During his appearance on Power 105.1’s The Breakfast Club, Stone Mountain, Georgia rapper Childish Gambino commented on a variety of topics including police brutality, white privilege, his show with FX, and his upcoming mixtape, STN MTN / KAUAI.
Gambino kicked off his interview by speaking on comments he made at a show in Sydney, Australia about being better than Kendrick Lamar, Drake, and ScHoolboy Q. He stood behind his comments and revealed that every rapper should feel that way about themselves.
In regards to the artists he called out, he says that those at Top Dawg Entertainment were likely cool with his statement while “Drake is probably not taking it great.”
“Every rapper should feel that way,” Childish Gambino said. “Cause I feel that way. That’s my truth. I said those rappers in particular cause I feel like they’re the best. I feel like they’re the best. Kendrick, Drake, ScHooboy, I listen to them all the time. I think they’re just really good. I really do think they’re the best…I’m sure they’re fine with [that]. That’s the thing. Kendrick is fine with it. Drake is probably not taking it great. I know the TDE guys, like they’d understand. They’re one of the realest dudes in Hip Hop. They understand. They’re like ‘Yeah, you should feel that way’. We’re in competition. I remember when because the internet was coming out, School hit me, he was like ‘This stuff is crazy’ or whatever. And I was telling him the same thing. Cause when it’s good I’m like ‘Man, I wish I had done that.’ It’s competition…And I really do feel I’m the best. I’m having a moment like I can’t be stopped. I know what I’m doing right now. I’ve had ten years learning stuff. And I feel like right now I’m like ‘Oh man, I’m really getting it.’ So, I just feel that way. I really do. I’ll stand by it. I’ll rap anybody.”
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The Southern wordsmith later declared that white artists in Hip Hop including Iggy Azalea and G-Eazy are “eating” right now while young blacks in the United States are viewed as “worthless” and have to instead prove their worth.
“I feel like if Hip Hop is supposed to help us and right now that blueprint is taken,” he said. “Iggy’s winning. G-Eazy’s winning. We gotta do something different. But they’re all eating now. You’re right. I agree. And I’m not being like ‘Oh, white rappers that’s the problem.’ Nah, I’m down with it. Because rap is pop now. That’s what it is. It should be. And popular music. And white people are popular. They are. They are popular. So, it’s like they’re more than us. I feel like our job as young blacks in this country is to show our worth. Cause right now they view us as worthless…We don’t quantify our worth.”
Gambino was later asked about a poem he posted on Twitter, during his interview with The Breakfast Club. At the start of the poem, which was released last month, the rapper declared “I wanna be a white rapper.”
In regards to his poem, Gambino was asked why being white is the bar for greatness.
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“Because whiteness is blankness,” the rapper said. “It’s because they look at it as a blank slate. Like when you come in, you can be anything. When I walk in even if I have a bowtie, they might be like ‘Is he Muslim?’ They’re not going to do that with a white dude. White people are a blank slate. We are not. People bring stuff to it because there’s not a lot of us, so they only judge us on the seven or whatever they know. So, that’s what I’m trying to say. I want to be a blank slate. As a black person, I constantly have to know what a person is assuming about me. That’s what I’m saying.”
Lastly, Gambino offered an update on his upcoming mixtape and the television show he’s writing for FX Networks. He shared that he’s still working on the show and revealed that proceeds for his new mixtape, STN MTN / KAUAI will go towards changing policies for police and helping Kauai, Hawaii.
“I’m still making it. Still doing it. We’re figuring that out,” Childish Gambino said when asked about his show on FX. “That’s what I really want people to know is like I’m entering—I feel like I’m entering a point where it’s like ‘I understand what I’m doing.’ I’m making a book and a show. And the mixtape is almost done…Jaden’s on there. The money that goes from them goes to money—Half of it goes to changing the policies for cops to wear videos and audio and the other half goes to help Kauai. So, it’s like a good project.”
Although the cover art for STN MTN / KAUAI has been revealed, an official release date for the mixtape has yet to be announced.
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Childish Gambino’s interview with The Breakfast Club can be found below (via HotNewHipHop).
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