Donald Glover’s ‘This Is America’ Was Originally A Drake Diss Record

Author Autumn Hawkins

April 5th, 2023 11:25 AM

Donald Glover got a lot of parise for his 2018 track “This Is America.” The song amplifies the issues involving race and police brutality among Black Americans. However, in a recent interview with GQ, Glover admitted that “This Is America” did not originally start as an anthem about race. He originally wrote the song to throw shots at Drake.

“I had the idea three years before. I told [director] Hiro [Murai] the idea, and he’s like, ‘I really want to do that.’… The idea for the song started as a joke,” he said in a video accompanying the interview.

He added, “To be completely honest, ‘This is America’ — that was all we had was that line. It started as a Drake diss, to be honest, as like a funny way of doing it. But then I was like, this s— sounds kind of hard though. So I was like, let me play with it.”

Back in 2014, Glover’s rap alter ego Childish Gambino made the infamous comment that he was better than Drizzy, Kendrick Lamar and ScHoolboy Q combined. He later explained that his boisterous comment had no bad intent and that he is cool with all of the aforementioned rappers.

RELATED: Donald Glover Faces Backlash Over Dominque Fishback’s ‘Swarm’ Character

Glover calls “This Is America” the “‘We Are The World,’ but for trap.” The 2018 song features background vocals from Young Thug, Slim Jxmmi of Rae Sremmurd, BlocBoy JB, Quavo of Migos, and 21 Savage. “This Is America” won Song Of The Year at the 61st GRAMMY Awards. The record also took home Record Of The Year, Best Music Video and Best Rap/Sung Performance.

The success of “This Is America” also came with some legal issues that were just resolved last month. According to Billboard, Glover was involved in a copyright infringement suit for the hit record that was recently dismissed. Back in March, a judge ruled that “[a] cursory comparison with the challenged composition reveals that the content of the choruses is entirely different and not substantially similar.” Rapper Kidd Wes filed the lawsuit in 2021. The judge added that Wes’ version was a “short, simple, self-aggrandizing proclamation,” while Glover’s “This Is America” discusses “what America means and how it is perceived.”

Take a look at Glover’s interview with GQ below:

50 Of The Best Hip-Hop Songs Of 2022

• "Rich Flex" - Drake and 21 Savage

  “Rich Flex” is found on Drake and 21 Savage’s collab album Her Loss. The collab album marks the first time the duo put out a project together. Her Loss debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200. The song spent its first three weeks at No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100.

• "Super Freaky Girl" - Nicki Minaj

  “Super Freaky Girl” by Nicki Minaj was a triumphant moment in the emcee’s career. The song that samples Rick James’ 1981 classic “Super Freak,” earned Nicki her third No. 1  song on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and her first unaccompanied by another featured artist. A remix of the track titled “Super Freaky Girl (Queen’s Mix)”  featuring City Girls’ JT, BIA, Akbar V, Katie Got Bandz, and Maliiibu Miitch dropped in September.

• "Just Wanna Rock" - Lil Uzi Vert

  Who would have thought a Philly native could make such a fire Jersey club beat? Well, Lil Uzi Vert did just that with his song “Just Wanna Rock.” The Jersey Club-influenced track dropped in October and the rapper made his first top 10 Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs debut with it.

• "The Heart Part 5" - Kendrick Lamar

  Kendrick came out of his five-year hiatus when he dropped fifth installment to his “The Heart” series with “The Heart Part 5.” In the music video, Kendrick’s face morphs into several deepfakes, including OJ Simpson, Will Smith, Jussie Smollett, Kobe Bryant, Kanye West, and Nipsey Hussle. The song is nominated for Record of the Year, Song of the Year, Best Rap Performance, Best Rap Song, and Best Music Video at the 2023 Grammys.

• "F.N.F. (Let's Go)" - GloRilla and Hitkidd

  GloRilla proved to be the rookie of the year with her breakout hit “F.N.F. (Let’s Go).” The Hitkidd collab earned her her first Grammy nomination for Best Rap Performance. A remix of the hit featuring Latto and City Girls’ JT was later released following its success.

