It’s been nearly three decades since Wu-Tang Clan formed their iconic group in NYC. To celebrate the group’s legacy, Wu-Tang are releasing a photobook featuring never-before-scene pictures spanning their entire career. But it’s not just any photobook. Rather, the book comes enclosed in a specially-made, 400-pound chamber.
Titled Wu-Tang Clan: Legacy, the 300-page commemorative book is the “biggest and rarest book in the history of Hip Hop,” according to Wu-Tang’s website. Each copy is signed by Wu-Tang members, dated, numbered, and accompanied by certificates of authenticity.
It’s limited to only 36 copies, hence the “rarest book” description, and will arrive alongside a bronze chamber individually designed by sculptor Gethin Jones. For the chamber, Jones took inspiration from the bronze ritual bowls used in the Zhou Dynasty, whose first ruler was King Wu-Wang.
Speaking about the photobook in a statement, CEO of Wu-Tang Clan Management John ‘Mook’ Gibbons expressed his anticipation about the project. “From conception to the present day, this is the story of the undisputed greatest hip-hop group of all time being unveiled through rare and never before seen photos,” he said.
Watch a teaser video for the Wu-Tang Clan: Legacy book above and find out how to order it here.
In June, Nicki Minaj’s husband Kenneth Petty is due to stand trial on federal charges of failing to register as a sex offender upon moving from New York to California in 2019. Now, the victim of his original sexual assault case says she’s being harassed by both the family and fans of Nicki Minaj as they attempt to bully her into recanting the 26-year-old charges. In a lengthy story in The Daily Beast, the victim speaks out.
The charges stem from a 1995 incident when Petty and his victim were both 16; Petty was convicted of one count of attempted rape in the first degree, assault in the second degree, unlawful imprisonment in the second degree, and criminal possession of a weapon. He served out his sentence — which included a 2006 charge of murder in the second degree that he pleaded down to manslaughter — receiving his release in 2013 and marrying Nicki in 2019. However, he surrendered to US Marshals in LA after a warrant was issued for failing to update his sex offender status after moving.
According to The Daily Beast’s profile the victim — referred to as Jennifer — a campaign of ongoing harassment from people claiming to be associated with the Pettys, from offers of hush money to thinly-veiled threats, prompting her to move no less than three times since Petty’s arrest last year. She says she even received a phone call from Nicki Minaj herself to discuss a non-disclosure agreement, disconnecting the phone number later after Jennifer seemed reluctant to accept the offer.
A man connected to both parties — referred to in the report as “Barry” — continued to reach out to Jennifer to recant her original statements from 1995, offering a $20,000 bribe to sign a letter recanting. The story was mirrored in a post on Facebook from Jennifer’s adult daughter Kenya, who declined to comment for the story. US Marshals eventually reached out to Jennifer after being tipped off by an online acquaintance that she was allegedly being intimidated by the Pettys.
Jennifer moved again after Kenya was approached at a club by another man claiming to be an acquaintance of her mother and Petty’s, making her feel threatened and convincing Jennifer that her daughter was unsafe with her. Others connected with Petty are noted as also making threats on social media, mostly via gossip accounts, which have also been inundated with angry comments from Nicki Minaj fans.
Lil Baby refuses to take a break after completing the rollout for My Turn, sharing the video for his latest single “Real As It Gets” featuring Louisville rapper EST Gee ahead of his All-Star weekend matchup with their mutual homeboy Jack Harlow. The video is a stripped-down affair, utilizing an empty parking lot, a crowd of people, a few luxury cars, and a whole lot of jewelry to highlight the two rappers’ boastful rhymes.
Despite being an absolute juggernaut through 2020 — even outselling Taylor Swift — Lil Baby has yet to take a break in 2021. Already he’s released a collaboration with Russ, another with collaboration with Lil Durk, and teased a potential joint album with the latter thanks to their working chemistry on songs like “3 Headed Goat.” This is in addition to starring in his first-ever Super Bowl commercial and plotting to open his own restaurant in Atlanta, proving he’s got even bigger plans for the future of his career.
