# New video (hip-hop) from Childish Gambino aka Donald Glover **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [May 8, 2018, 11:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-video-hip-hop-from-childish-gambino-aka-donald-glover/813811 "2018-05-08T11:57:20Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2018, 11:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-video-hip-hop-from-childish-gambino-aka-donald-glover/813811/1 "2018-05-08T11:57:20Z")
[![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/VYOjWnS4cMY/maxresdefault.jpg "Childish Gambino - This Is America (Official Video)") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VYOjWnS4cMY) I can’t stop watching it. The message, highlighting the violence inherent in our media and culture, is powerful, but it’s Glover himself that I find so compelling – his dancing, his eyes, his facial expressions; can’t take my eyes off him, even with all the crazy shit going on in the background. ---
**Author:** ![NAF1138](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/naf1138/32/3245_2.png) [@NAF1138](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NAF1138)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2018, 12:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-video-hip-hop-from-childish-gambino-aka-donald-glover/813811/2 "2018-05-08T12:49:46Z")
> [@iiandyiiii](#): > > -- his dancing, his eyes, his facial expressions; can't take my eyes off him, even with all the crazy shit going on in the background. Which is exactly the point. This is maybe the best short film I have seen in years. Glover is a damn genius. I generally don’t like trap either, but this is kinda a banger too. Reminds me that it’s never a style of music that is bad, just the musician. ---
**Author:** ![Novelty\_Bobble](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Novelty\_Bobble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Novelty_Bobble)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2018, 1:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-video-hip-hop-from-childish-gambino-aka-donald-glover/813811/3 "2018-05-08T13:32:26Z")
I found the music dull and repetitive and the dancing annoying and the video pretty heavy-handed, trying too hard I think. ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2018, 1:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-video-hip-hop-from-childish-gambino-aka-donald-glover/813811/4 "2018-05-08T13:38:31Z")
I suppose I’m old and unhip enough that I’m barely familiar with even the existence of “trap” as a genre or sub-genre of hip-hop. But this one is amazing, though I think I dig the video more than just the song. ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2018, 1:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-video-hip-hop-from-childish-gambino-aka-donald-glover/813811/5 "2018-05-08T13:43:02Z")
> [@NAF1138](#): > > Which is exactly the point. This is maybe the best short film I have seen in years. Glover is a damn genius. > > I generally don’t like trap either, but this is kinda a banger too. Reminds me that it’s never a style of music that is bad, just the musician. Yes, I’ve seen it and man it sticks with me. The tossed-off violence and the preciously-handled guns, and all the entertaining distractions - what a metaphor. ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2018, 1:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-video-hip-hop-from-childish-gambino-aka-donald-glover/813811/6 "2018-05-08T13:45:12Z")
I don’t get this at all, and can’t figure out why the internet is going nuts over it. The dancing and visual design is cool, but the music and not-quite-rapping(?) is repetitive, has no real hook, and doesn’t seem to go anywhere. ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2018, 1:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-video-hip-hop-from-childish-gambino-aka-donald-glover/813811/7 "2018-05-08T13:53:40Z")
> [@friedo](#): > > I don’t get this at all, and can’t figure out why the internet is going nuts over it. The dancing and visual design is cool, but the music and not-quite-rapping(?) is repetitive, has no real hook, and doesn’t seem to go anywhere. Yeah, I am _not_ a Trap fan and this song is Trap-ish in its Atlanta feel, but the video is so jarring it provides a backdrop to the song that sucks me into it. ---
**Author:** ![NAF1138](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/naf1138/32/3245_2.png) [@NAF1138](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NAF1138)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2018, 2:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-video-hip-hop-from-childish-gambino-aka-donald-glover/813811/8 "2018-05-08T14:08:14Z")
> [@friedo](#): > > I don’t get this at all, and can’t figure out why the internet is going nuts over it. The dancing and visual design is cool, but the music and not-quite-rapping(?) is repetitive, has no real hook, and doesn’t seem to go anywhere. Some of it is that it’s possibly not speaking to you specifically. There is a lot of stuff going on in the video that is very hip hop culture specific. The song style is called trap and is possibly the most popular form of music today. For examples of what he is playing off see [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/4LfJnj66HVQ/maxresdefault.jpg "Lil Pump - Gucci Gang [Official Music Video]") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4LfJnj66HVQ) [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/S-sJp1FfG7Q/maxresdefault.jpg "Migos - Bad and Boujee ft Lil Uzi Vert [Official Video]") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S-sJp1FfG7Q) There has been a lot of talk about this brand of music in the hip hop community in the last couple of years. It’s a big deal largely because it’s so vapid. This video seems to be, at least partially, addressing why it’s so vapid and so popular. The crazy dancing that was going on was almost all hot viral dances, but it was also traditional South African dancing. Notice that all the background dancers were teenagers in uniforms. The cell phones recording the riots in the background, the way the guns are handled. There is a lot going on but to get some of it you need to speak the language a bit. I also think the song does work without the video but feels very much like it was intended to be with the video. [![]( " - YouTube") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l2P2qbr-_Ps) Check out this YouTube reaction video to see some of what is going on broken down, and I feel like they only got half of it. But these guys are smart and into the culture. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/noJyDk0WMxQ/maxresdefault.jpg "My OREO Creation Finalist Flavors") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=noJyDk0WMxQ) Also, the hook is the gospel chorus singing “get your money black man” ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2018, 2:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-video-hip-hop-from-childish-gambino-aka-donald-glover/813811/9 "2018-05-08T14:27:23Z")
Eh, the message is fine and everything, but all the explanations in the world don’t actually make it _good_. There’s nothing in the song that makes it compelling. There’s nothing that makes me want to listen to it more than once. The rhythm is unpleasant and jarring, and there’s nothing really singable about it. I will concede that it’s an impressive work of art with a lot of effort put into it, but as music goes I find it unlistenable. ---
**Author:** ![NAF1138](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/naf1138/32/3245_2.png) [@NAF1138](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NAF1138)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2018, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-video-hip-hop-from-childish-gambino-aka-donald-glover/813811/10 "2018-05-08T14:30:06Z")
I screwed up that last link This is the reaction video link: [![]( " - YouTube") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NCKgflcauH0) Also, reading back over my comment makes it sound like I think the song is about trap music and mumble rap culture, which is it absolutely not. It’s using that culture, and to an extent the controversy around that culture, to make a larger point. ---
**Author:** ![ShadowFacts](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shadowfacts/32/2934_2.png) [@ShadowFacts](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShadowFacts)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2018, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-video-hip-hop-from-childish-gambino-aka-donald-glover/813811/11 "2018-05-08T14:30:09Z")
> [@NAF1138](#): > > Check out this YouTube reaction video to see some of what is going on broken down, and I feel like they only got half of it. But these guys are smart and into the culture. > [https://youtu.be/noJyDk0WMxQ](https://youtu.be/noJyDk0WMxQ) That link does not go where you think it goes… or you’ve pulled off the most amazingly subtle dig at Donald Glover imaginable. ---
**Author:** ![NAF1138](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/naf1138/32/3245_2.png) [@NAF1138](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NAF1138)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2018, 2:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-video-hip-hop-from-childish-gambino-aka-donald-glover/813811/12 "2018-05-08T14:32:00Z")
> [@friedo](#): > > Eh, the message is fine and everything, but all the explanations in the world don’t actually make it _good_. There’s nothing in the song that makes it compelling. There’s nothing that makes me want to listen to it more than once. The rhythm is unpleasant and jarring, and there’s nothing really singable about it. I will concede that it’s an impressive work of art with a lot of effort put into it, but as music goes I find it unlistenable. It’s a genre of music you don’t like. That’s cool. Not everything is meant for everyone. As long as you understand that what it’s doing is working within the rules of a particular genre that you don’t happen to care for, it’s fine if it doesn’t work for you. ---
**Author:** ![NAF1138](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/naf1138/32/3245_2.png) [@NAF1138](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NAF1138)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2018, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-video-hip-hop-from-childish-gambino-aka-donald-glover/813811/13 "2018-05-08T14:33:25Z")
> [@ShadowFacts](#): > > That link does not go where you think it goes… or you’ve pulled off the most amazingly subtle dig at Donald Glover imaginable. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2018, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-video-hip-hop-from-childish-gambino-aka-donald-glover/813811/14 "2018-05-08T14:40:32Z")
