Childish Gambino Responds To Atlanta Criticism

Childish Gambino is addressing criticisms that his award-winning Atlanta series is not Black enough as he gets ready for its final season.

Along with his brother and co-executive producer Stephen Glover, Gambino participated in a virtual panel discussion for the Television Critics Association on Tuesday, August 2. The rapper-actor addressed criticisms that the program is not intended for African-Americans throughout the discussion.

“I do a lot of this shit for the people,” Glover said, according to Deadline. “So if you’re sitting there being like, ‘Oh, this is misogynoir,’ I’m wondering why you think that and why you think I feel that way when I’m nothing without my people. It’s just kind of whack to me. Some of that to me is just internet people trying to get hot, which is also something we learned in the system we’re in.”

“I feel like a lot of the Black criticism bothers me only because it sounds like [it’s from] Black people who don’t really know what we’ve been through,” he continued. “I don’t think they give a lot of credit to what we’ve gone through.”

The “This Is America” rapper claims such a conclusion would imply that all Black people are the same, which is a notion he rejects.

“There are better ways to talk about it rather than like with shit I’ve heard in fourth grade about who we are because I feel this is such a Black show,” he added. “To say it’s only for White people, it’s like we’re cutting ourselves down which is kind of whack to me … “

Atlanta centers on Earnest, a college dropout who is attempting to control the erratic rap career of his wild cousin. The sitcom, which also features Lakeith Stanfield, Zazie Beetz, and Bryan Tyree Henry, debuted in 2016 and has won numerous accolades, including several Emmys. Following the second season in 2018 and a number of delays, the third season debuted early this year. Starting on September 15, FX will begin airing the show’s final season.