Meanwhile, EST Gee is already looking like he’s about to have a similar year to Lil Baby’s 2018. After appearing on Jack Harlow’s That’s What They All Say single “Route 66” just days ago and now getting a similar co-sign from Lil Baby (who also appeared on Harlow’s debut album), the Kentuckian has been placed in prime position for a big breakout, provided he can capitalize on the additional looks.
Lady Gaga recently had to endure a pet owner’s worst nightmare: Her dog walker was shot and two of her beloved dogs were kidnapped. Fortunately, in a matter of days, the dogs were recovered and everything was in its right place. Gaga offered a $500,000 reward for whoever brought the dogs back, which just goes to show how much some people care about their pets. That got us thinking about other famous artists and their four-legged friends who we see pop up from time to time on social media and whatnot.
We’ve rounded up a handful of my favorites below, but this is by no means a comprehensive list of celebrity pets, so our sincerest apologies if your preferred artist’s furry/scaly/otherwise textured friend isn’t included. Now, if you’re recently found yourself asking, ‘Who’s a good boy,’ you can find some answers to that question below.
Coco, Toulouse, Cinnamon, Strauss, Lafayette, Pignoli, Myron, Snape, Lily, and Piggy Smallz (owned by Ariana Grande)
Grande’s dogs make social media appearances pretty often, but fans may not realize just how many puppers she actually has: According to Ariana Grande Wiki (which is surely the authoritative source on such matters), she currently owns nine dogs. That’s enough for 5-on-5 basketball if they let Grande’s pig Piggy Smallz play. As if that wasn’t enough, Grande is also working on an animal rescue center in Los Angeles, which indicates that she is perhaps the best friend to animals in the biz.
Lavender (owned by Dylan Baldi of Cloud Nothings and Sadie Dupuis of Speedy Ortiz and Sad13)
Towards the end of last year, indie-rock power couple Baldi and Dupuis decided to adopt Lavender, a pitbull with atypical facial features. In a recent interview with MTV News, Baldi said of Lavender, “She’s a one-of-a-kind dog. People will just stop and be like, ‘Look at this dog,’ and want to be with this dog in a way like no other dog I’ve seen. It’s like having a rare Pokémon.” He doubled down on his admiration of the unique pet with a Twitter follow-up: “if we did a tour, charged $50 for tickets, and all that happened was this dog came out onstage and walked around for a bit? you would still feel like you spent $50 correctly. incredible dog.”
Trappy S. Goyard (owned by 2 Chainz)
Like other famous pets, Trappy S. Goyard (which is easily the best name on this list) has his own Instagram account. Goyard probably also has a SAG card by now based on all the appearances they’d made. In addition to popping up on 2 Chainz’s Most Expensivest, Goyard also co-starred in the “Grey Area” video from earlier this year, in which Goyard and their human swapped heads.
Calippo and Dorito (owned by Ed Sheeran)
Sheeran stayed mostly out of the public eye during 2020 as he decided to take a break. What he didn’t stop doing, though, was posting about his cats on their dedicated Instagram page, which boasts over 300,000 followers. Calippo and Dorito are doing well, although Dorito could apparently stand to lose a bit of weight: In October, Sheeran shared a photo of the cats accompanied by a note that reads, “Don’t feed the cats!!! Even if Dorito gives you ‘the eyes’… She has a bad tum… naughty puss…”
Shark (owned by Billie Eilish)
About a month ago, Eilish celebrated the first birthday of Shark, the rescue dog she adopted in April. She wrote in a now-unavailable Instagram post, “My sweet rescue baby boy was born a year ago today. You have made my life 1000x better happy birfday little shark.” While the two share a special bond, the journey to today wasn’t without (expensive) complications: In August, Eilish shared that Shark left some unwanted presents in and around some pricey sneakers.
Foe Thee Frenchie (owned by Megan Thee Stallion)
Not many pets win awards, but Megan Thee Stallion’s has: Foe Thee Frenchie (who has nearly half a million Instagram followers and is coming after Trappy S. Goyard’s best-name-of-this-feature crown) was Paper‘s Celebrity Pet Of The Year for 2019. Meg recently shared a progress pic showing off how much Foe has grown over the course of five months, and understandably, in the more recent photo, Meg has a hard time carrying her increasingly large pet.
