That was fuckin weird, but I somehow watched it 3 times, song is a bop, he got sum moves, but he nuts ...

purplepolitician said:

That was fuckin weird, but I somehow watched it 3 times, song is a bop, he got sum moves, but he nuts ...

:Yeahthat:

Big fan of "Atlanta" but hate his really shitty "music"...
This was pretty great though for a change except for the last 20 seconds when that "out-o-tune" garbage kicked in... Funny vid, but expected from this guy, my bet is he's the only positive thing in "Solo" and the only reason to waste time on that movie...

Neversin.

This video & his performance are excepional. Uncomfortable, thought provoking & saying a whole lot more than the many in the black music industry who have chosen to stay quiet & sing about dick & a $ instead.

I prefer his acting. I never liked his music plus he's been fake woke for his entire career so this song made by him is not exactly great but people forget the dumb shit he says easily. This is his best song though.

[Edited 5/7/18 5:35am]

I LOVED IT! Is it ANYTHING this man can't do?

I also like how it brilliantly addressed. Gun violence, racial tension and the Charleston shooting. Which were all done as Childish Gambino dances and smiles to distract you from what’s happening right in front of your eyes.

Btw I thought he had decided that " Awaken,My Love" was going to be his last album?

[Edited 5/7/18 8:27am]

I know of C.G. but never listened to their music. I saw the two songs on SaturdayNightLive and liked them. The first one reminded me of something Arrested Development did back in the early days with all the people on stage, playing cards, drinking. C.G. was just missing the old man patriarch sitting in a rocking chair.

"This is America" is meant to provoke and be a commentary on the tread of daily life in 2018. Black men being executed, church shootings (Dylan Roof), trendy fad dances being a distraction to other things going on - there is a lot of symbology and easter eggs throughout.

He's not nuts, nor is the video weird. It's something Kayne wishes he was smart enough to do. I'm not rushing out to buy Glover's record, but kudos on the insanely great video and song.

.

Removed 61 yeahs and many repeated lines to try to find the lyrics

Go, go away

We just wanna party
Party just for you
We just want the money
Money just for you
I know you wanna party
Party just for me
Girl, you got me dancin’
Dance and shake the frame

This is America
Don’t catch you slippin’ up
Look what I’m whippin’ up

This is America (skrrt, skrrt, woo)
Don’t catch you slippin’ up (ayy)
Look at how I’m livin’ now
Police be trippin’ now (woo)
this is America (woo, ayy)
Guns in my area (word, my area)
I got the strap (ayy, ayy)
I gotta carry ’em
I’ma go into this (ugh)
this is guerilla (woo)
I’ma go get the bag
or I’ma get the pad
I’m so cold like
I’m so dope like
We gon’ blow like (straight up, uh)

Ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh, tell somebody
You go tell somebody
Grandma told me
Get your money, Black man (get your money)

This is America (woo, ayy)
Don’t catch you slippin’ up (woo, woo, don’t catch you slippin’, now)
Look what I’m whippin’ up (Slime!)
This is America ( , )

Look how I’m geekin’ out (hey)
I’m so fitted (I’m so fitted, woo)
I’m on Gucci (I’m on Gucci)
I’m so pretty
I’m gon’ get it (ayy, I’m gon’ get it)
Watch me move (blaow)
This a celly
That’s a tool
On my Kodak (woo, Black)
Ooh, know that know that, hold on)
Get it
Ooh, work it
Hunnid bands, hunnid bands, hunnid bands (hunnid bands)
Contraband, contraband, contraband (contraband)
I got the plug on Oaxaca (woah)
They gonna find you that blocka (blaow)

Ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh, tell somebody
America, I just checked my following list and
You go tell somebody
You mothafuckas owe me
Grandma told me
Get your money, Black man (Black man)

Ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh, tell somebody
You go tell somebody
Grandma told me, “Get your money”
Get your money, Black man (Black man)

You just a Black man in this world
You just a barcode, ayy
You just a Black man in this world
Drivin’ expensive foreigns, ayy
You just a big dawg,
I kenneled him in the backyard
No probably ain’t life to a dog
For a big dog

Childish Gambino released his Awaken, My Love! album last week to much fanfare as his audience digested the funk-infused sounds. In his first interview since releasing the LP, the rapper/actor shares his appreciation for the praise, including that from Questlove who said he woke D’Angelo up at 4 a.m. to share his excitement at the music and thought it was a “sucker punch” that the younger MC switched up the genre so much.