• "Wait For U" - Future ft. Drake and Tems

  “Wait For U” was the standout favorite from Future’s album I NEVER LIKED YOU. It features vocals from Drake and Nigerian singer Tems. The track debut at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100. The song samples Tems’ song, “Higher” from her debut EP For Broken Ears (2020). It is nominated for Best Melodic Rap Performance and Best Rap Song at the 2023 Grammys.

• "pushin P" - Gunna, Future ft. Young Thug

  Gunna had the whole world shouting “pushin P” when he dropped it as the second track on his LP DS4Ever. The rapper clarified the meaning of the phrase saying, “P don’t just mean player. ‘P’ means paper, too. You can be pushin’ this ‘P’ with paper.” Gunna explained. The track features guest appearances from Future and his label boss Young Thug. “pushin p” debuted at No. 7 on the Billboard Hot 100. The track is nominated for Best Rap Song at the 2023 Grammys.

• "First Class" - Jack Harlow

  If you’ve been on social media this year then you have heard this song. “First Class” debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 making it the Kentucky-bred rapper’s first solo chart topper. The song samples Fergie’s 2007 hit “Glamorous.” The song is nominate for Best Melodic Rap Performance

• "London" - Bia ft. J. Cole

  BIA and J. Cole took us across the pond with their hit “London.” The track debuted at No. 16 on the Billboard Hot 100. When J. Cole asked BIA to come to the studio for another project she played him this song and he was “blown away.”

• "Diet Coke" - Pusha T

  “Diet Coke” by Pusha T is from his 2022 album It’s Almost Dry and is the sixth track on the LP. The track served as the lead single to his album which is nominated for Best Rap Album at the 2023 Grammys.

• "Plan B" Megan Thee Stallion

  “Plan B” by Megan Thee Stallion was first previewed during her debut Coachella appearance earlier this year. The Houston native released the track after it went viral on social media. She later followed up with a music video featuring her in custom Mugler.

• "Big Energy (Live)" - Latto

  “Big Energy” is one of Latto’s biggest hits which served as the lead single for her album 777. Although it was released in 2021, the song was nominated for its live version when she opened for Lizzo on her Special Tour. The song samples Mariah Carey’s 1995 hit “Fantasy” and Latto was able to snag her for the remix. The live version of the song is nominated for Best Melodic Rap Performance at the 2023 Grammys.

• "Vegas" Doja Cat

  Although Doja Cat’s “Vegas” fell short of an Oscar nomination, the track was one of the best songs to come out in 2022. The track was denied a nomination from the Academy Awards due to the interpolation of Elvis Presley’s 1956 “Hound Dog,” track created by Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller. The Academy rules state that submissions for Best Original Song must consist of “words and music, both of which are original and written specifically for the motion picture.” The song is the lead single for Baz Luhrmann’s Elvis starring Austin Butler. However, Doja did score a Grammy nod for “Vegas” in the Best Rap Performance category.

• "Churchill Downs" - Jack Harlow ft. Drake

  Jack Harlow enlisted Drake for “Churchill Downs,” the title is a nod to the Kentucky rapper’s hometown. The track is nominated for Best Rap Song at the 2023 Grammys.

• "God Did" - DJ Khaled ft. Jay-Z, Rick Ross, Lil Wayne, John Legend, and Fridayy

  DJ Khaled recruited Jay-Z, Rick Ross, Lil Wayne, John Legend, and Fridayy for his Grammy-nominated “God Did.” The track is nominated for Best Rap Song, Best Rap Performance, and Song Of The Year. The track shares the title with the Miami-bred DJ’s thirteenth studio album which is also nominated for Best Rap Album.

• "In A Minute" - Lil Baby

  Lil Baby has had quite a 2022 releasing his third studio album It’s Only Me which debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart. Despite not grabbing any Grammy nominations this year, the Atlanta native’s presence did not go unseen with collaborating with several rappers and producing his hit “In A Minute.” The song samples Ellie Goulding’s track, “Don’t Say a Word”, and was concurrently released with his single “Right On.”

