Childish Gambino Believes Rap Isn't Growing Like It Used To

BYGabriel Bras Nevares1434 Views
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BEVERLY HILLS, CALIFORNIA - MARCH 27: Donald Glover attends the 2022 Vanity Fair Oscar Party hosted by Radhika Jones at Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts on March 27, 2022 in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo by Lionel Hahn/Getty Images)

"You get washed and old when s**t just sounds the same to you because you've heard so much," the multi-hyphenate remarked.

Childish Gambino's recent Complex interview saw him dishing out on a lot of controversial and debated topics. One of those was on the role of artificial intelligence in today's world, and his answer might surprise you. However, another contentious and heated discussion, especially right now, is whether or not hip-hop is "dead" or "dying." While Donald Glover didn't take the black-and-white stance that others have, he did express belief that things just aren't as they used to be. Maybe you'll find his comments out-of-touch, maybe they resonate deeply with your thoughts on the game, but one thing's for sure: this is a big and elusive name to be addressing this.

"I think I'm as tapped in as I can be," Childish Gambino replied when asked how in-tune he feels to rap. "[I like] when something feels new to me. You get washed and old when s**t just sounds the same to you because you've heard so much. You know, I think the women are killing it because they have narratives. I feel like a lot of the guys, it's harder to have interesting new narratives now.

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Childish Gambino's Summarized Thoughts On Today's Rap Game

"Also, I feel like, in general... I don't want to say 'rap is dead,' it's just, it's not able to grow the way it was growing before," Childish Gambino continued. "It's just not able to. It's a very different time. Who's making it and why they're making it is very different, too. I hear Sexyy Red, I hear Ice Spice, I hear Tokischa. I hear all these artists, and I'm like 'This is all good s**t.' And it goes back to… The audience decides what the functionality of it is. Sometimes, that is just to feel good. Also, people want something fresh, but people want it fast, which sometimes just doesn't happen.

"I feel like it'll be clear sooner rather than later," the multi-hyphenate creative answered to a question about whether he'll drop music soon. "It'd be better for people to just tune in, I suppose. But I'm trying harder to not be cryptic. Tyler is always, like, 'You're so cryptic.' But I'm like, 'I'm really not.' I just like suspense, I guess. I think it makes stuff better. But that's just me." For more news and updates on Childish Gambino, log back into HNHH.

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About The Author
Gabriel Bras Nevares is a music and pop culture news writer for HotNewHipHop. He started in 2022 as a weekend writer and, since joining the team full-time, has developed a strong knowledge in hip-hop news and releases. Whether it’s regular coverage or occasional interviews and album reviews, he continues to search for the most relevant news for his audience and find the best new releases in the genre. What excites him the most is finding pop culture stories of interest, as well as a deeper passion for the art form of hip-hop and its contemporary output. Specifically, Gabriel enjoys the fringes of rap music: the experimental, boundary-pushing, and raw alternatives to the mainstream sound. As a proud native of San Juan, Puerto Rico, he also stays up-to-date with the archipelago’s local scene and its biggest musical exponents in reggaetón, salsa, indie, and beyond. Before working at HotNewHipHop, Gabriel produced multiple short documentaries, artist interviews, venue spotlights, and audio podcasts on a variety of genres and musical figures. Hardcore punk and Go-go music defined much of his coverage during his time at the George Washington University in D.C. His favorite hip-hop artists working today are Tyler, The Creator, Boldy James, JPEGMAFIA, and Earl Sweatshirt.