> [@NAF1138](#): > > It’s a genre of music you don’t like. That’s cool. Not everything is meant for everyone. As long as you understand that what it’s doing is working within the rules of a particular genre that you don’t happen to care for, it’s fine if it doesn’t work for you. I do like some trap stuff. I like a lot of stuff from Outkast, TI, Future, Rick Ross, etc. I just don’t get _this_ particular track. I think it’s extremely trendy to go nuts about Donald Glover right now, and a lot of the track’s popularity is due to the circle-jerk rather than it actually being any good musically. ---
**Author:** ![ISiddiqui](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/97f17d/32.png) [@ISiddiqui](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ISiddiqui)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2018, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-video-hip-hop-from-childish-gambino-aka-donald-glover/813811/15 "2018-05-08T14:44:56Z")
> [@friedo](#): > > I do like some trap stuff. I like a lot of stuff from Outkast, TI, Future, Rick Ross, etc. I just don’t get _this_ particular track. I think it’s extremely trendy to go nuts about Donald Glover right now, and a lot of the track’s popularity is due to the circle-jerk rather than it actually being any good musically. That’s like… your opinion man. I think the song is absolutely fantastic - especially the immediate juxtaposition between the gospel and the rap part. And I am someone who wasn’t that big a fan of “Awaken My Love”. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2018, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-video-hip-hop-from-childish-gambino-aka-donald-glover/813811/16 "2018-05-08T14:46:48Z")
> [@Novelty\_Bobble](#): > > I found the music dull and repetitive and the dancing annoying and the video pretty heavy-handed, trying too hard I think. I think he is joking on Kanye. ---
**Author:** ![storyteller0910](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecae2f/32.png) [@storyteller0910](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/storyteller0910)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2018, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-video-hip-hop-from-childish-gambino-aka-donald-glover/813811/17 "2018-05-08T15:11:53Z")
> [@friedo](#): > > I do like some trap stuff. I like a lot of stuff from Outkast, TI, Future, Rick Ross, etc. I just don’t get _this_ particular track. I think it’s extremely trendy to go nuts about Donald Glover right now, and a lot of the track’s popularity is due to the circle-jerk rather than it actually being any good musically. This kind of opinion is endlessly fascinating to me. It’s not enough to say, “I don’t like it, it doesn’t speak to me, it speaks to others, and it’s all subjective so that’s fine.” You have to invalidate the opinions of the people who disagree with you - it’s not that they just have different, equally useful opinions, it’s that they’re caught up in a circle jerk. Why? ---
**Author:** ![Novelty\_Bobble](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Novelty\_Bobble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Novelty_Bobble)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2018, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-video-hip-hop-from-childish-gambino-aka-donald-glover/813811/18 "2018-05-08T15:15:25Z")
> [@Mahaloth](#): > > I think he is joking on Kanye. I don’t know any of his stuff so it is lost on me. I quite like music (and art in general) to move me on it’s own merits rather than requiring any insider knowledge. ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2018, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-video-hip-hop-from-childish-gambino-aka-donald-glover/813811/19 "2018-05-08T15:18:23Z")
The video is much better than just the song. In fact, the song was edited for timing in the video and some of the more dramatic moments were added for the video. For instance, there is no gunshot beat drop in the song at all (and there should be). ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2018, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-video-hip-hop-from-childish-gambino-aka-donald-glover/813811/20 "2018-05-08T15:19:04Z")
> [@storyteller0910](#): > > This kind of opinion is endlessly fascinating to me. It’s not enough to say, “I don’t like it, it doesn’t speak to me, it speaks to others, and it’s all subjective so that’s fine.” You have to invalidate the opinions of the people who disagree with you - it’s not that they just have different, equally useful opinions, it’s that they’re caught up in a circle jerk. Why? I didn’t mean to invalidate anyone’s opinion. I was speculating more on the internet reaction to the song than the (very good and eloquent) explanations and opinions in this thread. I do think it’s important to consider that cultural trends _also_ inform peoples’ opinions about stuff to a degree. I was just stating my reasons for not liking it, and not making any judgments about people who do. You do you, pal. 🙂 [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-video-hip-hop-from-childish-gambino-aka-donald-glover/813811.md?page=2)