If you haven’t heard of Donald Glover—a.k.a. Childish GambinoOpens in a new tab—you’ve probably been living under a rock (not a 30 Rock, though ’cause he wrote for that show). Glover’s growing fame comes from having established himself in about a half-dozen different facets of entertainment, and in every realm he is delivering intriguing art. That’s obviously not an easy feat to pull off, and in his latest video essay, kaptainkristianOpens in a new tab explores how Glover has managed to build multimedia worlds and still “keep it real.”
kaptainkristian, who’s been delivering one insightful meditation after another on everything from the genius of Alien’s XenomorphOpens in a new tab to the brilliance of Futurama’s comedyOpens in a new tab, deconstructs Glover’s approach to being a “multi-hyphenate” artist. kaptainkristian notes that even though there are other artists who dip into multiple disciplines, Glover is unique because he doesn’t compartmentalize his personality when jumping from medium to medium.
kaptainkristian also touches on how Glover has dealt with some seriously harsh criticism during his career, especially when he left CommunityOpens in a new tab in season five (Troy and Abed in the Morning forever!). Obviously, the critics haven’t slowed Glover down though, as he continues to make sweet sweet music (sometimes on the spot with Reggie WattsOpens in a new tab), and of course, amazing television: we dubbed his show on FX, Atlanta, a “melancholy masterpiece.”Opens in a new tab
“The person on stage when I do stand-up is the exact same person who’s doing rap,” Glover says in the video, “they’re the same dude.” Just one dude who can act, write, direct, sing, rap, and, of course, fly SPACE SHIPSOpens in a new tab!
What do you think about kaptainkristian’s look at Glover’s multimedia talent? Let us know in the comments below!
Image: Universal
