Childish Gambino Says Camp Tells 'A Whole Story'

Childish Gambino's most recent offering "Bonfire" serves as the first single from his first physical album, Camp. The action-packed, fast-paced, metaphor-filled song not only fits Gambino's camp theme, but it seems like a metaphor itself, signaling his arrival as a fully formed MC.

MTV News caught up with Gambino (a.k.a. "Community" star Donald Glover) in full makeup on the set of his video for "Bonfire," and he said the album was a real labor of love.

"The biggest compliment I can give it is that I like it more than everything else I've done," he said. "I think it's a cohesive piece, and I wanted to tell a whole story with it. Hopefully, the whole album is like a book or a novel where [there's] a through line."

Gambino said his favorite albums are the ones that tell stories that transport you somewhere else. On Camp, he hopes to emulate Biggie's storytelling prowess on the 1997 classic Life After Death.

Gambino's upcoming debut album holds a special place in his heart for two reasons. For one, it will be the first time his fans can hold a physical copy of his music — thanks to his deal with Glassnote Records. Secondly, it was the culmination of everything he's worked on.

"There were songs that we made, and I was like, 'This can't be on the album.' I felt like that was a thing of growth. There [would be] other times when I was like, 'Oh, this song is dope. We'll just throw it on there too.' But this one was like, 'No. We have to stick to the theme and the idea of what I'm trying to say.' "

What are you expecting from Childish Gambino's debut? Let us know in the comments!