• "Jimmy Cooks" - Drake and 21 Savage

  Drake and 21 Savage preluded to their Her Loss collab by releasing “Jimmy Cooks” which is found on Drizzy’s dance album Honestly, Nevermind. The title of the track references Drake’s character on Degrassi which he starred in as “Jimmy Brooks.” The song debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 as well as Drake’s LP Honestly, Nevermind on the Billboard 200.

• "Tomorrow 2" - GloRilla ft. Cardi B

  GloRilla was one of this year’s shining star in rap as she produced two hot tracks. After the success she saw in “Tomorrow” she enlisted Cardi B for the remix titled “Tomorrow 2.” During the 2022 American Music Awards Glo brought out Cardi as a surprise guest during her performance. The track debuted at No. 3 on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop songs chart and No. 9 on the Hot 100. This was Cardi’s 11th top 10 on the tally and Glo’s first.

• "Hotel Lobby" - Quavo & Takeoff (Unc & Phew)

  “Hotel Lobby” was the breakout single from Migos rappers Quavo and Takeoff under the monikers “Unc” (Quavo) and “Phew” (Takeoff). The song was the lead single to their album Only Built for Infinity Links which debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Top Rap Albums chart No. 7 on the US Billboard 200 chart. Their performance on Colors went viral on TikTok shortly after Takeoff was shot and killed in November.

• "N95" - Kendrick Lamar

  “N95” is found on Kendrick Lamar’s Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers his fifth and final studio album with Top Dawg Entertainment. The track is the second song on the album which debuted on No. 1 on the Billboard 200. The song’s title is in reference to the masks used as a way to combat the COVID-19 pandemic. The Dave Free directed music video dropped on May 14, a day after the release of the LP.

• "Spin Bout U" - Drake and 21 Savage

  On “Spin Bout U” Drake and 21 Savage rap about being protective of their partners. The emcees flip B.G.O.T.I.’s 1995 hit song “Give Me Your Lov-N” on the track. This song is apart of their collaborative album Her Loss.

• "What Happened To Virgil" - Lil Durk ft. Gunna

  Following the death of Virgil Abloh who was artistic director of Louis Vuitton’s menswear in 2021, Lil Durk and Gunna honored the late fashion designer with the song “What Happened To Virgil.” The song is also a tribute to Lil Durk’s brother D Thang and rapper King Von who also have passed. This track is found on Lil Durk’s album 7220. His 7220 topped the Billboard 200 with this song peaking at No. 22 on the Billboard Hot 100.

• "Do We Have A Problem?" Nicki Minaj ft. Lil Baby

  “Do We Have A Problem?” was just one of Nicki Minaj and Lil Baby’s collabs for the year. They teased their second collab “Bussin” at the end of “Do We Have A Problem?” which dropped in February. “Do We Have A Problem?” debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard 100.

• "City of Gods" - Kanye West, Fivio Foreign, and Alicia Keys

  “City of Gods” is found on both Kanye’s Donda 2 and Fivio Foreign’s debut album B.I.B.L.E. and was released as both LP’s lead single. The track features Kanye, Fivio, and vocals from Alicia Keys. The track is ode to New York where both Fivio and Alicia are from. The song interpolates the chorus from The Chainsmoker’s 2015 hit “New York City.” The track also features adlibs from Atlanta rapper Playboi Carti,.

• "Cash In Cash Out" Pharrell Williams, 21 Savage, and Tyler, The Creator

  “Cash In, Cash Out” marks the first time all three artists have collabed on a song together. Tyler and Pharrell previously worked together on NIGO’s compilation project I Know NIGO! that was released back in March. Although the song was well received by fans, the cover art for the track began trending after the animation style resembles characters from Fortnite.

• "Puffin On Zootiez" - Future

  “Puffin On Zootiez” is the fifth track on Future’s 2022 album I Never Liked You. Future teased a snippet of the song on Instagram last November before he released it as part of his project. Zootiez is a streetwear brand that the rapper collaborated with to promote the album but it also shares the name of a popular marijuana strain which the rapper refers to in the song.

• "Neck & Wrist" - Pusha T ft. Jay-Z and Pharrell Williams

  “Neck & Wrist” is the third single by Pusha T from his It’s Almost Dry LP. Pusha T enlisted hip-hop legends Jay-Z and Pharrell Williams for the track the latter produced it as well as half of the LP along with Kanye West.

