Glover, Jr was born at Edwards Air Force Base, California and raised in Stone Mountain, Georgia. His mother, Beverly (Smith, is a retired daycare provider, and his father, Donald, Sr, is a retired postal worker. His parents also served as DeKalb County foster parents for 14 years. He was raised a Jehovah's Witness. He was voted "Most Likely to Write for The Simpsons" in his High School yearbook. Glover, Jr graduated from New York University's Tisch School of the Arts with a degree in dramatic writing in 2006.
From 2006 to 2009, Glover, Jr was a writer for the NBC series 30 Rock where he also had occasional cameo appearances. He was presented the Writers Guild of America Award for Best Comedy Series at the February 2009 ceremony for his work on the third season. Glover, Jr's stage name, Childish Gambino, came from the Wu-Tang Clan's name generator. On June 5, 2008, he released an independent album, titled Sick Boi. Glover, Jr would then become a member of the sketch comedy group Derrick Comedy, along with Dominic Dierkes, Meggie McFadden, DC Pierson, and Dan Eckman. The group wrote and starred in a feature-length film, Mystery Team, released in theaters in 2009.
On September 17, 2009, Childish Gambino released the independent album Poindexter. A pair of mixtapes, titled I Am Just a Rapper and I Am Just A Rapper 2 were released, in close succession in 2010. Robert Scahill added his producing expertise helping with the majority of the tracks. The track listings for those mixtapes consist of the name of the song "he" raps, followed by the song he raps over. His second album, Culdesac, was set to be released on July 2, 2010, but a couple of last minute additions caused the album to be delayed for a day. The album was made available on July 3. Glover, Jr has stated in interviews that on Sick Boi and Poindexter he felt he had to hide behind gimmicks, such as pink hoodies, but with his subsequent projects, he has touched on more personal subject matter, including family, schoolyard bullying, troubled romantic relationships, suicidal thoughts and alcoholism. He has disowned his 2005 album, The Younger I Get, as the too-raw ramblings of what he calls a "decrepit."
Glover, Jr's stand-up special aired on Comedy Central on March 19, 2010. In May 2010, a fan suggested Glover, Jr for the role of Peter Parker in the then-upcoming The Amazing Spider-Man film, encouraging his supporters to retweet the hashtag "#donald4spiderman". The campaign, originally started to see how far social networking could carry a message, quickly gained a large following. The call for Glover to be allowed to audition for the role was supported by Spider-Man creator Stan Lee. Glover, Jr was not awarded an audition and the role instead went to Andrew Garfield. He would later reveal that he was never contacted by anyone from Sony Pictures for the role. Comics writer Brian Michael Bendis, who announced an African-American version of Spider-Man a year later, said he had conceived of the character before Glover, Jr's campaign went viral. Bendis gave credit to Glover for influencing the new hero's looks for Spider-man after seeing him dressed as Spider-Man on Community (a nod to the campaign), Bendis said, "I saw him in the costume and thought, 'I would like to read that book.'" Glover, Jr would later voice this incarnation of Spider-Man on the Ultimate Spider-Man animated series.
Glover, Jr received the Rising Comedy Star award at the Just for Laughs festival in July 2010. Glover, Jr was featured in Gap's 2010 Holiday ad campaign. He DJs and produces electronic music under the moniker "mcDJ" (pronounced "M-C-D-J"). His music is often made available for free download via his website.
On December 1, 2010, Glover, Jr released the first track off of his EP titled "Be Alone". He released the next track, "Freaks and Geeks", as well as a five-song track list, on February 11, 2011. On February 25, Glover, Jr released the dates for the IAMDONALD tour and also his very first music video for "Freaks and Geeks". The music video was shot by Dan Eckman, the director of the Derrick Comedy troupe. This song was later used in an Adidas commercial featuring Dwight Howard. On March 8, 2011 Glover, Jr released the EP via his official website.
On March 16, 2011, Glover, Jr hosted the mtvU Woodie Awards held live at South By Southwest. On March 24, 2011, Glover, Jr taped his one-hour comedy special Weirdo for Comedy Central; it aired on November 19.
Glover, Jr appeared at the 2011 Bonnaroo Music Festival on June 9 in the 'This Tent' as Childish Gambino and June 11 at 'The Comedy Theater' with Bill Bailey performing stand up. Comedy Central streamed the comedy live on their website.
