Camp (album)
Encyclopedia
Camp is the first studio album
, and fourth album overall, by American rapper Childish Gambino
(Community
actor Donald Glover), released on November 15, 2011 on Glassnote Records
. The release was co-written and co-produced in its entirety by long-time collaborator Ludwig Göransson. Camp features predominantly Hip-Hop and Gospel
based production styles, with noted Electronica
and R&B influences.
The album enjoyed an anticipated release following internet buzz created by previous singles "Freaks and Geeks" and "Bonfire", both of which were well received by music critics. Critical reception for the album has been highly positive.
Hot 97 radio show on September 17.
On October 14, he posted "All The Shine" on his website. The album features 13 tracks with no featured artists present on the track list released.
On October 31, 2011, Childish Gambino performed Camp in its entirety for the first time at the Brooklyn Bowl in Brooklyn, NY. The album was made available for pre-order on iTunes on November 1. On the same day, the music video for Bonfire was released through his website and YouTube
.
The album was made available in its entirety for streaming on NPR.com on November 6.
Sean Lynch of The Source Magazine granted Camp a rating of four mics (out of five) which he acknowledged on stage during his NYC show at Terminal 5, November 3.
said. "By the time Camp reaches the halfway point, all pre-conceived notions of what Gambino would bring to the table are pretty much void," said Under the Gun Review while FleshEatingZipper
remarked "Do yourself a favor and get your hands on this tasty little treat; dare I say this album may be my, or anyone else's, widest gateway into the rap scene." Evan Rytlewski of A.V. Club was more critical, writing "Camp is heavy with themes of racial expectations and cultural ostracism—big ideas that aren’t always done justice by Glover's cartoonishly exaggerated, one-liner-laden flow." Meanwhile, Adam Vitcavage from Paste Magazine found the album's message the most clear of all of the rapper's albums. "The duality of Childish Gambino’s lyrics plays off better than it ever has. One line will express an insecurity then the next he’ll tell his doubters to fuck off and make a joke about his dick again. On “Backpackers” he directly addresses those who refuse to believe a black comedian who wears short shorts can be such a talented rapper." He later went on to say, "It’s one of the few hip-hop albums that is worth listening full through every time to capture the story that is being told."
with 52,000 copies sold in its first week released.
Studio album
A studio album is an album made up of tracks recorded in the controlled environment of a recording studio. A studio album contains newly written and recorded or previously unreleased or remixed material, distinguishing itself from a compilation or reissue album of previously recorded material, or...
, and fourth album overall, by American rapper Childish Gambino
Donald Glover
Donald McKinley Glover is an American actor, writer, comedian, and musician. Glover first came to attention for his work in the sketch group Derrick Comedy, and is best known for his role as community college student Troy Barnes on the NBC comedy series Community...
(Community
Community (TV series)
Community is an American television comedy series created by Dan Harmon that airs on NBC. The series is about a group of students at a community college in the fictional locale of Greendale, Colorado. The series heavily uses meta-humor and pop culture references, often parodying film and television...
actor Donald Glover), released on November 15, 2011 on Glassnote Records
Glassnote Records
Glassnote Records is an independent record label launched by American music executive Daniel Glass in 2007. The label primarily has a lineup of indie rock and alternative rock artists...
. The release was co-written and co-produced in its entirety by long-time collaborator Ludwig Göransson. Camp features predominantly Hip-Hop and Gospel
Gospel
A gospel is an account, often written, that describes the life of Jesus of Nazareth. In a more general sense the term "gospel" may refer to the good news message of the New Testament. It is primarily used in reference to the four canonical gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John...
based production styles, with noted Electronica
Electronica
Electronica includes a wide range of contemporary electronic music designed for a wide range of uses, including foreground listening, some forms of dancing, and background music for other activities; however, unlike electronic dance music, it is not specifically made for dancing...
and R&B influences.
The album enjoyed an anticipated release following internet buzz created by previous singles "Freaks and Geeks" and "Bonfire", both of which were well received by music critics. Critical reception for the album has been highly positive.
Background
The album's lead single, "Bonfire," was debuted on Funkmaster Flex'sFunkmaster Flex
Aston George Taylor, Jr. better known as Funkmaster Flex is an American hip hop DJ, rapper, musician and producer on New York City's Hot 97 radio station and host of the hit MTV show Funk Flex Full Throttle....
Hot 97 radio show on September 17.
On October 14, he posted "All The Shine" on his website. The album features 13 tracks with no featured artists present on the track list released.
On October 31, 2011, Childish Gambino performed Camp in its entirety for the first time at the Brooklyn Bowl in Brooklyn, NY. The album was made available for pre-order on iTunes on November 1. On the same day, the music video for Bonfire was released through his website and YouTube
YouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
.
The album was made available in its entirety for streaming on NPR.com on November 6.
Sean Lynch of The Source Magazine granted Camp a rating of four mics (out of five) which he acknowledged on stage during his NYC show at Terminal 5, November 3.
Critical Response
Camp received generally favorable reviews from music critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an average score of 77, based on 15 reviews, which indicates "Generally favorable reviews". "The non-stop assault of killer beats and the deft balance between slick relationship fare and his soul-baring musings on not fitting in within Black America elevate the album to greatness," IGNIGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
said. "By the time Camp reaches the halfway point, all pre-conceived notions of what Gambino would bring to the table are pretty much void," said Under the Gun Review while FleshEatingZipper
FleshEatingZipper
FleshEatingZipper is an editorial and news website focusing on video gaming, the entertainment industry, and technology. The site was founded in January 2011 and quickly gained attention following their coverage of the Phoenix Comicon...
remarked "Do yourself a favor and get your hands on this tasty little treat; dare I say this album may be my, or anyone else's, widest gateway into the rap scene." Evan Rytlewski of A.V. Club was more critical, writing "Camp is heavy with themes of racial expectations and cultural ostracism—big ideas that aren’t always done justice by Glover's cartoonishly exaggerated, one-liner-laden flow." Meanwhile, Adam Vitcavage from Paste Magazine found the album's message the most clear of all of the rapper's albums. "The duality of Childish Gambino’s lyrics plays off better than it ever has. One line will express an insecurity then the next he’ll tell his doubters to fuck off and make a joke about his dick again. On “Backpackers” he directly addresses those who refuse to believe a black comedian who wears short shorts can be such a talented rapper." He later went on to say, "It’s one of the few hip-hop albums that is worth listening full through every time to capture the story that is being told."
Commercial Performance
The album debuted at number eleven on the Billboard 200Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
with 52,000 copies sold in its first week released.
Track listing
The official track listing was revealed on October 13th in an article on Rapdose.com.Charts
| Chart (2011) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Canadian Albums Chart Canadian Albums Chart The Canadian Albums Chart is the official album sales chart in Canada. It is compiled every Wednesday by U.S.-based music sales tracking company Nielsen Soundscan, and published every Thursday by Jam! Canoe and Billboard, along with its sister charts the Canadian Singles Chart and the Canadian BDS... |
22 |
| US Billboard 200 Billboard 200 The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists... |
11 |
| US Billboard R&B/Hip-Hop Albums | 2 |
| US Billboard Rap Albums Top Rap Albums Top Rap Albums is a record chart published by Billboard magazine that ranks Rap and hip-hop albums based on sales compiled by Nielsen SoundScan. The chart began publication for the week of November 13, 2004.... |
2 |