• "Rich Spirit" - Kendrick Lamar

  “Rich Spirit” is the seventh track from Kendrick’s Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers. In the song, he raps about loyalty, narcissism, and balancing all life has to offer. He performed “Rich Spirit” along with “Father Time” and “N95” during the 48th season opener of Saturday Night Live.

• "P---- & Millions" - Drake, 21 Savage, Travis Scott

  “P—- & Millions” is from Drake and 21 Savage’s collab album Her Loss. The duo enlisted Travis Scott for the track who serves as the only feature on the project. “P—- & Millions” debuted at No. 6 on the Billboard Hot 100.

• "Sticky" - Drake

  “Sticky” is from Drake’s dance album Honestly, Nevermind. In the music video, Drake pays tribute to the late Virgil Abloh by driving his custom Mercedes-Mayback off-roader coupe. The luxury vehicle is known as Project Maybach and references in the song with the lines, “The toughest act to follow’s back on tour/Off-road Maybach, Pyrex trap/Virgil came back through the boy, damn.”

• "Freaky Deaky" - Tyga ft. Doja Cat

  “Freaky Deaky” was released as the lead single of Tyga’s eighth upcoming studio album. The track is the second collaboration between Tyga and Doja Cat. The pair previously worked together on “Juicy” which is found on Doja’s 2019 album Hot Pink. The single debuted at the top of Billboard’s Rhythmic Airplay Chart.

• "AHH HA" - Lil Durk

  “AHH HA” is the third single from Lil Durk’s 7220 album. In the song he takes shots at Youngboy Never Broke Again. The Chicago native disses the rapper’s baby mama Jania Meshell and raps about his later brother DThang and late longtime friend King Von. The song climbed from the No. 11 spot to the No. 5 spot on Billboard’s Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart.

• "Surround Sound" - J.I.D ft. 21 Savage and Baby Tate

  J.I.D dropped “Surround Sound” on January 14, 2022 as the lead single to his album The Forever Story. The track features guest appearances from 21 Savage and Baby Tate which is the first time all three rappers collaborated together. The song is produced by DJ Scheme, Christo, and Nuri, it contains a sample of “One Step Ahead” by Aretha Franklin.

• "One Mic, One Gun" - Nas and 21 Savage

  Nas and 21 buried the hatchet and were able to come together for “One Mic, One Gun.” Earlier this year 21 questioned the Illmatic legend’s relevance which 21 later said that he comment was misconstrued. They later came out with the track two weeks later after the misunderstanding. The song is a nod to Stillmatic classic “One Mic” as well as 21 Savage’s own 2018 track “asmr,” where he raps, “I just need one Glock, Nas need one mic.”

• "Stick" - Dreamville, J.I.D, J.Cole, Kenny Mason, Sheck Wes

  “Stick” features J.I.D, J.Cole, Kenny Mason, and Sheck Wes. The artists rap about keeping a gun on them for protection. The song is off of Dreamville’s collab album D-Day: A Gangsta Grillz Mixtape.

• "Blick Blick" Coi Leray ft. Nicki Minaj

  Coi Leray enlisted Nicki Minaj for “Blick Blick” which appears on Leray’s debut studio album Trendsetter. “Blick Blick” is the first time the pair collaborated. The song debuted at No. 10 on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop chart and No. 37 on the Billboard Hot 100.

• "Banking On Me" - Gunna

  “Banking On Me” by Gunna was released on Valentine’s Day. The song’s music video was directed by Gunna himself and dropped the day after his 29th birthday. The rapper was behind bars at the time of the release for a RICO charge involving his label boss Young Thug. Gunna was released from jail on Dec. 14.

• "Die Hard" - Kendrick Lamar ft. Blxst and Amanda Reifer

  “Die Hard” appears on Kendrick’s Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers and features guest appearances from Blxst and Amanda Reifer. The song debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard’s Hot R&B Songs chart making it Kendrick’s first No. 1 entry. The track is nominated for Best Melodic Rap Performance at the 2023 Grammy Awards.