Alf (owned by Hayley Williams)
Hayley Williams’ dog Alf has been an important figure in her life and has helped her through some difficult times. She told EW, “I got Alf when he was, like, 11 weeks old. I raised him, but I feel like he raised me. I was 23 or 24 when I got him. He keeps me present because he’s present all the time: He’s so happy and very in tune with me when I’ve gone through life-altering changes or moments.”
On “Cinnamon,” from the 2020 album Petals For Armor, Williams sings, “On the walls of my home / There are signs that I’m alone / I keep on every light / Talk to my dog, he don’t mind.” She explained that lyric to Pitchfork, saying, “He was my first therapist. And he’s still my favorite therapist.” Around this time last year, she also told Apple Music’s Zane Lowe, “My dog is the reason I’m alive, because he would’ve been waiting on me to get home, no matter what. You know how little sweet little puppies sit and they wait? I couldn’t think about it.”
Dogs dominated Tegan And Sara’s “100x” video from 2016, and recently, Tegan got a pup of her own, named Georgia. Since then, she has documented the joys and struggles of raising a dog and there have been plenty of both. In November 2020, she tweeted, “Is there an umbrella for people who have a new puppy and have to take it out to pee 700 times a day and need both hands to pick up poo? *must cover human and dog.” While a lot of her Georgia tweets are scatological, there’s clearly a ton of love there and Georgia has essentially become Tegan’s everything. She tweeted in December, “All I dream about is my dog. She’s literally taken over every inch of my life including all dream real estate. It will make ZERO sense that she is in a dream situation, but inevitably she appears regardless. Is this normal?”
Kane Songz (owned by Trey Songz)
Trey Songz goes full method while running his dog’s Instagram account, which is presented entirely from the Frenchton’s perspective. On Father’s Day in 2018, for example, “Kane” posted a photo of him and his father playing basketball and “wrote,” “Happy Father’s day Pops!! Thanks for showing me how to break canine ankles out here in these streets!!” He even did what many others have failed to do when he saw John Cena one time.
Meredith Grey, Olivia Benson, and Benjamin Button (owned by Taylor Swift)
Yes, of course Taylor Swift is on this list. After all, Swift has proven to be perhaps the biggest cat person out there (heck, she portrayed a literal cat person in Cats). Thousands of words could be written about Swift’s cats and her love for them, so for this space, let’s just focus on Benjamin Button, the latest addition to the Swift family. Swift actually decided to adopt the cat on the set of her “Me!” video and described how that came to be, saying on Instagram Live in 2019, “[A cat handler handed me this tiny cat and he just starts purring and […] he looks at me like, ‘You’re my mom, and we’re going to live together.’ I fell in love. I looked at Brendon [Urie] and he’s like, ‘You’re going to get the cat aren’t you?’”
Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
In the video for Fireboy DML’s “Champion,” the 25-year-old Abeokuta, Ogun, Nigeria native recruits burgeoning Inglewood-born superstar D Smoke as the two recite defiant, self-confident lyrics over an uptempo Afropop beat. The two indie labelmates stage an international link-up to deliver a fist-pumping anthem amid sweeping backdrops, declaring themselves legends in the making as a choir sings the refrain.
Fireboy DML is half a year removed from his latest full-length release, the Headie-winning Apollo. The project obtained Best R&B Album honors earlier this year, while Fireboy himself earned a Viewer’s Choice award. The album single “Tattoo” also won Best R&B Single. Last month, Fireboy told DJ Booth of “Champion,” “I want to go down a legend. I want my music to live forever and continue to change people’s lives long after I’m gone. I also want to be remembered not just as a good musician but as a good person.”
D Smoke will seek to follow-up on his collaborator’s success at this year’s Grammy Awards later this month. His album Black Habits is up for Best Rap Album while the Netflix Rhythm + Flow winner also contends for Best New Artist.
Watch Fireboy DML’s “Champion” video featuring D Smoke above.
