I’ve only liked Childish Gambino for two days and I have absolutely no shame declaring him my new favorite rapper. The reason why I’m making such a bold statement so soon is because I’ve never felt so represented in my personal beliefs and experiences by a rapper before. Don’t get me wrong…I love Jay-Z, but I’ve never sold drugs, fucked Beyonce or even had so much as a glass of Ace of Spades before.

He raps about being himself and how he isn’t racially insecure. He’s very vocal about being attracted to women of different races and body types and I think that’s beautiful. So many rappers are afraid to think and act outside of the box because they won’t appeal to the “hood.” He operates completely outside of the box. He even proclaims himself as a role model to smart black kids.

The reason why this is so important to me is because I never had a role model like that. The only positive black model I had growing up was LeVar Burton and he was only qualified enough to be an engineer on the starship Enterprise. For me growing up, being black meant adhering to any and all stereotypes. Not daring to stand up or stand out otherwise you face ridicule from your peers. I can’t live that way. I never could and I never have. The music of Childish Gambino lets me know that I’m not alone and that being different and being true to yourself pays off. I admire him for that reason alone.

But then there’s his wordplay. Not only is he witty, but he’s also verbose. His metaphors are funny and smart and range from art history to comic book chic. I never thought I would ever hear a rapper namedrop Kitsune of all brands in a song. My expectations were shattered right there.

I hate to draw comparisons, but he’s a lot like Drake but without all of the outrageous bullshit. Childish Gambino is the Professor X to Drake’s Magneto. He raps about what’s real and what people can relate to. No bragging about being signed for a million. No lies about fucking your wife. You can tell he’s just being Donald Glover. And I appreciate that.

You should check some of his music out for yourself: http://t.co/DTIEAG7