Around two years ago, I remember going through my daily
websites and checking out the latest Hip Hop music on my favorite Hip Hop music
blog when I stumbled upon a mixtape that immediately piqued my interest. Apparently, a rapper that I never heard of
before called Childish Gambino was releasing a mixtape called Culdesac. What caught my attention was that Childish
Gambino was also the actor/comedian named Donald Glover.
At the time, I only knew Donald Glover as a character named
Troy Barnes from the television show called Community, which I watched
religiously. Before I ever watched
Community, I never knew that Donald Glover was also a rapper. Because I loved his character so much on Community
and because of sheer curiosity, I decided to check out the mixtape---and boy,
was I in for a pleasant surprise.
I was lead to a website which contained the mixtape and I remember
seeing his face plastered on the back cover.
After I played the first song on the mixtape called “Difference,” I will
admit that I got teary eyed at the end of the song. It had touched my heart. It was a great intro because I immediately
connected with the lyrics in the song, mainly because of the combination of the
light piano melody and the eerie echoes of hearing Childish Gambino saying, “I
am just different…”
This intro affected me so profoundly because of what was
going on with my life during that time.
I was in high school when I first heard that song and I always felt
different from everybody else. I always
felt like the outsider looking in. I was
a loner.
As for the rest of the mixtape, each song was exactly what I
wanted to hear from a Rapper. Donald
Glover was coming from a different perspective than many other popular Rappers
I heard before and his music hit close to home.
After Culdesac, I continued to stay updated with Childish Gambino’s work. Once
he finally released his debut album, Camp, I knew I had to buy it. Camp was also the first album I had ever
bought by myself (with my Grandmother’s money).
To be honest, I cannot think of a song that I don’t like by
Childish Gambino. His whole catalog from
Culdesac to Royalty has been solid, in my opinion. Childish Gambino also influenced the way I
write songs when I decided to take Rapping seriously. As a matter of fact, “Freaks & Geeks” was
actually the song that inspired me to write my single, “Keep It Real.”
Childish Gambino played a large part in my decision to
continue pursuing a rapping career.
Childish Gambino expanded my perspective of what Hip Hop music could
be---an experience that is meant to inspire anyone working towards a
dream. Childish Gambino inspired me to
keep going with my decision, and I thank him for that. This is how Childish Gambino changed my life.
I would like to invite you, the reader, to share a conversation with me. How has Childish Gambino affected your life? Please leave your thoughts in the comments below. I'd love to hear what you have to say about this topic. If you have an idea for what I should write in my next blog, please comment below if you would like as well.
Thank you for reading this blog post.
I would like to invite you, the reader, to share a conversation with me. How has Childish Gambino affected your life? Please leave your thoughts in the comments below. I'd love to hear what you have to say about this topic. If you have an idea for what I should write in my next blog, please comment below if you would like as well.
Thank you for reading this blog post.