To be perfectly honest — following the example set by the late, great Christopher Wallace himself — the world didn’t need another Biggie Smalls documentary. The details of The Notorious B.I.G’s life and death have been thoroughly picked over by now, nearly 23 years later, with dozens of works from books and films to podcasts and television series providing reams of conjecture, speculation, and solemn reflection on the gritty self-styled King Of New York who rose from the streets of Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn to become the epitome of the “ashy to classy” archetype established by hip-hop in the decades since.
That didn’t stop Netflix from releasing yet another entry to the growing canon of works about the Brooklyn big man this week, the hyperfocused and touchingly graceful Biggie: I Got A Story To Tell. But where this more down-to-earth production differs from those that came before it is its intent attention to Christopher, the person at the center of the mythos, rather than on the lurid details of his beef with Tupac or his violent, unsolved death in Los Angeles on March 9, 1997.
Nearly an hour of the film’s 90-minute runtime is devoted to Wallace’s life before he released his game-changing debut album, Ready To Die, in 1994. Through interviews with his mother, Voletta Wallace, and unseen archival footage provided by Big’s right-hand man, Damion “D-Roc” Butler, a clearer picture of Christopher Wallace is developed throughout. From his trips to visit his mother’s family in her native Jamaica to the early musical education he received from a neighbor, jazz musician Donald Harrison, we can see the foundation of his unique, seismic flow and outsized stage persona.
In one particularly engaging scene, Harrison breaks down how Big’s flow imitated the rat-a-tat tapping of a bebop drummer, his percussive delivery playing invisible notes as he freestyled on corners. Scenes like this one offer new lenses through which to view iconic moments like Big’s sidewalk battle with Supreme; while familiarity can breed contempt, Harrison’s quick jazz lesson gives viewers new context and deeper understanding of not just the battle, but Big’s songwriting approach as a whole.
The film also touches on Big’s time spent dealing drugs around the corner from the apartment he shared with his mother, this time with the added texture of commentary from the men who stood out there with him. One, an elder ex-hustler named Chico Del Vec, spends much of his intro fussing at the cameraman that he doesn’t want to get into details of “the game” before crisply detailing the mentality that drove young boys like Big and his friends into it with a veteran’s well-weathered perspective. “If you wasn’t into hustling, good in sports, or going to school, you was a nobody,” he summarizes.
But Big’s cohort is also clear-eyed about their bad decisions as well. Here, just 30 minutes in, the film crystallizes the core concepts of hip-hop, its artifice and artfulness, its originality and creativity, and its universality. These 14-year-old kids had no clue of the world beyond their borough; as Big explains in an interview clip of his breakout hit “Juicy,” he didn’t know that there was money in rap. He only knew what he saw on the covers of magazines, that his favorite rappers wore gold chains and posed with flashy new cars. It never occurred to him that his hazy childhood vision of becoming an art dealer could be every bit as lucrative (and, in truth, probably more so, the way contracts were structured in those days).
It’s what makes Big — and his story — the perfect avatar of hip-hop, from its artists to its fans. He could have been any one of them. By focusing on his humble beginnings, I Got A Story To Tell finally humanizes him in a way few of the biopics or mini-series ever could because the focus shifts away from the big, pivotal moments of a hip-hop legend’s life to tell a simpler story about a boy with a dream, who hung out with his friends, got into trouble, got scared straight by a tragic loss, and persevered through normal, relatable doubts to remain as close to still being the person he always was when fame finally found him.
Of course, staying away from the more familiar notes of his greater life story allows the film to polish his rough edges, such as his alleged abuse of his romantic partners — which again, reflects a broader tendency in hip-hop and pop culture of flattening and simplifying complicated people. At one point early on, Sean Combs — you know he had to make an appearance here, although the film wisely minimizes his presence — notes, “You always were able to hear some remnants of previous rap artists. This guy, I don’t know where he came from with his cadence, with his rhythms, with his sound…” From Compton rapper King Tee, Puff.
