Donald Glover / Childish Gambino
About the Artist
Donald Glover is an actor, writer, and Grammy award-winning musician. Glover uses the stage name Childish Gambino for his musical work, and his song and video “This Is America” has been widely acclaimed for its powerful criticism of U.S. gun culture, police brutality, and black stereotype. Guan writes, “The incongruousness of Glover, raised middle-class and a NYU graduate, bragging about his Mexican drug supplier and threatening to have you gunned down, is intentional: it’s a tribute to the cultural dominance of trap music and a reflection on the ludicrous social logic that made the environment from which trap emerges, the logic where money makes the man, and every black man is a criminal.”
Glover’s award-winning series Atlanta is likewise a groundbreaking step for black cinema. The series boasts a pair of Emmy’s and Golden Globes for its depiction of day to day life in Atlanta. Glover calls Atlanta a “Trojan Horse” because it can claim an all black team of writers in addition to the all black stars. The content is a mixture of black politics grounded in daily life and dreamlike surrealist content. However, Atlanta’s main director Hiro Murai is careful to keep the dreamlike content tonally neutral to maintain its intended effect. Glover has since co-directed an animated music video short for his Childish Gambino song titled “Feels Like Summer.” The video maintains this merging of the everyday with the political through surrealist sensibilities, and it expresses a sorrowful nostalgia as Gambino strolls through a familiar neighborhood, reflects on the changes, and ties those material changes to the spectacle of popular and political culture. In forging ties between the individual and U.S. media culture, he continues this tradition where real-world effects appear as if they might only be explained away by the magic distortions typical of an animated realm.
See Michele Prettyman, “The Persistence of "Wild Style": Hip-Hop and Music Video Culture at the Intersection of Performance and Provocation” JCMS: Journal of Cinema and Media Studies 59, no. 2 (Winter 2020).
Promotional still, Atlanta (2016)
Promotional still, Atlanta (2018)
Promotional still, Atlanta (2016)
Select Works:
Actor:
Guava Island (2019), dir. Hiro Murai
The Lion King (2019), dir. Jon Favreau
Childish Gambino: Feels Like Summer (Video Short) (2018), directors. Ivan Dixon, Donald Glover, & Greg Sharp
Atlanta (TV Series) (2016-), directors Hiro Murai, Donald Glover, Amy Seimetz, & Janicza Bravo
Solo: A Star Wars Story (2018), dir. Ron Howard
Childish Gambino: This is America (Video Short) (2018), dir. Hiro Murai
Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017), dir. John Watts
Adventure Time (TV Series) (2013-2016), directors Bong Hee Han, Larry Leichliter, Elizabeth Ito, et al
Childish Gambino Feat. Heems: Tell Me (Video Short) (2015), dir. Max
The Martian (2015), dir. Ridley Scott
Magic Mike XXL (2015), dir. Gregory Jacobs
China, IL (TV Series) (2015), directors Griffith Kimmins, Mike L. Mayfield, & Angelo Hatgistavrou
Ultimate Spider-Man (TV Series) (2015), directors Alex Soto, Roy Burdine, et al
The Lazarus Effect (2015) dr. David Gelb
Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day (2014) dir. Miguel Arteta
The To-Do List (2013), dir. Maggie Carey
Community (TV Series) (2009 – 2014), directors Tristram Shapeero, Joe Russo, Anthony Russo, et al
30 Rock (TV Series) (2006-2012), directors Don Scardino, Beth McCarthy-Miller, John Riggi, et al
Writer:
Atlanta (TV Series) (2016-)
Chicken and Futility (Short) (as Childish Gambino) (2014), dir. Donald Glover
Clapping for the Wrong Reasons (Short) (2013), dir. Hiro Murai
Childish Gambino: Fire Fly (Video Short) (2012)
Childish Gambino: Heartbeat (Video Short) (2012), dir. Kyle Newacheck
Donald Glover: Weirdo (TV Special) (2012), dir. Shannon Hartman
30 Rock (TV Series) (2008-2009)
Producer:
Atlanta (TV Series) (2016-)
