Childish Gambino

Donald Glover is a lucky man, and he says so himself. After going straight from college to the 30 Rock writers’ room, he was cast as dim-bulb jock Troy in NBC’s critically acclaimed Community. But his rapid ascent is more than just luck: Dude’s a prolific entertainer, turning out tongue-twisting rap verses as easily as he would sketches for his name-making troupe Derrick Comedy. The beats and rhymes Glover puts out as Childish Gambino are clever, but the project isn’t a joke. Glover’s creative range shows the various personas—everything from rap-star Lothario to lovestruck kid to sozzled party animal—he inhabits on record. He might overreach sometimes, handling serious scenarios with maybe a few too many jokes on Camp, his debut record, but his whole game is mega-admirable all the same.

Updated 05/03/2012