But, then again, those rough edges are plain to see in other places. The point of Netflix’s documentary is to add another layer of context and humanity to the legend. It explains a little more of the hows and whys surrounding Big. When the film ends — as the 2009 biopic Notorious did — just after Big’s celebratory 1997 memorial in his hometown, it does so with a better understanding of the person who actually died, beyond the loss of his musical potential. So, did the world need another Biggie Smalls documentary? The answer is still “no,” but we’re all better for this one’s existence.
Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
Offset was right — they do anything for clout. “They” in this case is a Spanish rapper named Aaron Beltran, who is being accused of cutting off his roommate’s penis with a kitchen knife for a YouTube video. The Independent reports that the two men apparently had a mutual arrangement for the gruesome task in which Beltran would pay Andrew Breach, a British teacher staying with him in Zaragosa, Spain, between $240 and $3,000 depending on the video’s performance.
The two men were discovered when Breach went to the hospital for treatment. The doctors were able to reattach the member, then reported both men to the authorities. However, Breach later claimed that he was the one responsible for the amputation, claiming he was “unwell” at the time. However, authorities don’t believe the updated version of the story, and prosecutors are pursuing charges against Beltran despite the apparently consensual arrangement. Beltran denies the charges but is facing up to four years in prison as the case goes to trial.
An anonymous officer who spoke to The Independent is quoted, “When interviewing the victim in hospital he told us the accused cut off his penis. Andrew said he did not feel 100 percent a man and wanted to get rid of his penis. He agreed a deal with the accused to pay him €200 which would depend on how many views the video of the amputation received on YouTube. It was done on the basis of hits.”
If that’s truly the case, it was a bad plan; YouTube’s terms of service would see to it that such a video would be instantly demonetized and deleted.
Foo Fighters stopped by The Late Late Show to perform their Medicine At Midnight highlight “Waiting On A War” last night. While they were there, they also took a few minutes to chat with James Corden, and over the course of their conversation, one of Dave Grohl’s excellent old pre-show traditions was revealed.
Playing off the fact that Foo Fighters have referred to Medicine At Midnight as a “party album,” Corden asked some of the band members what music they’d play at a party. Taylor Hawkins jokingly answered, “Just yacht rock, always, all the time.” Rami Jaffee then chimed in with the Bee Gees’ Saturday Night Fever soundtrack, an album that Grohl recently highlighted as a must-listen for children. Chris Shiflett added, “I remember when I first joined the band, we had a big boombox backstage, and before every show, Dave would put on Juvenile, “Back That Azz Up.” As Grohl excitedly recited some of the lyrics and other band members laughed, Shiflett added, “That was our pre-show warm-up.”
Shiflett joined the band in 1999, so while the band was touring in support of that year’s album There Is Nothing Left To Lose, Grohl was probably back stage getting pumped up to the then-brand-new Juvenile song, which is also known as “Back That Thang Up” and features Mannie Fresh and Lil Wayne. “Back That Azz Up,” by the way, was actually Wayne’s first-ever single.
Watch the interview above and check out the band’s performance of “Waiting On A War” below.
The best artists know how to adapt to the times while remaining true to their morals and keeping fans on their toes, and Childish Gambino is part of that elite crop. Starting off his multi-faceted career in comedy (he worked as a writer for 30 Rock and starred as Troy Barnes in Community), he quickly but seamlessly transformed from Donald Glover The Actor to Childish Gambino The Rapper with the 2011 release of his debut EP (aptly titled EP). He wholeheartedly embraced his nerdy side in a rap climate that was run by the streets. Pretty soon though, he unleashed more skills, showing that he could sing just as smoothly as his bars.
There are many sides to Gambino, each revealing themselves in a thrilling manner equal to unlocking the next level to your favorite video game. He’s presented heavy-hitting social and racial commentary, reveled in romance, channeled his inner ‘70s funk master, and became the king of the summer season. And he’s done this all while creating an entertainment empire, from his hit FX series Atlanta to most recently securing a multi-year deal with Amazon Studios.
In celebration of Gambino’s debut EP turning 10 on March 8th, we present a ranking of our favorite songs.
