Grammy-winning artist Childish Gambino has been heralded as one of the most visionary artists of the 2010s. However, the alter-ego of actor and comedian Donald Glover is currently making headlines not for his amazing art, but for his bad business.
African model Giannina Antonette Oteto has taken to social media to air out her grievances regarding alleged inadequate compensation after her image was featured on the cover of his 2016 chart-topping album, “Awaken, My Love.” His third project received one Grammy for the track, “Redbone,” at the 2018 Grammys and four additional nominations including Album of the Year and Best Urban Contemporary Album.
In a now-deleted post on her Facebook, Oteto addressed her followers, saying that neither she nor other members of the group that contributed to the acclaimed album cover received their agreed-upon residuals.
“Being able to hold an album that I’m on the cover of and having my bestie mom next to me to celebrate! My number one cheerleader! This album has been so hard for me to celebrate for many reasons, and for years,” the model wrote, according to a screenshot from the gossip site All Tea All Shade. “It put me through a lot but finally being able to celebrate it means a lot site.”
She added, “*Update: I resented it because myself, the makeup artist, and stylist (all Black women) were all [taken] advantage of and lied to. We received low pay. [They] promised residuals. But [we] never received anything.”
Oteto asserts that the only person who received residuals was WXYZ Jewelry founder Laura Wass, a white woman responsible for designing the headpiece she wore during the cover shoot, even though the designer did not attend the session. Oteto clarifies that her grievance does not revolve around Wass receiving payment as she believes the woman should be appropriately compensated for her contribution.
Instead, she directs her wrath toward Gambino and his team, asserting that they have deliberately chosen not to remunerate the Black women on the shoot, despite their integral involvement in the project, and ignored even their lawyers when they called to rectify the non-payment.
“After years of lies and silence then finding out statute of limitation complications… it’s been an exhausting, emotional, and overall sad thing to deal with,” Oteto explained. “So it took so much from me, especially since we all worked on it with so much love and pride in representing Black artists.”
Echoing her sentiment, many on social media blasted the “This is America” artist for allegedly stiffing the sisters on the job.
“Well this just ain’t right… @donaldglover what say you??” said on Twitter.
“@donaldglover i love your work and ive been a huge supporter but if her team of lawyers is being ignored by your team this is where we part ways my man. answer her. pay her,” one person on Instagram wrote. Another commented bluntly, “Pay Her.”
The “Awaken, My Love” album cover was shot by NYC-based creative director Ibra Ake.
The New York Times ran a detailed article about the project behind-the-scenes and noted that the designer used 157 tubes and 824 beads to create the headpiece that Oteto wore. Fader further records Gambino as saying the art was supposed to pay homage to another classic album, “Maggot Brain,” by George Clinton’s Funkadelic group.
“I remember listening to songs my dad would play — albums by the Isleys or Funkadelic — and not understanding the feeling I was feeling,” he said when promoting the album and detailing how the music and art tied in for him. “I remember hearing a Funkadelic scream and being like, ‘Wow, that’s sexual and it’s scary.’ Not having a name for that, though; just having a feeling. That’s what made it great.”
Like Childish Gambino’s album cover, the Funkadelic’s project featured a Black woman’s face. The contrast is that in the ’70s work, the woman’s head is coming out of the ground screaming.
Repost a POP album that you love, top to bottom.
— Jimmy (@JimmyJazz01) December 24, 2023
My pick: Funkadelic – maggot brain https://t.co/CVyk1afan8 pic.twitter.com/bLxed6KMnQ
Childish Gambino has not responded to the allegations.
