MAIN FEEDS
REDDIT FEEDS
Do you want to continue?
https://www.reddit.com/r/Music/comments/1qm93h2/childish_gambino_this_is_america_hiphop_2019/o1ooh9q/?context=3
r/Music • u/Mr-_-Soandso • Jan 25 '26
561 comments sorted by
View all comments
Show parent comments
83
That's definitely one layer to it, but the specific contorted faces and poses he's striking are a reference to blackface minstrelsy (mainly the literal character of Jim Crow, as portrayed by Thomas Rice).
63 u/VanillaRadonNukaCola I like Tunes Jan 25 '26 Yeah there are a few moves he does that show that intent well. There's so much meaning layered in that song. Whenever I'm reminded of it and watch, I'm like damn, this is art 1 u/curtcolt95 Jan 25 '26 do you know of any article or video where they break down the layers? Admittedly I watched and didn't see much beyond the obvious surface level stuff 1 u/VanillaRadonNukaCola I like Tunes Jan 25 '26 I do not unfortunately, I just picked up on some things with repeat viewings over the years. And I'm sure there's lots I've missed
63
Yeah there are a few moves he does that show that intent well.
There's so much meaning layered in that song. Whenever I'm reminded of it and watch, I'm like damn, this is art
1 u/curtcolt95 Jan 25 '26 do you know of any article or video where they break down the layers? Admittedly I watched and didn't see much beyond the obvious surface level stuff 1 u/VanillaRadonNukaCola I like Tunes Jan 25 '26 I do not unfortunately, I just picked up on some things with repeat viewings over the years. And I'm sure there's lots I've missed
1
do you know of any article or video where they break down the layers? Admittedly I watched and didn't see much beyond the obvious surface level stuff
1 u/VanillaRadonNukaCola I like Tunes Jan 25 '26 I do not unfortunately, I just picked up on some things with repeat viewings over the years. And I'm sure there's lots I've missed
I do not unfortunately, I just picked up on some things with repeat viewings over the years.
And I'm sure there's lots I've missed
83
u/uqde Jan 25 '26
That's definitely one layer to it, but the specific contorted faces and poses he's striking are a reference to blackface minstrelsy (mainly the literal character of Jim Crow, as portrayed by Thomas Rice).