20. “Algorhythm” (3.15.20, 2020)
Half of Childish Gambino’s music will make you want to get up and dance. That is the case for “Algorhythm,” but he’s going to work your brain while doing so. This highlight from his recent 3.15.20 album is a lesson in funk, recalling 2016’s “Awaken, My Love!” But peel back the robotic vocals and an incredible sample of Zhané’s 1993 “Hey Mr. D.J.” hit, and the message of technology’s corrosive effects is startling.
19. “Freaks And Geeks” (EP, 2011)
For many of us, “Freaks And Geeks” was our introduction to Childish Gambino. He already released a few mixtapes prior to his debut EP, but his persona was still closely attached to his work on 30 Rock and Community. “Freaks And Geeks” was a smooth transition from the silver screen to the recording studio, as Gambino used the outlandish writing skills gathered from said series (“E.E. cummin’ on her face, now that’s poetry in motion”) and blasted his lyrics to the nerdiest corner of space.
18. “Summertime Magic” (Summer Pack, 2018)
As you’ll witness further down on this list, Gambino does “summer” very well. “Summertime Magic” lives up to its title, drifting off to a hidden island of bliss, valentines, and bright-eyed adoration. Have fun trying to get that “Do love me, do love me, do” earworm out of your head. It’s impossible.
17. “The Worst Guys” (Because The Internet, 2013)
By the time 2013 came around, Childish Gambino was gaining more cred while Chance the Rapper became a critics’ favorite with his second mixtape Acid Rap (where Gambino also appears). But despite all of this, the two were still adorably corny. So “The Worst Guys” is an entertaining attempt to be, well, the worst. Chance only appears on the chorus (what the heck does she need?) while Gambino throws in wild metaphors with back-to-back Sister, Sister references. But his Kanye West influence is still not concealed: the “The girls that you brought man, where are they from?” enunciation is ripped straight from Yeezy himself.
16. “Bonfire” (Camp, 2011)
As soon as the sirens begin, you know Gambino is about to go off. And that he does: “Bonfire,” the lead single from Camp, finds the rapper channeling his inner Lil Wayne as he unleashes his head spinning version of “A Milli.” There’s only a single chorus that cuts through Gambino’s flow, which is so aggressive that you could envision his face going red in the booth. And among the signature outrageous lyrics, Gambino gets cocky while targeting his competition: “’Man, why does every black actor gotta rap some?’ I don’t know, all I know is I’m the best one.”
15. “Pink Toes” (Because The Internet, 2013)
One listen to “Pink Toes” and it’s clear that (like many of us) Childish Gambino was reveling in a post-Channel Orange world. Similar to Frank Ocean, Gambino trades in the in-your-face bars for R&B escapism. Here, his charming croons shine as he paints a surrealist picture of a drug dealer and his loyal girlfriend. Towards the end, Jhene Aiko appears to amp up the fantasy. It’s a match made in heaven (or hell, if the police sirens capping the song are any indication).
14. “Terrified” (“Awaken, My Love!”, 2016)
Aside from the clunky fast food metaphor, “Terrified” is the smoothest track on “Awaken, My Love!” The taunting fear increases with each pluck of that sexy-as-hell bassline, igniting immediate shivers. And for a surprise, actor/singer JD McCrary (who voices young Simba in 2019’s The Lion King live adaptation next to Gambino’s older Simba) closes “Terrified,” making for a perfect meta moment. As if you needed any more conviving of the song’s brilliance, one watch of Gamino’s live performance at the 2018 Grammys will steer you in the right direction.
13. “Feels Like Summer” (Summer Pack, 2018)
Upon first listen, “Feels Like Summer” will spark memories of chasing the ice-cream truck to buy your favorite popsicle, running through sprinklers at the park, and family barbeques. The song’s melody has that warm, nostalgic element to it. But what grounds it is the lyrics, which allude to government control and the warning signs of climate change (“Running out of water, it’s about to go down”). It’s quite the depressing take as you realize summer may no longer be so joyful if we don’t work to change our planet.
