It must really suck to be Donald Glover. I mean, it’s gotta be hard being young (27), good-looking and being one of the stars of Community — arguably the funniest, smartest show on television. It’s also gotta suck when, in addition to starring on a hit TV show, you’re regarded as one of the top up-and-coming stand-up comedians in the business. And now it’s especially gotta suck when, in addition to all this, your hip-hop alter ego whose name was derived from a Wu-Tang Clan name generator gets signed to a record deal. Yes, it must really suck to be Donald Glover right about now, as Childish Gambino has been signed by indie label Glassnote Records, joining the likes of Mumford and Sons and Phoenix.
“There’s a tremendous sense of rock’n’roll about him, an irreverence and an authenticity,” Glassnote founder/president Daniel Glass says of Gambino. “He fits in with our roster because he’s alternative.”
The courtship started in March when the rapper hosted the mtvU Woodie Awards and then impressed Glass with his career vision at the event’s afterparty. A few weeks later, Glass watched Gambino perform at New York’s Bowery Ballroom. Talks heated up earlier this summer after Gambino visited with the Glassnote staff at Bonnaroo.
“He liked our approach, which is very touring-intensive,” Glass says. “Secondly, it’s about how progressive he’s been online: inclusive of his fans and very liberal with giving away music. He knows his audience.”
Gambino’s first Glassnote album, Camp, is slated for early November. It will be sold worldwide in digital, CD and vinyl versions. Best Buy and Target have also reached out to Glass about the release. The project’s lead single is yet to be determined.
Meanwhile, here’s what most of us have been doing all day…
Anyway, this is probably should come as any surprise since our Uproxx cousins at The Smoking Section were pretty unequivocal in praising Glover’s work as a hip-hop artist earlier this year: “When I heard that Glover was rapping, I didn’t think I’d ever end up saying this: Childish Gambino is dope music.”
Good enough for me! However, I was especially sold after listening to the songs on his recently released EP, which you can download free here. Here’s the video for “Freaks and Geeks,” one of the songs off of that aforementioned EP…
And here’s Glover performing stand-up — a bit in which he rips on Lil Wayne, something I will never discourage.
And finally, here’s a mashup of Glover’s character on Community, Troy, crying….
It’s probably okay to hate him at this point.
