Donald Glover — a.k.a Childish Gambino — just released his FX show Atlanta, a semi-autobiographical comedy about two cousins trying to make it big in the Atlanta rap scene. Donald Glover’s projects, whether they be stand-up, acting, or rapping, converge on Atlanta, but it’s far from his start.
This weekend, we reflect on some of Glover’s roots.
“I. Crawl” is from Gambino’s second studio album, Because the Internet. He premiered the song during a performance at College Station, Texas. It opens with samples from slasher flicks, descending into an experimental production, one produced by Christian Rich along with Gambino.
Throughout this album, Gambino uses “social media as his gimmick,” referencing long-dead memes (I never thought I’d hear GPOY again) and voicing worry about nobody texting him back. As Donald Glover continues to shift between platforms, one thing is clear: his talent has no boundaries.
Atlanta airs Tuesday’s at 10 p.m.