12. “This Is America” (2018)
Racism is embedded in this country’s historical fabric, so it wasn’t as if Childish Gambino was reinventing the wheel here. But what makes “This Is America” so unforgettable is putting his own Gambino spin by funneling images that simultaneously mock and teach white racists of their own doing, which are propelled by an iconic video that brings Black people’s mortality to light. “This Is America” swept the 2019 Grammy Awards, taking home four trophies including the coveted Record Of The Year while making history as the first rap song to do so. Its accolades and virality were somewhat promising signs that this generation was finally waking up and smelling reality.
11. “Crawl” (Because The Internet, 2013)
If “Pink Toes” is post-Channel Orange, then “Crawl” is surely post-Watch The Throne. Gambino goes berserk on “Crawl” — the Because The Internet opener that borrows from Kanye West and Jay-Z’s penchant for grandiose beats. Gambino and co-producer Christian Rich creates an environment that’s not of this world, which is equal parts adrenaline-inducing and frightening due to Mystikal’s scatty adlibs, the increasing levels of a vital signs monitor, and a rousing choir. The outcome could’ve been messy, but Gambino hits the perfect balance that is an absolute headspin.
10. “Heartbeat” (Camp, 2011)
It seems like Gambino had 808s & Heartbreak on the brain for this Camp favorite. But make no mistake here, he’s not completely biting off a despondent Kanye West. Rather, Gambino is tapping into his inner romantic as he gets caught in a frustrating love triangle — a side of him that fans hadn’t seen before. From the chorus’ R&B croons to the pumping EDM production, “Heartbeat” encapsulated the heightened emotion of the early ‘10s music era.
9. “The Palisades” (Kauai, 2014)
Love’s complicated tug-of-war is the running theme on Kauai, and “The Palisades” finds Gambino longing for the simple pleasures in life: long walks on the beach, dancing with his girl, and smoking weed. But as he says on the succinct hook: “Love don’t really happen.” It’s all set to an oh-so-groovy, plucky guitar melody that takes a page out of The Neptunes’ book of earworm tricks (right down to mimicking Pharrell’s signature four-count start). Top it off with some Michael Jackson-inspired falsettos and you have a song that would make the Motown gods proud.
8. “Sweatpants” (Because The Internet, 2013)
Sometimes Gambino’s comedic wordplay can steer too far into try-hard territory. But on this Because The Internet cut, the rapper strikes a happy medium. “Sweatpants” has a lot of stand-out qualities going for it: the buzzy trap beat, the way Gambino confidently rides the beat in a way that’s more cool kid than geek, and fully embracing his suburban upbringing with his “The Boy” alter-ego. When he spits “Don’t be mad cause I’m doing me better than you doing you” on the chorus, you have no choice but to believe him.
7. “Candler Road” (STN MTN, 2014)
Childish Gambino opens STN MTN (his ode to his hometown of Stone Mountain, Georgia) with: “I had a dream I ran Atlanta.” And on mixtape highlight “Candler Road,” he fully embodies that vision. Most naysayers would question the rapper’s ability to ride a trap beat, but here he completely dominates. The production is lifted right from the streets of Decatur (where the titular road is found), and Gambino matches its grittiness with a platter of impressive bars, ad-lib singing just for the hell of it, and too many aggressive flows to count. By the time the beat switches on the song’s latter half, you’ll be grinning at Gambino cheekily giving us insight into the vibes we could expect on his hit series Atlanta.
6. “Stand Tall” (“Awaken, My Love!”, 2016)
Being the closer to “Awaken, My Love!”, “Stand Tall” often gets caught in the praise of the album’s more prominent singles. But this isn’t one to be overlooked. It is six minutes of experimental bliss, with Gambino reflecting on his fatherly responsibilities. Here, he transfers the advice his old man once gave him in hopes to pass onto not only his own sons but the listeners who are in search of life’s answers. “Keep all your dreams, keep standing tall / If you are strong, you cannot fall / There is a voice inside us all / So smile when you can, when you can.” The motivating words float through vocoders, a harmonious choir, ‘70s-inspired wah-wah guitar flicks, and floating pipes that ultimately create Gambino’s version of wonderland.
