Childish Gambino

To say that Donald Glover, otherwise known as the musician Childish Gambino, has been busy is an understatement. Leading roles in blockbuster films? Writing, directing and starring in a critically acclaimed TV show? Check and check. Catch him playing the young Lando Calrissian in Solo: A Star Wars Story and snagging Emmys for his FX dramedy, Atlanta. But it’s perhaps his turn at the microphone that has struck the loudest chord this year—at a time when America’s long history of racial turmoil has once again become a topic of mainstream conversation. After the release of mixtapes, EPs and three studio albums that fuse rap, R&B and hip-hop, Glover debuted his latest single “This Is America” on Saturday Night Live in May. With a video that sees him dancing in front of a riot and mowing down a gospel choir with an assault rifle, his searing lyrics and imagery address the violence faced by black Americans every day. Plug into the powerhouse when Childish Gambino hits TD Garden on Sept. 12. / Nathan Tavares

Photo: Ibra Ake