Justin Richburg first got a major push after being the subject of much criticism and praise for his depiction of prominent black figures in a drawing that was meant to emulate that viral photo of Gucci Mane and Migos shooting dice backstage at a show.
The illustration would gain notoriety after appearing as the screensaver of character Darius’s phone in Donald Glover’s Atlanta series and it would prove to be only the first stepping stone that led Richburg to be the creative mind behind all the characters we see in Childish Gambino’s “Feels Like Summer” music video.
In the clip, there are a total of 63 celebrities (though he initially drew 70 total) depicted with Richburg taking on the task of illustrating the likes of Drake, J. Cole, Nicki Minaj, Young Thug, Michelle Obama, Kodak Black, and even the Ball Brothers among a host of others.
In a recent conversation with Billboard, the Philly-bred artist described the experience of working with Childish and the team, detailing the use of his controversial image that depicted the likes of Malcom X, Martin Luther King. Jr, Obama, Oprah and even Denzel Washington’s character from Training Day gambling, smoking and drinking in a social setting.
“I looked at it like another dope opportunity, but I don’t necessarily get overly excited about things because I’ve been doing this for years and if you get too hyped up over one thing, then it doesn’t end up happening and you get disappointed,” the 29-year old tells the publication. “I’m nonchalant and blunt about a lot of things. I learned quickly through my experiences. It’s really cool in the moment and I’m excited for the opportunity, but I don’t let myself get overly excited just in case something doesn’t pull through. Childish is the main person and I’m just fortunate enough that my stuff intrigued them so that they would want to work with me.”