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]
Heartbeat
Childish Gambino Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
That I am ready to go, heartbeat
My heartbeat
I wanted you to know
Whenever you are around, can't speak
I can't speak
I wanted you to know
My heartbeat
I wanted you to know
Whenever you are around, can't speak
I can't speak
I know what your boy like
Skinny tie and a cuff type
He go and make breakfast
You walk around naked
I might just text you
Turn your phone over, when it's all over
No settlin' down, my text go to your screen
You know better than that
I come around when you least expect me
I'm sittin' at the bar when your glass is empty
You thinkin' that this song's comin' on to tempt me
I need to be alone like the way you left me
You start callin', you start cryin'
I come over, I'm inside you
I can't find you
The girl that I once had
But the sex that we have isn't half bad
Text say, "That it's not fair"
That's code for "He's not here"
And I'ma flirt with this new girl
And I'ma call if it don't work
So we fuck 'til it come to conclusions
All the things that we thought we were losin'
I'm a ghost and you know this
That's why we broke up in the first place
'Cause
I wanted you to know
That I am ready to go, heartbeat
My heartbeat
I wanted you to know
Whenever you are around, can't speak
I can't speak
I wanted you to know
That I am ready to go, heartbeat
My heartbeat
I wanted you to know
Whenever you are around, can't speak
I can't speak
It's late night Thursday
I know that you heard me
But you don't want the same thing
Well two can play that game
So I'm chillin' with my girlfriend
But she not my real girlfriend
She got a key to my place but
She not my real girlfriend
Stupid, so dummy
Say the wrong thing and wrong girls come runnin'
I'm paranoid that these girls want something from me
And it's hard to make a dime go one hundred
And my dude freakin' out over a worse fate
She on time but she late for they first date
'Cause he went and tried out a new condom
Slipped off in a threesome, good problems?
Right? Wrong
Askin' him if she'd wanna play games
We the Super Smash Brothers, but none of 'em you
I miss the sex when you kiss whenever you through
69 is the only dinner for two
I was wrong, but would you have listened to you?
Uh, you were crazy
I got a heart, but the art of choking's
Only thing girls want when you in that smoke and light
I wanted you to know
That I am ready to go, heartbeat
My heartbeat
I wanted you to know
Whenever you are around, can't speak
I can't speak
I wanted you to know
That I am ready to go, heartbeat
My heartbeat
I wanted you to know
Whenever you are around, can't speak
I can't speak
So we're done? This the real shit?
We used to hold hands like field trips
I'm a jerk, but your dude is a real dick
I read his post on your wall and I feel sick
He ain't cool, he ball and all that
But he just a fake nigga who blog in all caps
You couldn't wait to date
I'm goin' straight for your thighs like the cake you ate
I give a fuck about the niggas that you say you ate
You know that I'm the best when I'm affectionate
I'm the best that you had, face it
J and Keyshia are related, racist
I give you money, then you Bernie then you made off
She ain't a killer, but she'd fuckin' blow your head off
I know he wonderin', "What the fuck you hidin'?"
That we dated like raps about Bin Laden
Ayo, fuck this
Are we datin'? Are we fuckin'?
Are we best friends? Are we something in between that?
I wish we never fucked, and I mean that
(But not really, you say the nastiest shit in bed and it's fuckin' awesome)
In "Heartbeat," Childish Gambino is wrestling with the complicated emotions that arise from a frustrated love affair with a woman who has moved on to another man. In the first verse, he reveals that his heart is still aching for her and that being in her presence causes him to feel speechless. In the second verse, he describes his mixed feelings of jealousy and desire for her, even as he tries to move on and date other women. He confesses to obsessing over her social media and comparing himself to her new boyfriend. He also admits to using sex with another woman as a way to feel better about the situation. The final verses reveal a sense of desperation and regret, as he reflects on how they used to be close and imagines a world where they are still together.
Line by Line Meaning
I wanted you to know
That I am ready to go, heartbeat
My heartbeat
The singer wants the other person to know that he is ready to leave and his pulse quickens when he thinks about it.
I wanted you to know
Whenever you are around, can't speak
I can't speak
The singer is so overwhelmed by the other person's presence that he can't talk when she is around.
I know what your boy like
Skinny tie and a cuff type
He go and make breakfast
You walk around naked
The singer is intimately familiar with the other person's boyfriend and what he likes, including her walking around naked.
I might just text you
Turn your phone over, when it's all over
No settlin' down, my text go to your screen
You know better than that
The artist may send a text message, but he won't settle down and he knows the other person knows that.
I come around when you least expect me
I'm sittin' at the bar when your glass is empty
You thinkin' that this song's comin' on to tempt me
I need to be alone like the way you left me
The artist comes around when the other person least expects him, and she thinks that he came to use this song to seduce her. However, he needs to be alone like he was after she left him.
You start callin', you start cryin'
I come over, I'm inside you
I can't find you
The girl that I once had
But the sex that we have isn't half bad
The other person calls and cries, and the singer comes over, sleeps with her, but can't find the girl that he used to know. The physical relationship is good, though.
