The one rapper Childish Gambino compared to Stephen Hawking: “I know that’s controversial”
Donald Glover, aka Childish Gambino, has made no secret of who his favourite rapper ever is. Instead of looking back to hip-hop’s golden era, his top pick is a much more contemporary figure—someone not much older than he is.
Glover adores the music of Kanye West, and he has never shied away from how influential he has found Ye throughout his career. He thinks Ye is a truly innovative, important artist, with a mind unlike any other rapper out there. He has even compared his visionary mind to that of Stephen Hawking.
A long time ago, in 2013, Glover spoke with Fuse about his admiration for Kanye, characterising him as a “prophet.” He even went so far as to describe himself as “the son of Kanye,” someone who has learned so much from Ye. Only six years in age separate Ye and Glover, but, musically, Glover evidently considered himself to be Kanye’s junior by some distance.
During a 2024 appearance on the GOAT Talk series hosted by Complex, Glover spoke with his co-star in the TV series Mr & Mrs Smith about Kanye, straight-up describing him as the greatest rapper of all time.
“I know that’s controversial,” Glover admitted, “but I feel like we would not have any of the rappers we have now without him.” This was in line with his previous assertion that he considered himself to be “the son of Kanye.”
During an interview with Vice in 2013, Glover was asked about this “son of Kanye” contention. Far from backing down from the assertion, he stuck with it and continued to sing Ye’s praises. This is where the Hawking comparison emerged.
“I look at Kanye like Steven Hawking,” he said, “he’s one of the brightest minds of our generation. But because he’s a Black rapper he’s put in a box.”
Glover spoke about the frustrations that are evident within Kanye’s public persona and work, declaring that those same frustrations live within him, too. But because Glover’s career extends beyond making music as Childish Gambino, he feels that he can get away with more without suffering the same level of scrutiny that Ye is exposed to.
“I’m a little better because people don’t look at me as a rapper,” Glover said, “and my skin is lighter, and people aren’t as threatened. And Kanye has this wealth of knowledge, but people stop him because he’s an aggressive Black male. I can go a little further, I can have the show, I can do the music.”
Glover’s career is unique, extremely broad, and very impressive. But artistically he nonetheless has always looked up to Ye, whose visionary mind is, from Glover’s perspective, comparable to the likes of Stephen Hawkings. Childish Gambino looks upon Ye as a genuine genius.