• "Feel The Fiyaaaah" - Metro Boomin, A$AP Rocky, Takeoff

  “Feel The Fiyaaaah” is from Metro Boomin’s Heroes & Villains album and features guest appearances from A$AP Rocky and the late Migos rapper Takeoff. “Feel The Fiyaaaah” is Takeoff’s first posthumous feature. Heroes & Villains debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart.

• "Players" Coi Leray

  After dropping her debut album Trendsetter earlier this year, the New Jersey native proved to be just that with her November 30th release of “Players.” She teased the song early in Novemeber on TikTok where it received millions of views. She later dropped the Jersey Club Remix of “Players” by DJ Smallz 732 in December. Both tracks sample 1982 hit “The Message” by Grandmaster Flash & Furious Five.

• "It's Givin" - Latto

  Latto had everyone screaming “its givin” this year and although she is not the originator of the phrase, her song made the viral catchphrase even bigger. Rolling Ray, an influencer, is said to be a possible origin for the phrase. “It’s Givin” is found on Latto’s 777 album.

• "Major Distribution" - Drake, 21 Savage

  “Major Distribution” is found on Drake and 21 Savage’s collab album Her Loss. The song is the second track on the album following “Rich Flex.” “Major Distribution” landed at No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100 for its debut.

• "Staying Alive" - DJ Khaled ft. Drake and Lil Baby

  DJ Khaled enlisted Drake and Lil Baby for “Staying Alive” which is found on his album God Did. When this song debuted at No. 1 on Billboard’s Rhythmic Airplay chart and No. 5 on the Billboard Hot 100, Drake surpassed The Beatles in securing the most top five hits on the Billboard Hot 100. He now has the most top five hits of any artist of all time.

• "Munch (Feelin' U)" - Ice Spice

  Bronx rapper Ice Spice had a great 2022 with her breakout single “Munch (Feelin’ U).” The song went viral all over social media and she even got a shoutout from Drake recognizing her hustle.

• "Can't Stop Won't Stop" - King Combs, Kodak Black

  King Combs has been steadily proving himself in rap and this collab with Kodak Black was just that. The track went No. 1 on Mediabase’s Urban Radio chart surpassing his father Diddy’s “Gotta Move On” featuring Bryson Tiller. The rapper sampled The Jeff Lorber Fusion’s 1979 hit “Rain Dance” for “Can’t Stop Won’t Stop.”

• "Never Sleep" - NAV ft. Lil Baby and Travis Scott

  NAV enlisted Lil Baby and Travis Scott for his track “Never Sleep.” The song is found on NAV’s LP Demons Protected by Angels which follows his 2020 project Good Intentions.
  Demons Protected by Angels debuted at No. 1 on Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums Chart.

• "Persuasive" - Doechii and SZA

  “Persuasive” is Doechii’s debut major label single featuring labelmate SZA. The song details her relationship with marijuana.

• "Walkin" - Denzel Curry

  “Walkin” is the lead single from Denzel Curry’s 2022 LP Melt My Eyez See Your Future. On the track Curry details the struggle of walking through life and the demons that try to alter his path.

• "Bikini Bottom" - Ice Spice

  After “Munch (Feelin’ You)” exploded on social media, the Bronx native came back with another hit titled “Bikini Bottom.” The track is inspired by music from the Nickelodeon show Spongebob Squarepants.

• “Magic” ft. Mustard – Vince Staples

  “Magic” by Vince Staples and Mustard is found on the rapper’s 2022 LP RAMONA PARK BROKE MY HEART. The track was released on Valentine’s Day in a

  Naomi Osaka & Beats. Vince Staples & Mustard. That’s “Magic”. New music coming soon 🪄💔 #BeatsFitPro #RPBMH @mustard @naomiosaka @beatsbydre pic.twitter.com/MkMAfY4C4g

  — vince (@vincestaples) February 7, 2022" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Beats Fit Pro commercial with tennis star Naomi Osaka. It was later revealed that it would be the lead single to his 2022 LP.

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Author Autumn Hawkins

Category:

• Music
• WiLD Music News
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