5. “Sober” (Kauai, 2014)
One thing that Childish Gambino does well is juxtaposition, which is brilliantly executed on “Sober.” The melody itself is a sweet electro-R&B ditty reminiscent of a sunny afternoon stroll in the park, yet the lyrical content reveals the opposite. “Girl, what’s your problem? / ‘Cause I know it’s hard sometimes, baby just give it some time.” The opening lines give way to Gambino struggling to cope with a love lost; there’s no hope in mending his broken relationship. But I think the idea of never being sober is more than just reaching for the nearest bottle or substance of choice to drown your sorrows in. Here, love is the drug. And now that’s over, the search for an emotional high that has been lost begins. Towards the end of the song, the beat unexpectedly shifts, forcing all those emotions to come crashing down just as strong as the Hawaiian shores.
4. “Pop Thieves (Make It Feel Good)” (Kauai, 2014)
As soon as the birds begin chirping on “Pop Thieves (Make It Feel Good),” you’re immediately transported to an island filled with lush greenery, calmly crashing waves and love in the air. Well, that’s what I predict Kauai to be like anyway. But if you haven’t visited the Hawaiian island (like myself), Gambino provides that ticket to escapism on this track. The artist showcased his singing abilities prior to Kauai, but on the EP he truly goes there. He sounds sublime on “Pop Thieves (Make It Feel Good),” wrapping your ears with tender love before Jaden Smith adds a dose of serenity with a spoken-word outro.
3. “Redbone” (“Awaken, My Love!”, 2016)
The tracklist placement of the Grammy-winning “Redbone” is almost too ironic, as if the mischievous Gambino we were first introduced to is in on the joke. Undoubtedly the artist’s strongest single to date, it is stuffed right in the middle of the album. But there’s no accidental skips here: as soon as those heart-thumping drums drop, you’re immediately sucked in. Cringe title aside (the referential “redbone,” or a light-skinned Black woman, is a historically touchy subject in the community), the song is a groove. Heavily borrowing from the melodic genius of Funkadelic, George Clinton’s ‘70s psychedelic funk band, “Redbone” is a masterful blend of paranoia creeping up behind your shoulders (which was heightened by its use in Get Out that gave a whole ‘nother meaning to “stay woke”) and a romantic boogie that’s laid on peanut-butter thick thanks to that unshakable bassline.
2. “3005” (Because The Internet, 2013)
On the surface, “3005” may appear as a cutesy love song. But strip away the punchy electronic production and the lush hook (in which Gambino sounds his absolute dreamiest) that is an overpouring of commitment and promise of fidelity, you’ll find loneliness at its core. “Everybody’s like, ‘It’s a love song.’ It’s kind of an existential thing. I’m just really scared of being alone. When I was little, there was a big dog down the street,” Gambino explained about the song’s meaning, which he wrote following a morning dream. “I was really scared of it. But when I was with my sister, when I knew I had to protect her, I wasn’t afraid of the dog as much because somebody was there. I had a purpose. I kind of lost that, I feel.” What’s more relatable than feeling alone? The shadow of existential dread is omnipresent in “3005,” jerking the song back to reality. It cuts through the bright melodies with lyrics like “I’ve lost all hope of a happy ending” and signature wordplay like “Girl why is you lying, girl why you Mufasa?” In the words of Meek Mill, there’s levels to this sh*t.
1. “Me And Your Mama” (“Awaken, My Love!”, 2016)
Looking back at the Childish Gambino who created “Freaks And Geeks” or even the Donald Glover who starred on Community, I’m guessing that none of us could’ve ever predicted that same person would’ve created “Awaken, My Love!” “Me And Your Mama,” the album’s intense opener/opus, stomps on all that disbelief and picks up our jaws off the floor. It begins completely unassuming, twinkling with mystical synths and a choir harmonizing about the joys of marijuana. But once the two-minute mark hits, we’re shaken awake from the high and staring in the face of our worst nightmares. Gambino, in his career-best vocal performance, emerges from underneath a taunting monster to profess his tortured love. Have you ever heard someone begging to be let into their partner’s heart that passionately? If there’s one thing to take away from “Me And Your Mama,” it’s to expect the unexpected from Childish Gambino. As a matter of fact, spare yourself the trouble and just don’t expect anything that all. The guy is just not of this planet.