“Whether I’m making a show or music, I’m just searching for moments,” Gambino says to Australia’s triple j radio. “Him being like it’s a sucker punch, I like sucker punches. I like things that you’re not expecting. You know, the feeling of expecting water and getting lemonade, kind of like your brain kinda flips. Even on some of the songs, we play with pitches and sounds that I think affect people in ways they don’t realize is happening until the fifth listen.”

Part of the allure of Awaken, My Love! is that it was premiered at Childish Gambino’s PHAROS Experience in Joshua Tree, California. The rapper is letting fans who weren’t able to attend the show get a glimpse of what went down via different outlets such as a “virtual reality vinyl.”

“It’s a vinyl that you play with virtual reality essentially,” he says. “We really got into when we did our PHAROS shows, being able to go somewhere and just plop down and play a live show that people can’t get anywhere. I think this is a way of doing that.”

Gambino goes on to explain the creative process for Awaken, My Love! with a live band and his friend, Ludwig Göransson. The Atlanta star says that part of the theme of the album is to indeed awaken love in the world, but it was also a personal journey for him.

“To be completely honest, it wasn’t a lot of fun, it was actually really hard,” he says of making the album. “I was going through a lot and I also think in America we’re going through a lot right now with everything that’s going on, so I was just trying to play what I felt, but I was doing it with friends, so at the end of the day, that’s what matters.”



https://hiphopdx.com/news/id.41588/title.childish-gambino-gives-first-interview-since-releasing-awaken-my-love-album#

Childish Gambino Strips Down, Channels Prince for 'Redbone' Performance on 'Tonight Show': Watch


https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/hip-hop/7625164/childish-gambino-strips-down-channels-prince-falsetto-redbone-tonight-show

Childish Gambino (aka Donald Glover) brought it way, way down on The Tonight Show on Wednesday night (Dec. 14) for a sweet, soulful performance of the song "Redbone." Wearing shiny vinyl pants and no shirt, Glover stood on a darkened stage illuminated by deep red lights and blue lasers, channeling Prince as he crooned in a high, yearning falsetto, mixing in some Al Green soul on the Awaken, My Love! track about staying woke.

The album debuted at No. 1 on the R&B Albums chart (dated Dec. 24), moving 72,000 copies in the week ending Dec. 8, according to Nielsen Music. "Redbone" also reached a new peak, re-entering the Hot R&B Songs chart at No. 8 after originally landing on the Dec. 11 chart at No. 11.

Got to give it up to Donald Glover. SNL appearance, two new songs, a conviently politically charged music video, a new album, and a big budget Star Wars movie all within a two week time span. His video literally says he is using black suffering for his own financial gain and people take it as being "woke." I'm more impressed with his business and marketing acumen than their actual art.

Black man! Black man! (Get yo money) I was singing that shit all day, catchy as shit .

lrn36 said:

His video literally says he is using black suffering for his own financial gain and people take it as being "woke." I'm more impressed with his business and marketing acumen than their actual art.

Exactly... It seems people in here miss the point and irony entirely, as usual...

Neversin.

Neversin said:

lrn36 said:

His video literally says he is using black suffering for his own financial gain and people take it as being "woke." I'm more impressed with his business and marketing acumen than their actual art.

Exactly... It seems people in here miss the point and irony entirely, as usual...

Yep, I missed that

I held out for so long until a year ago when "Redbone" was #1 every where in Los Angeles and I was on vacation. I was shopping in Amoeba and a gal asked ME where to find it.

Neversin said:

lrn36 said:

His video literally says he is using black suffering for his own financial gain and people take it as being "woke." I'm more impressed with his business and marketing acumen than their actual art.

Exactly... It seems people in here miss the point and irony entirely, as usual...

Neversin.

Yeah, most people seem to be so caught up in the cryptic images of the video that they are not discussing the issues it actually addresses which is pretty much what the video is critiquing. That people can be so easily distracted from what's important. It's showing the power and limitations of art to move people to change.