On May 4, 2011, in an interview with TheHipHopUpdate, Gambino revealed that he was working on an LP, to be released in September. On July 25, 2011, Glover, Jr announced that his new album would be titled Camp. On October 8, during his Orlando, Florida concert, he announced Camp would be released on November 15, 2011. Glover, Jr worked with friend and film composer Ludwig Göransson on the debut album. On August 20, 2011, at the Los Angeles Rock The Bells concert, he gave an interview to AllHipHop.com, and he announced to the crowd that he had signed with Glassnote Records. On September 20, his first official single, "Bonfire", was released.
The IAMDONALD tour made 24 stops in 34 days, beginning with Ames, Iowa, on April 16, and finishing with Minneapolis on May 19. In between, this included stops at music venues in Las Vegas, Houston, Washington, and Atlanta. The tour was a one-man live show that consisted of rap, comedy, and video segments.
The Sign-Up Tour was Glover, Jr's next pre-album tour. He visited 11 cities over the course of 38 days in October and November 2011. Chidlish G made a website for the tour called Camp Gambino on November 19, four days after his album released. The tour featured special guest Danny Brown and made 20 stops during the course of 32 days along a dates in California in December. On March 14, 2012, several dates on the CAMP tour were postponed due to a fractured foot Childish suffered on March 10, while performing in Tampa, Florida. The tour began in Austin, Texas on April 5 and ended August 10 in Hollywood, California.
On January 11, 2012, Childish Gambino announced on his website that a new mixtape would be coming out soon. On April 2, he released a new song, "Eat Your Vegetables", through his website. On May 14, Funkmaster Flex premiered "Unnecessary," featuring Schoolboy Q. On May 16, Gambino released "We Ain't Them" through his website, produced by himself and frequent collaborator Ludwig. On May 22, Glover, Jr appeared on Das Racist's radio show "Chillin' Island" where he premiered a new song, "Tell Me," which featured Himanshu Suri, aka Heems from Das Racist. On May 26, Glover released "Black Faces", featuring Nipsey Hussle and produced by Boi-1da. On May 30, he released a third track, "Silk Pillow," featuring Beck and produced by both Glover, Jr and Beck. On June 25, he revealed that the mixtape was to be released on July 4, 2012. On June 26, Glover, Jr premiered another new track, on Sway in the Morning (on Shade 45), entitled "One Up," featuring his brother, Steve G. Lover. That same day, he stated that the mixtape would be titled Royalty despite previous statements that it would not be called that. On July 4, 2012, he released Royalty for free via digital download. On July 7, 2012, Gambino released the track, "Body," featuring Prodigy, which did not make the cut for the mixtape. On July 24, 2012, he released the music video for "Fire Fly" through his VEVO account on YouTube.
On August 21, 2012, BBC Radio 1 premiered Leona Lewis' new song, "Trouble" off her upcoming album Glassheart, which features Childish Gambino. The song was available for purchase via iTunes on October 7, and peaked at #7 on the UK Singles Chart the following week, making it his first UK top 10 single. On November 4, 2012 Ludwig Göransson said in an interview with Portable that he and Gambino were in his studio coming up with new ideas for the next album which was to be "bigger" and "with more people involved."
In 2013, Glover, Jr signed on to create a music-themed show for FX titled Atlanta in which he will star, write, and executive produce. Consequently, he decided to reduce his work for NBC, and only appears in the first five episodes of Community's 13-episode fifth season. Although many TV stations were interested in picking up his half-hour comedy, he ultimately picked FX due to their willingness to work around his touring schedule.
On October 6, 2013, he announced on Twitter that his second studio album was completed. He further announced this at Homecoming Week at Penn State University, stating “I got a new album coming out soon, so this is the last time we’re gonna play a lot of this shit.” On October 8, 2013, he announced its title as Because the Internet and revealed that it would be released in December 2013. On October 21, 2013, Glover, Jr released the first single "3005", and announced a release date for the album as December 10, 2013. On February 15, 2014, the rapper launched his Deep Web Tour in the UK. On February 27, Childish Gambino was scheduled to begin the United States portion of his tour with a gig at the Fox Theater in Oakland, California. On June 6, 2014, RIAA certified Heartbeat Gold - making it Glover's first certification, and then on July 18, 2014, RIAA also certified 3005 Gold, making it Glover's second certification.
On October 2, 2014, he released a new mixtape titled STN MTN, and the next day he released an EP titled Kauai. The mixtape and the EP follow the story that was last told in Because The Internet and are meant to be a joint project instead of separate projects.