Clapping for the Wrong Reasons (Short) (2013)
Childish Gambino: Fire Fly (Video Short) (2012)
Childish Gambino: Heartbeat (Video Short) (2012)
Childish Gambino: Bonfire (Video Short) (2011)
Childish Gambino: (Freaks and Geeks)
Mystery Team (2009), dir. Dan Eckman
Director:
Childish Gambino (Video Short) (2018)
Atlanta (TV Series) (2016-)
Jhene Aiko: The Pressure (Video Short) (2014)
Chicken and Futility (Short) (2014)
Childish Gambino Studio Albums:
3.15.20 (2020)
“Awaken, My Love!” (2016)
Because the Internet (2013)
Camp (2011)
Select Interviews:
Heaf, Johnathan. “An Extraordinary Conversation Between Michaela Coel and Donald Glover.” GQ, September 29, 2020. https://www.gq.com/story/michaela-coel-donald-glover-in-conversation
Mandell, Andrea. “Donald Glover: From redoing Simba after losing his father to his funny Blue Ivy encounter.” USA Today, July 16, 2019. https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/movies/2019/07/16/lion-king-donald-glover-redid-simba-lines-after-losing-dad/1728489001/
Friend, Tad. “Donald Glover Can't Save You.” The New Yorker, The New Yorker, 31 May 2018,
Coscarelli, Joe. “Hiro Murai on the 'Atlanta' Finale and 'This Is America' Video.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 11 May 2018,
Martin, Michel. “Donald Glover Explores A Surreal Feel In 'Atlanta'.” NPR, NPR, 17 Sept. 2016. https://www.npr.org/2016/09/17/494390868/donald-glover-explores-a-surreal-feel-in-atlanta.
Browne, Rembert. “Donald Glover Turns His Eye to His Hometown – and Black America – in Atlanta.” Vulture, Vulture, 23 Aug. 2016.
Select Reviews:
Phillips, Maya. “Sorry to Bother You and the New Black Surrealism.” Slate Magazine, Slate, 18 July 2018,
St. Félix, Doreen. “The Carnage and Chaos of Childish Gambino's ‘This Is America.’” The New Yorker, The New Yorker, 17 July 2018,
Johnson, Tre. “Donald Glover's 'This Is America' Is a Nightmare We Can't Look Away From.” Rolling Stone, Rolling Stone, 25 June 2018. https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/donald-glovers-this-is-america-is-a-nightmare-we-cant-afford-to-look-away-from-630177/
Moore, Sam. “Donald Glover Finally Arrived as a Superstar with His Visceral 'This Is America' Video – and Now 2018 Is His for the Taking.” NME, 10 May 2018. https://www.nme.com/blogs/nme-blogs/donald-glover-childish-gambino-this-is-america-video-2018-2311574
Daramola, Israel. “The Cynicism of Childish Gambino's ‘This Is America.’” Spin, 9 May 2018. https://www.spin.com/2018/05/donald-glover-this-is-america-review/
Young, Damon. “Making Donald Glover the 'Anti-Kanye' Is Gross and Wrong and Will Backfire, so Please Don't.” Very Smart Brothas, 8 May 2018.
Berman, Judy. “'This Is America': 8 Things to Read About Childish Gambino's New Music Video.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 8 May 2018.
Kasambala, Natty. “Unpacking All the References in Childish Gambino's Phenomenal New Video.” Dazed, Dazed Digital, 7 May 2018.
Neilan, Dan. “There's a Lot to Unpack in Childish Gambino's Dense, Disturbing New Video.” AV News, AV Club, 7 May 2018.
Kearse, Stephen. “Listen to ‘This Is America’ by Childish Gambino.” Pitchfork, 7 May 2018. https://pitchfork.com/reviews/tracks/childish-gambino-this-is-america/
Collins, K. Austin. “Donald Glover's ‘This Is America’ Is a Stylish, Ambitious Provocation-But What Is It Actually Selling?” Vanity Fair, 7 May 2018.
Guan, Frank. “What it means when Childish Gambino says 'This is America.’” Vulture, 2018.
Osman, Ladan. “Slaying New Black Notions Childish Gambino’s ‘This Is America.’” World Literature Today, no. 4, (2018):40.
Stephen, Bijan. "Atlanta Dreaming." Dissent, vol. 65, no. 3, (Summer 2018): 7-10.
Harvilla, Rob. “The Surprising, Very Public Evolution of Donald Glover.” The Ringer, 28 Feb. 2018. https://www.theringer.com/music/2018/2/28/17062250/donald-glover-evolution-childish-gambino-origins
Dockterman, Eliana. "Donald Glover, Actor and Writer." Time188, no. 9, (2016): 48.