Watched Jimmy Fallon last night. Not a bad episode. Musical guest was Donald Glover, aka Childish Gambino. I heard and didn't like his old stuff, but someone told me to listen to his new material, that he had gone in a new R&B funk direction. Haven't had a chance to listen to the record, but I did see this performance on Fallon last night.

I'm eager to hear what y'all thought, but, man, was that terrible. Shameless unoriginal ripoff of Prince and TTD with no stage presence and a voice going all over the place, off key, out of tune and bizarre intonations. Didn't care for it, don't really get the "rave reviews." Someone's gotta fill me in.

The falsetto's pretty bad, I agree.

The song might be a decent with some other singer. I didn't really get a Prince vibe from it, as the first song that came to my mind was Bootsy's "I'd Rather Be With You". Of course, the way the song "climaxes" towards the end might remind of Prince.

why he ain't got no shirt on?

a bunch of Bullshit!

next...

scratch said:

peedub said:

helium voice

and a

body that is not shaped to go shirtless.

laurarichardson said:

laurarichardson said:

peedub said:

why he ain't got no shirt on?

No big deal Prince had his shirt off all the time back in the day.

Prince and Terence Trent D'Arby did it, but they had bodies too show off, incredibly moves and stage presence. This guy is flabby, and he just... stands there. Very awkward performance. Prince and TTD both had voices that could capitvate, too, even if they just stood there and didn't dance their asses off.

I don't even see it as a Prince ripoff, and even if it were, it would be a failed one.

WORD!

peedub said:

laurarichardson said:

No big deal Prince had his shirt off all the time back in the day.

Yeah, because he was sexy. This dude's just....standing.

Plus they knew when to stop it!!!

as Prince said...

OLD SKIN is Just.. OLD!

scratch said:

laurarichardson said:

peedub said: No big deal Prince had his shirt off all the time back in the day.

Prince and Terence Trent D'Arby did it, but they had bodies too show off, incredibly moves and stage presence. This guy is flabby, and he just... stands there. Very awkward performance. Prince and TTD both had voices that could capitvate, too, even if they just stood there and didn't dance their asses off.

This guy is like a black version of Eminem. If he was white, he would be huge. His falsetto is not bad and no better than Timberlake's. He has skills though. Check this out:

His first album Camp is a classic.

novabrkr said:

the first song that came to my mind was Bootsy's "I'd Rather Be With You"

He totally Pharrell'd "I'd Rather Be With You" on this.

scratch said:

a voice going all over the place, off key, out of tune

novabrkr said:

The falsetto's pretty bad, I agree.

He is lucky it wasn't The Apollo.

i may be biased, but i thought he did fine...he does need some more work on his stage presence ...and as a man, im not gonna judge his appearance too harshly...but yeah, he might need to put some clothes on...he'll get it right...this dude is too talented not to figure it out.... Prince at The Capri Theater in 1979 didnt go well either, but he eventually got it right... not putting Donald Glover on Prince's level, just saying, mastering the live performance aspect of being an entertainer doesnt come right away... he's still transitioning from being a rapper/actor/comedian/writer ...still probably trying to find his voice and persona as a singer...

scratch said:

This guy is flabby, and he just... stands there.

Never hurt Rick Ross' career to perform without a shirt, and compared to him, Gambino is anorexic. Rick has lost some weight though.

3rdeyedude said:

This guy is like a black version of Eminem. If he was white, he would be huge. His falsetto is not bad and no better than Timberlake's. He has skills though. Check this out:

His first album Camp is a classic.

don't like this... awkward, corny and bad lyrics imo. i really, really, really don't like anything about this.

but then again, i thought Camp was one of the worst albums I've ever heard. This new one is a masterpiece by comparison.

scratch said:

RJOrion said:

scratch said:

don't like this... awkward, corny and bad lyrics imo. i really, really, really don't like anything about this.

but then again, i thought Camp was one of the worst albums I've ever heard. This new one is a masterpiece by comparison.

nah, Camp was good... you buggin

"my dick is like an accent mark, all about the over-E's"... "And I'm cumming on her face, have I gone too far? I don't know, who cares, I don't love that broad..." "No period like menopause"... "I've seen it all, I'm John Mayer's penis hole" just really snot worthy cringy annoying garbage. one of the worst albums of all time.

i mean just listen to that... defend it if you want.

Ouch! Tough crowd.

I liked it. I think it's a really good track, even if it is audibly aping Bootsy. Sometimes, recapitulations of older stuff just strike me as tired nostalgia and sometimes artists seem to dig out something from the past that sounds relevant to the current moment. And, for reasons I'd probably struggle to fully explain, I take this as the latter. I don't mind a bit of imperfection in the live vocal. This is the funk, people.

I agree he looks a bit awkward with no top on, and that he doesn't quite cut the sculpted figure of Prince or TTD in their respective heydays. Kind of reminded me of those live pics of Marvin Gaye when he had stripped down and it all seemed a bit tawdry and uncalled for. (The writer Caryl Phillips once wrote a great essay about how disturbing he found this 'Mr Sex Machine' image when he finally got to see Marvin in 1981, having been drawn to the senstitive and politically conscious dimensions of his work.) That said, this dude's torso must surely be in the upper quintile of hawtness of the population as a whole. Choosy muhfuckers giving that the thumbs down. What the hell do you go home to??

Wasnt no Prince rip off. Get that album tho. Its hot stuff. Def nod to George Clinton more than anything.

I did know Rick Ross had a career

MickyDolenz said:

scratch said:

This guy is flabby, and he just... stands there.

Never hurt Rick Ross' career to perform without a shirt, and compared to him, Gambino is anorexic. Rick has lost some weight though.

I needed that laugh, What criteria do they use to sign people to record deals these days?

free2bfreeda said:

helium voice

and a

body that is not shaped to go shirtless.

Exactly.

Prince was small but toned. And he didn't sound like a chipmunk.

babynoz said:

free2bfreeda said:

helium voice

and a

body that is not shaped to go shirtless.

Exactly.

Prince was small but toned. And he didn't sound like a chipmunk.

I'm seconding, thirding, and fourthing this emotion. I don't see the Prince ripoff - I just see someone who wishes he was D'Angelo's twin, at best, but comes off more like that guy from Community who thinks he's a singe........oops.

laurarichardson said:

I did know Rick Ross had a career

This is Rick's newest video that came out this month and it currently has 5,147,600 views. It's not Black Beatles numbers, but it means he still has an audience who is interested in him.

you old crusty beer belly ass orgers up in here. Y'all bitch because every year cause no ones ''funky'' anymore. Then Gambino makes a fire album with great fucking r&b and funk production. And y'all mad cause he inspired by prince? and that was not even a Prince rip off. Maybe y'all can't see over that beer gut of bullshit when ya sit your fat ass down to watch TV.