On October 10, 2014, Ubisoft revealed that they had collaborated with Glover, Jr to incorporate his song, "Crawl" into Far Cry 4.
On December 5, 2014 Glover, Jr was nominated for two Grammy Awards. He was a contender for Best Rap Album for Because The Internet (Glassnote Records) and Best Rap Performance for his single, “3005.”
On March 21, 2015 Glover, Jr won an mtvU Woodies Award for Best Video Woodie for the song "Sober" from the Kauai EP.
As of February 2016, Because the Internet has been certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America for shipping over 500,000 copies.
Glover's third album, Awaken, My Love!, spawned the single "Redbone", which peaked at number twelve on the Billboard Hot 100 and eventually earned him his first Grammy Award. In 2018, Glover released "This Is America", which debuted at number-one on the Hot 100, and won four Grammy Awards, including for Song and Record of the Year.[13] Glover's fourth album, 3.15.20, was released in 2020.[14]
49ers
Childish Gambino Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I bet you wouldn't sleep on me
If I was Lil' Weezy, huh
Bet you wouldn't sleep on me if I
Was in a band or something
And my bank balance were around
A grand or something ask you something:
Do you think I'm common like sense is?
Uniquely perfect dude so just discard
Me like a toy, then
But you know, I know
I'd make a damn good boyfriend
Oil can, oil can you think I'm the Tin Man
You took my little heart and you
Kicked it like a tin can
Ain't you heard I got the kind of
Shine can make your skin tan
In the lean time don't come
Crying for the thin man
In the meantime I'll be
Building my portfolio
All these other dudes eradicated like polio
With any luck you'll see
Me everywhere like Starbucks
I bet you'll wanna fuck me when
It's time to star fuck
I didn't have green like
An Arizona front lawn
Now they try to touch my face like an iPhone
Now I'm all gassed up like Exxon
Girls see the money like I
Fucking got checks on
I don't even know if this
Girl really likes me
Picking up the check like
I'm working at Nike
Talking to this girl and I'm
Thinking that she's into me
Then I find out she's trying
To break in the industry that's really lame
I still hit it
But I refuse to be home girl's meal ticket
I'm looking for a sick girl to
Be a part of me
Not a girl who will try to McCartney me
Yes, homie I'm a man of my word
Got this shit in the can
Like a toilet of turd and, yes
These gold diggers trying to get at my sperm
Well, I'm not a 49ers fan
In case you haven't heard
I know my girl out there somewhere
And if you hear this, you should come here
Unless you don't give head like a weird beer
Elroy, Bam-B, yeah, I'm outta here
The lyrics of Childish Gambino's song "49ers" delve into themes of self-confidence, ambition, and navigating relationships in the music industry. Gambino starts off by addressing the notion that people might underestimate him. He suggests that if he had the same status as Lil' Wayne or if he were part of a successful band, people would see his worth and not overlook him. He questions whether being seen as common is a reflection of his identity or if it is just a societal perception.
Gambino continues to express his desire for validation, comparing himself to the Tin Man from The Wizard of Oz, claiming that his heart has been kicked around like a discarded tin can. However, he also asserts his confidence, stating that he has the ability to make a great boyfriend. He then talks about his success and rise in prominence, comparing himself to a viral epidemic as he gains popularity and recognition everywhere he goes.
In the second verse, Gambino reflects on his journey from not having much money to now being financially successful. He mentions how people now see him as a source of wealth and desire him for his money, likening their interest to them seeing dollar signs like checks on a bank statement. He then discusses his experiences with women and the challenges of finding genuine connections amidst superficiality in the music industry. Gambino refuses to be someone's meal ticket and seeks a partner who genuinely supports and complements him rather than using him as a means to further their own career.
The song ends with Gambino expressing his determination to stay true to his word and his disdain for gold diggers who only want to benefit from his success. He reiterates his pursuit of a fulfilling relationship, inviting the right person to come into his life. The mention of Elroy and Bam-B at the end implies a departure from the current situation, suggesting that Gambino is ready to move on.
Overall, "49ers" illustrates Childish Gambino's introspection on his own worth, struggles with relationships in the music industry, and his desire to find genuine connections amidst superficiality.
Line by Line Meaning
Whoa! What'd you get, amnesia?
Wow! Did you forget everything?