My only critique is the song can't really stand on its own. It actually doen't say much. But placed with the video, it works. Maybe that's intentional, but to me a song should be just a riveting by itself. I'm not a big Donald Glover fan, but kudos to him and director Hiro Murai. Very impressive

lrn36 said:

My only critique is the song can't really stand on its own. It actually doesn't say much. But placed with the video, it works. Maybe that's intentional, but to me a song should be just a riveting by itself. I'm not a big Donald Glover fan, but kudos to him and director Hiro Murai. Very impressive

You know I liked the song when he did it on SNL though (without Hiro Murai)!

I think it's well done and I don't know enough about him as a person to throw shade at him or question his motives for doing it.

I don't like the other song he did on SNL, like sum slightly funkier Bruno Mars shit . At least he's versatile, but more like This Is America pls . Don't ask me y I thought he was saying "look @ ur slippin numbers" .

And..............SILENCE from Andre' 3000!!!!

lrn36 said:

My only critique is the song can't really stand on its own. It actually doen't say much. But placed with the video, it works. Maybe that's intentional, but to me a song should be just a riveting by itself. I'm not a big Donald Glover fan, but kudos to him and director Hiro Murai. Very impressive

I tried listening to the song without the video and then it's just the usual empty crap "music" he makes...
But together with the video it becomes a complete and very interesting piece of work and I love the irony of it...

Neversin.

StrangeButTrue said:

.

Removed 61 yeahs and many repeated lines to try to find the lyrics

Whilst it's true that the lyrics aren't especially engaging if you simply read them, when put together with the music, the song can become more than the sum of its parts. I think a good example is Fela Kuti's Zombie - a hugely impactful political song if ever there was one, despite the fact that, on paper, the lyrics aren't going to blow anyone's mind.

lrn36 said:

His video literally says he is using black suffering for his own financial gain and people take it as being "woke."

[...]

Yeah, most people seem to be so caught up in the cryptic images of the video that they are not discussing the issues it actually addresses which is pretty much what the video is critiquing. That people can be so easily distracted from what's important. It's showing the power and limitations of art to move people to change.

Is it all that unequivocal? I'm not opposed to the idea that it's somewhat ironic or even cynical, but couldn't it be that he's critiquing both the real things that are happening and their easy incorporation into a media cycle that distracts more than it enlightens? And that he's both standing back commenting on that mediatisation and recognising the way he's implicated in it?

I'm struggling to see how it's doing no more than "using black suffering for his own financial gain", and somehow eye-rolling at any section of the audience that thinks it's doing more. I see that he's 'getting his money', but, yet and still, it all ends with him running in terror.

Happy to read a different take on it, though.

This dude has MAJOR talent..........MAJOR.

Graycap23 said:

This dude has MAJOR talent..........MAJOR.

Donald Glover is a triple threat. He has it all covered. That's a rarity.

deebee said:

lrn36 said:

His video literally says he is using black suffering for his own financial gain and people take it as being "woke."

[...]

Yeah, most people seem to be so caught up in the cryptic images of the video that they are not discussing the issues it actually addresses which is pretty much what the video is critiquing. That people can be so easily distracted from what's important. It's showing the power and limitations of art to move people to change.

Is it all that unequivocal? I'm not opposed to the idea that it's somewhat ironic or even cynical, but couldn't it be that he's critiquing both the real things that are happening and their easy incorporation into a media cycle that distracts more than it enlightens? And that he's both standing back commenting on that mediatisation and recognising the way he's implicated in it?

I'm struggling to see how it's doing no more than "using black suffering for his own financial gain", and somehow eye-rolling at any section of the audience that thinks it's doing more. I see that he's 'getting his money', but, yet and still, it all ends with him running in terror.

Happy to read a different take on it, though.

Well, he is making money off of it. He specifically timed all of this to line up with the Solo movie. It's all for maximum esposure. And everyone is talking about how brillant Glover and the video is and not talking about the issues raised. That's why I think the meta aspect of the work is more powerful than the work itself. He is critiqing everyone including himself in their failure to address the issues raised in the video. It's basically Spike Lee's Bamboozled in music video form.