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]
Glory
Childish Gambino Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I hold heat like cigarettes
No one else is doing this
Work this hard you get respect
I don't sleep, I dream awake
Swear this life's like make or break
I don't make I fix mistakes
Your life good, my life is great
This game is a bitch and I'm different, dude
I'm tryin' to fuck this bitch, she ain't in the mood
Seduce her quick
Everyone talkin' bout game needs change ain't changin' shit
Talk don't make it happen
I do not talk, I am just a rapper
Too tight need muscle relaxer
I'm what's next, just ask 'em
All I know
It's what I came for
Glory, glory, glory, glory, glory, yeah
I wanna do this right
Leave my heart on stage when I hold a mic
And the game OT, no end in sight
So I write in my sleep, I don't say good night
This must be how the angels felt
I hope that I don't Corey Haim myself
I know that I drink an insane amount
Cuz it helps with the joy and the pain of wealth
These guys don't seem like the friends I need
And they hang backstage drinking beers for free
My mom and my dad in the balcony
The one time that I hope they look down on me
Cuz they proud of me
They call me a role model
Even though my hand's glued to that gin bottle
I keep my career going full throttle
Even though the pain will follow
All I know
It's what I came for
Glory, glory, glory, glory, glory, yeah
The lyrics to Childish Gambino's "Glory" focus on his relentless pursuit of success in the music industry. Gambino boasts about his work ethic, claiming that he works harder than his peers and doesn't make mistakes. He also acknowledges the challenges of the industry and the pressure he faces to constantly change and evolve his game to stay relevant. Despite the difficulties, he remains dedicated to his craft and feels a sense of purpose in his pursuit of "glory."
One interesting aspect of this song is the references Gambino makes to other celebrities who have struggled with addiction and fame. He mentions Corey Haim, a child actor who died of a drug overdose, and notes his own tendency to abuse alcohol as a coping mechanism. Through these references, Gambino highlights the darker side of the entertainment industry and the dangers that come with achieving fame.
Another notable aspect of "Glory" is the sense of vulnerability that Gambino displays. He admits that he feels pressure to be a role model and recognizes that his actions have consequences. Despite this, he continues to pursue his dreams and maintain his image as a successful artist.
Overall, "Glory" is a reflection of Gambino's dedication to his art and his willingness to confront the challenges that come with success. It portrays the music industry as a competitive and often ruthless environment, but also emphasizes the rewards that come with hard work and perseverance.
Line by Line Meaning
I am the shit
I am amazing and very talented.
I hold heat like cigarettes
I am always on fire and performing to my highest potential.
No one else is doing this
I am unique and unlike anyone else in the music industry.
Work this hard you get respect
I have earned respect from others through my dedicated and relentless work ethic.
I don't sleep, I dream awake
I am always grinding and working on my craft, even in my dreams.
Swear this life's like make or break
My success in the music industry is either going to make or break me.
I don't make I fix mistakes
I am always improving and correcting my mistakes to become the best I can be.
Your life good, my life is great
My life is much better than yours and I am living the dream.
This game is a bitch and I'm different, dude
The music industry is tough and unforgiving, but I am unique and unlike anyone else in the game.
I'm tryin' to fuck this bitch, she ain't in the mood
I am trying to succeed and make it big, but it's not always easy.
Seduce her quick
I need to find a way to succeed quickly.
Everyone talkin' bout game needs change ain't changin' shit
Many people talk about making changes in the music industry, but nothing ever seems to change.
Talk don't make it happen
Talking about making changes is useless, action is what is required.
I do not talk, I am just a rapper
I let my music and success speak for itself, I don't waste my time talking about it.
Too tight need muscle relaxer
The pressure to succeed is intense and overwhelming, I need to find a way to relax and unwind.
I'm what's next, just ask 'em
I am the future of the music industry, and everyone knows it.
All I know
The only thing I am certain about is
It's what I came for
that I am here to achieve great things in the music industry.
Glory, glory, glory, glory, glory, yeah
I am on the path to glory and success, and I am going to keep pushing until I reach it.
I wanna do this right
I want to succeed in the music industry and do it the right way, putting my all into my performances.
Leave my heart on stage when I hold a mic
I pour everything into my performances, giving it my all everytime I'm on stage.
And the game OT, no end in sight
The music industry is a never-ending game with no clear ending in sight.
So I write in my sleep, I don't say good night
My creativity and dedication to music is so strong that I am always thinking about it, even in my sleep.
This must be how the angels felt
I have reached a level of success that feels almost ethereal, like I am on top of the world.
I hope that I don't Corey Haim myself
I hope that my success won't be my downfall, like it was for other famous people such as Corey Haim who let their success consume them.
I know that I drink an insane amount
I am aware that I drink excessively, but it helps me deal with the pressures and stresses of the music industry.
Cuz it helps with the joy and the pain of wealth
Drinking helps me balance the highs and lows of my success and keeps me grounded.
These guys don't seem like the friends I need
I am starting to realize that some of the people around me aren't real friends or helping me become a better person.
And they hang backstage drinking beers for free
These people around me are only interested in the benefits of my success, and not really there for me as a friend.
My mom and my dad in the balcony
My parents are watching me from the audience.
The one time that I hope they look down on me
I want my parents to look down on me because I know they are proud of me for performing on such a big stage.
Cuz they proud of me
Being proud and supportive of my success is all that matters to me.
They call me a role model
My success and dedication to music has made me a positive influence on others.
Even though my hand's glued to that gin bottle
Even though I struggle with addiction and turn to drinking to deal with my problems.
I keep my career going full throttle
Despite the struggles I face, I am constantly pushing my career forward at full speed.
Even though the pain will follow
Although I know that pain and struggles will always be a part of achieving success in the music industry.
Contributed by Owen R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@Yayoballer
This is my favorite song that he has done so far
@hajiamano22
I wonder if Donald sat down when he first wanted to be a rapper and said " When I'm famous everyone is gonna make acrostic poems about what I do".
@NWCPcbenchmarks
I miss this Donald
@lockedflame1955
He already hit these notes. Why would you want him to play the same way?
@makubegysman6160
I hate Donald Trump
@Skadoomuch
"i dont sleep, i dream awake" something about that made me pause the video write this and think about life for like 5 minutes... good shit donald
@tanker120
I can't believe one person could make me want to change my life so much. 2012 is gonna be a my year.
@NinjaLukeI
was 2012 your year?
@durellpatterson2277
Was 2012 what you wanted it to be?
@squirrelsinmykoolaid
That is a beautiful picture of him <3