I bet you wouldn't sleep on me
I'm confident you wouldn't underestimate me
If I was Lil' Weezy, huh
If I was as popular as Lil' Wayne
Bet you wouldn't sleep on me if I
I'm sure you wouldn't ignore me if I
Was in a band or something
Were part of a musical group or similar
And my bank balance were around
And I had approximately
A grand or something ask you something:
A thousand dollars or so, let me ask you:
Do you think I'm common like sense is?
Do you believe I'm ordinary like common sense?
That heaven didn't send this
That a divine power didn't send someone like me
Uniquely perfect dude so just discard
An exceptionally perfect guy, so just disregard
Me like a toy, then
Me like a plaything, then
But you know, I know
But you know, I'm aware
I'd make a damn good boyfriend
I would make an excellent romantic partner
Oil can, oil can you think I'm the Tin Man
Hey, do you think I lack emotions?
You took my little heart and you
You broke my fragile heart and you
Kicked it like a tin can
Treated it like a worthless object
Ain't you heard I got the kind of
Haven't you heard that I possess the type of
Shine can make your skin tan
Radiance that can make your complexion darker
In the lean time don't come
During the difficult period, don't try to
Crying for the thin man
Seek comfort from someone who's not well-off
In the meantime I'll be
Meanwhile, I'll be
Building my portfolio
Developing my collection of accomplishments
All these other dudes eradicated like polio
All these other guys eliminated like a disease
With any luck you'll see
If fortunate, you'll witness
Me everywhere like Starbucks
My widespread presence, similar to Starbucks
I bet you'll wanna fuck me when
I'm certain you'll desire to have sex with me when
It's time to star fuck
The opportunity to associate with a celebrity arises
I didn't have green like
I didn't have money like
An Arizona front lawn
A lush green yard in Arizona
Now they try to touch my face like an iPhone
Now people try to get close to me like an iPhone
Now I'm all gassed up like Exxon
Now I'm filled with confidence like Exxon gas
Girls see the money like I
Women notice the wealth as if I
Fucking got checks on
Literally received checks
I don't even know if this
I'm unsure if this
Girl really likes me
Girl genuinely has feelings for me
Picking up the check like
Paying the bill as if
I'm working at Nike
I'm employed by Nike
Talking to this girl and I'm
Engaging in conversation with this girl and I'm
Thinking that she's into me
Believing that she's attracted to me
Then I find out she's trying
Then I discover she's attempting
To break in the industry that's really lame
To enter the entertainment field, which is unimpressive
I still hit it
I still had sex with her
But I refuse to be home girl's meal ticket
However, I won't be her source of financial support
I'm looking for a sick girl to
I'm searching for an exceptional girl to
Be a part of me
Become an integral part of my life
Not a girl who will try to McCartney me
Not a girl who will exploit me like Paul McCartney
Yes, homie I'm a man of my word
Indeed, friend, I keep my promises
Got this shit in the can
Have this matter settled
Like a toilet of turd and, yes
Like a bathroom filled with feces and, yes
These gold diggers trying to get at my sperm
These materialistic women attempting to have my child
Well, I'm not a 49ers fan
Well, I don't support the San Francisco 49ers
In case you haven't heard
In case you haven't been informed
I know my girl out there somewhere
I believe my ideal partner exists somewhere
And if you hear this, you should come here
And if you come across this, you should come to me
Unless you don't give head like a weird beer
Unless you don't perform oral sex like an unconventional beer
Elroy, Bam-B, yeah, I'm outta here
Elroy, Bam-B, yeah, I'm leaving
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@jell0d0ng
Idc what anyone says. DC's awkwardness and lack of rhythm and CG coming back spitting fire makes this track #1 in my book. I knew DC was fire when he said "Us us, Its all about us. Like some self absorbed teen chicks talking on a bus." STRAIGHT FIRE!
@mrgoodvibes1995
Still slappin in 2022 🔥🔥🔥🙌🏾
@nowheretogobutup
His tracks with DC are the best.
@gjvb
DC is crazyy good man, what are you guys talking about? He's way to clever. This might not be his best track, but he goes HARD on "different"?
@flipfilmer94
DC is dope his lyrics are sick and his style is unique.
@LightHack1
Wow you're sick, his rapping voice is what MAKES him good. It's so casual and white lol but his flow is awesome.
@pinkpink8037
I just recently found out DC's real name is Donald, also.... i dunno, thought i'd share
@Pells86
this is one of my favorite tracks...
@kybar8354
cuz it has Childish Gambino in it. Plus it's in a Childish Gambino playlist that I listen to.
@fanta8944
I kno my girl out there somewhere