"This Is America" | ||||
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Single by Childish Gambino | ||||
Released | May 6, 2018 | |||
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Length | 3:45 | |||
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Childish Gambino singles chronology | ||||
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Music video | ||||
"This Is America" on YouTube |
"This Is America" is a song by American rapper Childish Gambino. Written by Gambino, Ludwig Göransson, & fellow American rapper Young Thug (who provides additional vocals) and produced by the former two, it was released on May 6, 2018, at the same time that Gambino was hosting an episode of Saturday Night Live. The song also features backing vocals from fellow American rappers Slim Jxmmi of Rae Sremmurd, BlocBoy JB, Quavo, and 21 Savage.The lyrics and accompanying music video, reflecting the core of the Black Lives Matter movement, confront issues of ongoing systemic racism, including prejudice, racial violence, the ghetto, and law enforcement in the United States, as well as the wider issues of mass shootings and gun violence in the United States. Originally, Gambino intended it to be a diss record towards Canadian rapper Drake.[4][5][6][7]
The song's accompanying music video was directed by filmmaker Hiro Murai, a frequent Gambino collaborator.[8][9] "This Is America" became the 31st song to debut at number one on the US Billboard Hot 100, becoming both Gambino's first number one and top ten single in the country. It has also topped the charts in Australia, Canada, and New Zealand. The song won in all four of its nominated categories at the 61st Annual Grammy Awards: Record of the Year, Song of the Year, Best Rap/Sung Performance and Best Music Video. This made Gambino the first hip-hop artist to win Record of the Year and Song of the Year, and "This Is America" the first rap song to win these awards.[10]
The same night he dropped off the video for "This Is America," a combination trap and afrobeat banger with a beguiling message about race and gun violence.
tidal
was invoked but never defined (see the help page).It started as a Drake diss, to be honest, as like a funny way of doing it. But then I was like, this shit sounds kind of hard though. So I was like, let me play with it.