It’s been said before, but I’m saying it again: Donald Glover is a rising star. He was nominated for a Writers Guild of America award for his writing on 30 Rock, his “Troy” on Community is one of the best characters on television to this date, and he raps on the side as “Childish Gambino”.
Childish Gambino recently appeared here in Orlando to promote his upcoming album, Camp, which will be released on November 15th. It will be his first official album, as all of the other music released by Childish Gambino has been free, available for download through Donald Glover’s Twitter, Tumblr, blog, or Soundcloud.
I wasn’t able to attend, but the music site Too Good For Radio has a good write-up on his Orlando concerts. I’ve been a huge fan of Donald Glover for the last three years, but I’m a recent convert to the Childish Gambino cult.
When comedic actors or writers try a new field, whether it’s music, novels, art, or any other creative pursuit, it’s either going to be funny, like Denis Leary’s Asshole, or it’s going to fail. There are certainly exceptions, like Steve Martin, Tom Hanks, and Jamie Foxx, and it’s safe to say that we can add Childish Gaminbo to that list. Check out his video for “Freaks and Geeks”. Only listen to at work if you’re allowed to talk about fuckin’ bitches:
Donald Glover doesn’t rap because he’s trying to prove anything. He does it because it’s something that he loves and is passionate about. This is clear with lyrics from one of my favorite Childish Gambino tracks, “Bitch Look At Me Now”:
And this is me relaxing, rappin’ is my hobby
I did this in my bedroom where I separate my laundry
Watchin’ old episodes of Shining Time Station
You are now listening to my mouth on vacation……I’mma try to make my street cred stack up
I mean I’m rapping over Grizzly Bear, what the fuck?
Gather swagger up, before I take it all
You started rapping when you wasn’t good at basketball
I started rapping cause I fucking need some Adderall
Childish Gambino reminds me of Eminem. He was the first rap artist who had lyrics that I considered to have an almost poetic nature, sharp and intelligent, making references to life, pop culture, and the past with a degree almost as frequent as Dennis Miller. Donald Glover’s intelligence, geekiness, and horniness all show through in his lyrics–he doesn’t shy away from talking explicitly about sex, but there’s something refreshing about it. It’s like he’s saying “Yeah, I know, it’s fucking dirty, but this is what guys think about.”
This is not music you listen to with your kids in the car. You put on Childish Gambino when you want to listen to catchy, clever, sharp rap music as you roll down the windows of your minivan on your way to pick your kids up from soccer.
Want to listen to more Childish Gambino? If you have Spotify, you can subscribe to my Childish Gambino playlist.
Do you have a band to recommend? Let me know in the comments or by smoke signal.
[source]
About Avitable
