he came across as a derivative of Drake.
You're not wrong. Both Drake and Gambino are in the same mold: rappers-singers that people don't take seriously. However, while Drake leaned into that image, Gambino's trying to differentiate himself from that. He doesn't want to be that comedy dude who raps, he wants to be taken seriously. A lot of stuff on Because The Internet, thematically at least, explored the same space as "Take Care" did: loneliness, love, emptiness, etc. However, what Glover is appearing to do that post-"Take Care" Drake didn't do is furthering the artistry of Gambino. A lot of people give him shit for being a comedy rapper with an emphasis on witty wordplay instead of something more meaningful, but he's gotten a lot better. ROYALTY featured a shit-ton of people who since blew up (Schoolboy Q, Danny Brown, HAIM, Kristen Schaal), implying that he has an ear for talent. BTI featured a strong set of core themes that grounded a really flimsy and superficial script that seemed more focused on ennui than something cohesive. If anything, whatever his third album is or will be should use those two as its pillars and really deliver something meaningful. Plus, another song in the vein of "3005" or the beach version would be too dope.