When I first heard of Donald Glover aka Childish Gambino it was because of his album "Camp." I loved the creativity of this album and thus began my obsession with him. Once I was done playing the album on repeat, I searched for more music by him, but instead came across television shows that he starred in or wrote for. He wrote for "30 Rock," a comedy series, and starred in "Community," one of my favorite comedy series. His creativity is in more than just music which made my fascination with him grow. So imagine my excitement when I first saw the preview for Atlanta, a series created, produced, and starring Glover. I was thrilled when I first saw the preview back in June and couldn't wait till September 6th.
Atlanta tells the story of up and coming rapper Alfred Miles, played by Brian Tyree Henry, and his manager Earn, played by Glover. Although Alfred is hesitant to accept his cousin, Earn, as his manager he believes that he is capable of getting the work done. They plan to make it big in the music business not only for themselves but also for their children. The dialogue is filled with humor, but also brings up important topics within our society.
Once the 6th finally arrived I sat in anticipation for the show to start, and once it did I can honestly say I was completely and totally impressed. The originality in "Atlanta" is more than I would've expected. After seeing shows starring black people like Empire, Scandal, and Power, watching "Atlanta" was refreshing. There isn't an overwhelming amount of drama, and I believe it represents black people in an authentic way. Glover's creativity and genius are shown throughout this series, and has received a 8.9/10 on IMDB.
I'm not surprised that Glover's new project has enticed me the way his albums have done in the past since he has always shown originality in his work. I am excited to see the success of this series and can't wait till next week to see where the story goes. For anyone who has been looking for something refreshing and authentic to watch I highly suggest "Atlanta."