Off the Beaten Path: Vol. 4 - Childish Gambino

Off the Beaten Path
Written By Tucker Hammonds
 
Artwork by Kayla Griffin & Southern Reel

Artwork by Pat Hamou

 

To call him a “renaissance man” or “jack of all trades” would feel far too limiting. The multi-hyphenate artist whose real name is Donald Glover has a still burgeoning career that has already spanned music, standup comedy, acting, writing, and producing. Seeing first success in his sketch comedy group Derrick Comedy and later catapulting to fame with his character Troy Barnes on the NBC cult sitcom Community, Glover is perhaps equally known by another name: Childish Gambino.

This moniker is his musical alter ego. Think “Chris Gaines,” but hip hop/funk. And cooler. Gaining popularity in the music world during his time on Community, Glover wasn’t viewed as “serious” about music until after his first few releases. While some of his earlier mixtapes and first album, Camp, certainly has less complicated lyrics and melodies, they are not without their own merit. And in fact, when paired with his later work, you can really see the arc of his life and musical evolution. I have tried to reflect that through the songs in the playlist.

Throughout the playlist, you’ll find selections from all throughout his career, starting with his 2011 first album. I do recommend searching for some earlier mixtapes and other releases on the web if you do find yourself enjoying the songs here. I strayed from some of his most popular tracks. Other playlists might give you some of the better “hits,” but you’ll find some of his most lyrically & thematically powerful work at play here. I hope you enjoy, and happy listening!

Before we go, here are some other resources that should help you on your musical journey:

On The Beaten Path: well-known tracks that were off limits:

  • Redbone

  • This is America

  • 3005

  • Feels Like Summer

  • Sober

Subscribe to receive future volumes of Off the Beaten Path, along with the Fresh Cut Finds playlists.

 

What is Off the Beaten Path?

Discovering and falling in love with new musical artists is what Fresh Cuts Finds is all about, and Off the Beaten Path is designed to help in that endeavor by spotlighting a particular band we think you’ll really like. Inside, you’ll find a curated playlist, our favorite music video, our favorite live/concert video, and an article about the band (written by people who actually know what they’re talking about). Oh, one more thing. Since most people research a new artist by checking out their Greatest Hits album or scrolling through the most played songs on the band’s Spotify page, our playlist considers them off-limits for inclusion as we figure you already got those covered.

If you have a specific song that you’ve recently discovered or come to love, we’d love to hear from you. Just email us at freshcutfinds@gmail.com. We’re planning to roll out more content and a new playlist series in the coming months. Stay tuned!

Tucker Hammonds
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