Childish Gambino’s Royalty Mixtape Drops 7/4

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After debuting at number 11 with CAMP back in November, rapper/actor Donald Glover, better known as Childish Gambino, is back with Royalty, which dropped around 4 AM this morning.  The Atlanta rapper’s mixtape had a huge buildup, and was being called one of the biggest releases of the year. While the mixtape is feature-ridden, but unlike other feature heavy mixtapes, this one only has a few misses. Royalty has that same autobiographical, honest feel that CAMPhad, so fans will definitely feel it.

Royalty opens with the track, “We Ain’t Them”, which just might be my favorite track so far. (Admittedly, it was the first of the leaked tracks that I listened to, so I have an attachment.) He gives advice to listeners, saying, “speak from your heart and never compromise what you feel is real […], never let anybody tell you how to feel.”

Royalty has many features, ranging from well-known artists like Beck and Ghostface Killah, but the most interesting (and hilarious) featured artist is Glover’s former boss and mentor Tina Fey. Her “verse” on “Real Estate” is adorable, and reminded me of the shout out she received on “The Last” from a previous EP. (“I swear to God, Tina Fey gave me confidence/[…]/Everybody’s got a voice, you just got to follow it.”)

Overall, Gambino makes it hard to pick favorites, as the mixtape is a strong release. Skeptics can judge for themselves here, where the mixtape is available for download.

Notable tracks include “We Ain’t Them”; “Shoulda Known”; “Toxic” which has a Britney Spears sample; “Wonderful” ft. Josh Osho.