We see it happen almost every day now. Actor turns musician, or musician turns actor. And a good majority of the time, it just doesn’t work.
But then there’s Donald Glover. Considering he’s now written for the hit series "30 Rock," as well as starred on the hugely popular "Community" and various Comedy Central programs, it seemed almost inevitable he’d give music a go. Presenting himself as Childish Gambino onstage, he even uses one of his own verses to explain: “Man, why does every black actor gotta rap some? I dunno, all I know is I’m the best one.”
He definitely had to prove it at Sasquatch! this year, a place that doesn’t really care if you’re a superstar on television. But it seemed he had the crowd with him the second he blasted Adele’s “Rolling in the Deep,” to open, then remixed it to carry more of an upbeat, island jam. He used this to get everyone jumpin’ with him, and you could almost feel the audience nod in approval “yes, we approve of this guy’s career move.”
Childish Gambino definitely served us surprisingly lewd raps, but the majority of it was smart and hilarious. He also had a terrific band behind him, and the piano and guitar gave great melody to his rhymes, especially when he took it up a notch and sang his lyrics. Sometimes he had a Chris Brown sound to him, but my friend Jess said it best: “He’s got less swagger, and he’s naturally more awesome than Chris Brown!”
Perhaps Gambino’s best rhyme came in the announcement, “If you can’t see me/then you’re not stargazing.” Well put, sir. Especially after establishing yourself as the best rapper at Sasquatch! '12. Everyone’s gonna know all about you in a very short amount of time.