Childish Gambino: What Influenced The Ugly Cry?

When Donald Glover released Awaken, My Love! in 2016 under his Childish Gambino persona, fans were stunned. The album—a psychedelic funk odyssey—sounded like it had been beamed in from 1975. Its raw, soulful energy and retro production felt like a love letter to the past, but filtered through Glover’s Gen-Z lens. To understand The Ugly Cry, you have to dive into the artists and eras that shaped its sound.

How Did Parliament-Funkadelic’s Cosmic Funk Inspire the Album?

George Clinton’s Parliament-Funkadelic collective looms large over Awaken, My Love!. The album’s opener, “Me and Your Mama,” swells with the same chaotic, soul-shaking intensity as P-Funk’s Maggot Brain. Glover even channels Eddie Hazel’s guitar wails in his vocals, channeling that primal scream ethos. Listen to “Baby Boy” or “California” for clavinet riffs and synth squiggles that scream 1970s funk revues. Glover’s goal wasn’t mimicry—it was to resurrect the genre’s rebellious spirit for a new generation.

What Role Did Prince’s Genre-Bending Playfulness Play?

Prince’s shadow is everywhere on Awaken: the falsetto crooning, the cheeky bass lines, the refusal to stay in one lane. Glover has called Prince a “wizard,” and you can hear it in tracks like “Zombies.” The song’s cowbell-driven groove and synth flourishes mirror Prince’s Dirty Mind era, while Glover’s falsetto on “Have Some Love” evokes Sign o’ the Times. But unlike Prince’s polished perfectionism, Glover leans into rawness—the album’s cracks and hisses feel intentional, like a worn vinyl record.

How Did Sly & the Family Stone’s Soul Revolution Influence the Album?

Sly Stone’s blend of funk, rock, and social commentary seeped into Awaken’s DNA. The album’s themes of love and disillusionment mirror Sly’s There’s a Riot Goin’ On. Glover’s use of layered vocals and stripped-down instrumentation in “Redbone” nods to Sly’s minimalist yet explosive style. Even the album’s cover—a surreal, faceless figure—echoes the psychedelic album art of the 1970s, including Sly’s own. Glover, like Stone, wasn’t just making music; he was channeling the chaos of his time into a cry for connection.

Did Psych-Rock from The Beatles and The Beach Boys Leave a Mark?

The album’s psychedelic edge owes a debt to The Beatles’ Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band and The Beach Boys’ Pet Sounds. The swirling harmonies in “The Night Me and Your Mama Met” feel like a callback to Brian Wilson’s studio experimentation. Meanwhile, the Beatles’ influence surfaces in Glover’s use of abrupt key changes and whimsical instrumentation—think the harpsichord in “Have Some Love” or the sitar-like riffs in “Riot.” Glover isn’t just borrowing; he’s blending eras to create something timeless.

How Did West African Rhythms and Percussion Shape the Sound?

Awaken pulses with rhythms rooted in West African music, a nod to Glover’s heritage (his grandparents emigrated from the Caribbean). The polyrhythmic drum patterns in “Zombies” and the handclaps in “California” echo traditional Yoruba drumming. Glover has spoken about wanting to “reclaim” African sounds in American music, tying the album to a broader cultural conversation. The result is a bridge between James Brown’s funk and Fela Kuti’s Afrobeat—a sound that feels both ancestral and futuristic.

What About Contemporary R&B and Trap?

Glover didn’t abandon hip-hop entirely. The album’s subversion of trap beats—like the distorted snare in “Boogieman”—shows his roots. Tracks like “Summertime Magic” and “This Is America” (from later work) reveal how Awaken served as a blueprint for blending retro soul with modern beats. But here, the trap influence is subtle—a ghost in the machine rather than the main event.

---

Awaken, My Love! didn’t emerge from a vacuum. It’s a mosaic of influences, mashed together by an artist who sees no barriers between past and present, black and white, high art and pop culture. To hear Glover’s take on how these artists shaped his “ugly cry,” ask him yourself.