Text say, "That it's not fair"
That's code for "He's not here"
And I'ma flirt with this new girl
And I'ma call if it don't work
When the other person texts that things aren't fair, what she really means is that her boyfriend isn't around to hear it. The singer will flirt with a new girl and call the other person if it doesn't work out.
So we fuck 'til it come to conclusions
All the things that we thought we were losin'
I'm a ghost and you know this
That's why we broke up in the first place
'Cause
The artist and the other person sleep together until they come to a resolution about all of the things that they thought they were losing. They broke up in the first place because the artist was always a ghost, and the other person knows that.
It's late night Thursday
I know that you heard me
But you don't want the same thing
Well two can play that game
The artist is talking to the other person on a late-night Thursday, and knows she heard him but doesn't want the same thing. He's resigned to playing the same game as her.
So I'm chillin' with my girlfriend
But she not my real girlfriend
She got a key to my place but
She's not my real girlfriend
The artist is hanging out with his girlfriend, but she's not his real girlfriend. Despite having a key to his place, she's not the one he really wants.
Stupid, so dummy
Say the wrong thing and wrong girls come runnin'
I'm paranoid that these girls want something from me
And it's hard to make a dime go one hundred
And my dude freakin' out over a worse fate
She on time but she late for they first date
'Cause he went and tried out a new condom
Slipped off in a threesome, good problems?
The singer calls himself stupid and paranoid for saying the wrong thing and attracting the wrong girls. He worries that women want something from him, and it's hard to make a lot of money. His friend is worried because his date is late, and she had a threesome with him and someone else.
Right? Wrong
Askin' him if she wanna play games
With the Super Smash Brothers, but none of 'em you
I miss the sex when you kiss whenever you through
69 is the only dinner for two
I was wrong, but would you have listened to you?
The artist wonders if he was right or wrong for breaking up with the other person. He recalls a time when his friend asked her if she wanted to play video games with him instead of the artist. The artist misses the physical aspect of their relationship. He wonders if she would have listened to his advice if the situation was reversed.
Uh, you were crazy
I got a heart, but the artichoke
Is only thing girls want when you in that smoke and light
The singer thinks the other person was crazy. He has a heart, but girls only seem to like him when he's in the right setting.
So we're done? This the real shit?
We used to hold hands like field trips
I'm a jerk, but your dude is a real dick
I read his post on your wall and I feel sick
The singer questions if they're really done for good. He remembers when they used to hold hands like on field trips. He admits he's a jerk, but the other person's current boyfriend is a bigger jerk. He read something that the boyfriend posted on her wall and it made him feel sick.
He ain't cool, he ball and all that
But he just a fake nigga who blog in all caps
You couldn't wait to date
I'm goin' straight for your thighs like the cake you ate
I give a fuck about the niggas that you say you hate
You know that I'm the best when I'm a-fake-tionate
I'm the best that you had, face it
J and Keyshia are related, racist
I give you money, then you Bernie then you made off
She ain't a killer, but she'd fuckin' blow your head off
I know he wonderin', "What the fuck you hidin'?"
That we dated like raps about Bin Laden
Ayo, fuck this
Are we datin'? Are we fuckin'?
Are we best friends? Are we something in between that?
I wish we never fucked, and I mean that
(But not really, you say the nastiest shit in bed and it's fuckin' awesome)
The singer criticizes the other person's boyfriend for being a fake person. He also tells her that she couldn't wait to date him, and he goes straight for her thighs. He doesn't care about the other men she says she hates. He knows he's the best when he's affectionate. He admits that he wishes they never slept together, but he really enjoyed the intimacy they shared. He wonders if they're just friends or something more, and says he wishes they never slept together, but he loved what they did in bed together.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Donald McKinley II Glover
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@benjaminmatheny6472
This video --
1. He starts talking to her again after a break up, she has rebound sex with him.
2. They continue but he's unsure (doesn't speak when she is around)
3. He is sure and they get back together and have sex
4. Her sex is like a drug to him, so he stays
5. She "leaves the backseat and gets into the driver's seat" of the relationship
6. He is now trapped in her web and is now her side guy.
7. He escapes & breaks up whatever they had going.
8. Repeat
@jmwFILMS
I remember i used to hate this guy, then I heard this song recently, now I just love him.
@okseem.
hi how are you
@qarcon3247
I’m not kidding this is the first time I’ve ever heard someone say they hate Donald glover
@chaxi155
@@qarcon3247 i didn’t think it was possible
@ThatNerdKenny
@@chaxi155 me neither
@danbobway5656
How tf would you hate him? Dude is the definition of likeable and loveable and is talented in so many ways lol. The only people I can see hating him is racists....like straight up
@IsmaelEscobedo
Bro it's crazy this was nine years ago. This song still sounds so fresh.
@xe2014
Music is timeless :)
@andrewonb
@@xe2014 huh
@xe2014
FaZe Fazse do you not understand what I mean?