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 stereotypes. 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 Emmys 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)
SELECTED WORKS
Actor
Mufasa: The Lion King (2024), dir. Barry Jenkins
Childish Gambino Feat. Young Nudy: Little Foot Big Foot (2024), dir. Hiro Murai
Mr. and Mrs. Smith (2024), creators Francesca Sloane and Donald Glover
American Dream: The 21 Savage Story (2024), directors Stephen Glover, Jamal Olori, & Luis Perez
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (2023), directors Joaquim Dos Santos, Kemp Powers, & Justin K. Thompson
Guava Island (2019), dir. Hiro Murai
The Lion King (2019), dir. Jon Favreau
Childish Gambino: Feels Like Summer (2018), directors Ivan Dixon, Donald Glover, & Greg Sharp
Solo: A Star Wars Story (2018), dir. Ron Howard
Childish Gambino: This is America (2018), dir. Hiro Murai
Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017), dir. John Watts
Atlanta (2016-2022), creator Donald Glover
Childish Gambino Feat. Heems: Tell Me (2015), dir. Max (as directedbymax)
The Martian (2015), dir. Ridley Scott
Magic Mike XXL (2015), dir. Gregory Jacobs
China, IL (2015), directors Griffith Kimmins, Mike L. Mayfield, & Angelo Hatgistavrou
Ultimate Spider-Man (2015), directors Alex Soto, Roy Burdine, et al.
The Lazarus Effect (2015) dir. David Gelb
Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day (2014) dir. Miguel Arteta
Adventure Time (2013-2016), creator Pendleton Ward
The To-Do List (2013), dir. Maggie Carey
Community (2009 – 2014), creator Dan Harmon
30 Rock (2006-2012), creator Tina Fey
Writer
Atlanta (2016-2022), creator Donald Glover
Chicken and Futility (2014), dir. Donald Glover
Clapping for the Wrong Reasons (2013), dir. Hiro Murai
Childish Gambino: Fire Fly (2012)
Childish Gambino: Heartbeat (2012), dir. Kyle Newacheck
Donald Glover: Weirdo (TV Special) (2012), dir. Shannon Hartman
30 Rock (2008-2009), creator Tina Fey
Producer
Mr. and Mrs. Smith (2024), creators Francesca Sloane and Donald Glover
The Heart (2023), dir. Malia Obama
Swarm (2023), creators Janine Nabers and Donald Glover
Guava Island (2019), dir. Hiro Murai
Atlanta (2016-2022), creator Donald Glover
Clapping for the Wrong Reasons (2013), dir. Hiro Murai
Childish Gambino: Fire Fly (2012)
Childish Gambino: Heartbeat (2012), dir. Kyle Newacheck
Childish Gambino: Bonfire (2011), dir. Dan Eckman
Childish Gambino: Freaks and Geeks (2011), dir. Dan Eckman
Mystery Team (2009), dir. Dan Eckman
Director
Childish Gambino (2018)
Atlanta (2016-2022)
Jhene Aiko: The Pressure (2014)
Chicken and Futility (2014)
Childish Gambino Studio Albums
3.15.20 (2020)
“Awaken, My Love!” (2016)
Because the Internet (2013)
Camp (2011)
SELECTED 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/.
Coscarelli, Joe. “Hiro Murai on the 'Atlanta' Finale and 'This Is America' Video.” The New York Times, May 10, 2018. https://www.nytimes.com/2018/05/10/arts/hiro-murai-atlanta-finale-this-is-america-interview.html.
Friend, Tad. “Donald Glover Can't Save You.” The New Yorker, February 26, 2018. https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2018/03/05/donald-glover-cant-save-you.
Martin, Michel. “Donald Glover Explores A Surreal Feel In 'Atlanta'.” NPR, September 17, 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, August 23, 2016. https://www.vulture.com/2016/08/donald-glover-atlanta.html.
SELECTED REVIEWS
Phillips, Maya. “Sorry to Bother You and the New Black Surrealism.” Slate Magazine, July 18, 2018. https://slate.com/culture/2018/07/sorry-to-bother-you-get-out-atlanta-and-the-new-black-surrealism.html.
Johnson, Tre. “Donald Glover's 'This Is America' Is a Nightmare We Can't Look Away From.” Rolling Stone, May 8, 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, May 10, 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, May 8, 2018. https://www.spin.com/2018/05/donald-glover-this-is-america-review/.
Berman, Judy. “'This Is America': 8 Things to Read About Childish Gambino's New Music Video.” The New York Times, May 8, 2018. https://www.nytimes.com/2018/05/08/arts/music/childish-gambino-this-is-america-roundup.html.
St. Félix, Doreen. “The Carnage and Chaos of Childish Gambino's ‘This Is America.’” The New Yorker, May 7, 2018. https://www.newyorker.com/culture/culture-desk/the-carnage-and-chaos-of-childish-gambinos-this-is-america.
Young, Damon. “Making Donald Glover the 'Anti-Kanye' Is Gross and Wrong and Will Backfire, so Please Don't.” The Root, May 7, 2018. https://www.theroot.com/making-donald-glover-the-anti-kanye-is-gross-and-wrong-and-will-backfire-so-please-dont.
Kasambala, Natty. “Unpacking All the References in Childish Gambino's Phenomenal New Video.” Dazed, May 7, 2018. https://www.dazeddigital.com/music/article/39966/1/childish-gambino-this-is-america-meaning-jim-crow-dancing-liberty.
Neilan, Dan. “There's a Lot to Unpack in Childish Gambino's Dense, Disturbing New Video.” AV Club, May 7, 2018. https://www.avclub.com/theres-a-lot-to-unpack-in-childish-gambino-s-dense-dis-1825829202.
Kearse, Stephen. “Listen to ‘This Is America’ by Childish Gambino.” Pitchfork, May 7, 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, May 7, 2018. https://www.vanityfair.com/style/2018/05/donald-glover-this-is-america-review.
Guan, Frank. “What it means when Childish Gambino says 'This is America.’” Vulture, May 7, 2018. https://www.vulture.com/2018/05/what-it-means-when-childish-gambino-says-this-is-america.html.
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. https://dissentmagazine.org/article/atlanta-review-donald-glover-dreams-black-life-america/.
Harvilla, Rob. “The Surprising, Very Public Evolution of Donald Glover.” The Ringer, February 28, 2018. https://www.theringer.com/music/2018/2/28/17062250/donald-glover-evolution-childish-gambino-origins.
Dockterman, Eliana. "Donald Glover, Actor and Writer." Time 188, no. 9, (2016): 48.