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]
I
Childish Gambino Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Who am I?
Rec League, I ain't payin' to ball
Y'all B-string like a broke guitar
And I still put it down like the family dog
Yeah, I murder some, I murder one
Explain it all, Ferguson
Cut a white girl with the same black gloves on
Yeah what you saying to it?
Old money look new money go do it
Make 'em turn around in their lane like a U-ey
And I'm only looking back if I'm looking at her booty
(At her Booty)
What's the rationale?
They wanna smoke a niggas when they Black & Mild
So we acting out
Ok cool
Where we were, kinda thing, betcha crawl, all alone
Blue dream by the bouquet 'til I'm blue faced on a Tuesday
(Can I have some?)
#NiggasBeLike
Put a plus eighteen on that e-vite
And I said what I felt, no re-write
Nah nah, they can't hold me
June/July, drop something
I double dare you, I'm Marc Summers
I scorch winters, I burn autumns
Gut niggas, so Kurt Vonne
Elle Varner, got a crush on her
I gotta wait in line for that
Ain't nobody got time for that
Ain't nobody gotta rhyme with that
Too true like 2 Chainz
Blue Blood like he both gangs
Where we were, kinda thing, betcha crawl, all alone
The opening line "Where we were, kinda thing, betcha crawl, all alone" suggests a reflection on the past and possibly feeling lonely or isolated. Childish Gambino questions his own identity in the next line, asking "Who am I?" Perhaps this is a commentary on the struggle to find oneself in the music industry. He goes on to reference basketball, saying he doesn't need to pay to play in Rec League because he's skilled enough to make the A-team. Meanwhile, his contemporaries are simply "B-string," akin to a broken guitar. He references Ferguson in the following line, which may be a nod to the shooting of Michael Brown and the subsequent protests.
Childish Gambino's lyrics then turn to love songs, saying that he's tired of singing the "same old" ones. He then juxtaposes this sentiment by saying he cut a white girl with black gloves on, which could indicate violence, or simply a contrast between black and white imagery. He questions what people are saying to him, and then mentions "Old money look new money go do it," possibly referencing the idea of old wealth being rebranded as something new and edgy. The lines "Make 'em turn around in their lane like a U-ey / And I'm only looking back if I'm looking at her booty" suggest a nonchalant attitude towards women and sexualizing them, which has been criticized in other songs by Childish Gambino and in the #MeToo movement.
The second half of the song continues with references to drug use, partying, and the music industry. Childish Gambino references blue dream, a certain strain of marijuana, which he smokes until he's "blue faced on a Tuesday." He name-drops Marc Summers, who was the host of Double Dare, a popular game show in the '80s and '90s. This line also references his confidence in being daring with his music. He goes on to say he can "scorch winters" and "burn autumns," which is possibly a reference to his own creativity and ability to create and destroy art. Finally, he mentions his crush on singer Elle Varner, but admits he has to "wait in line" for her, suggesting a commentary on the competitive nature of dating and relationships in the music industry.
Overall, the lyrics to "I. Crawl" seem to reflect on the music industry and Childish Gambino's own place in it. He questions his identity, critiques the music he sees around him, and references drug use and partying. The song also contains moments of violence and misogyny, which commentators have pointed out. However, it's clear that Childish Gambino is grappling with his art and what it means to be a musician in the modern era.
Line by Line Meaning
Where we were, kinda thing, betcha crawl, all alone
Remember back when we were struggling and barely getting by? It was a lonely and tough time. I bet you'd do anything to get to where we are now.
Who am I?
I'm just a regular guy, not some big-shot celebrity. People in my community know me as a Rec League basketball player without enough money to pay my way through. But I'm still here, putting in the work like a loyal family dog.
Rec League, I ain't payin' to ball
I can't afford to play in a professional league, but I'll still ball out whenever I get the chance.
Y'all B-string like a broke guitar
You other rappers are like broken-down, out-of-tune guitars that nobody wants to use.
And I still put it down like the family dog
Despite being underestimated and overlooked, I still go hard and stay loyal to the game.
Yeah, I murder some, I murder one
I'm not afraid to call out injustice or take a stand for what's right. Whether it's a group of people or just one individual, I'll speak up.
Explain it all, Ferguson
The Ferguson riots and the subsequent outcry over police brutality against black Americans brought to light the ongoing issue of racial inequality and violence in America.
We ain't gotta sing the same old love song
We don't have to follow the typical, overused script when it comes to relationships and romance. We can make our own rules and love our own way.
Cut a white girl with the same black gloves on
Justice is blind, and should be applied equally, no matter who you are or what your background may be.
Yeah what you saying to it?
When confronted with the truth or faced with a challenge, what are you going to do about it? How will you respond?
Old money look new money go do it
Being rich and successful often means following in the footsteps of those who came before you, and copying their success to make it your own.
Make 'em turn around in their lane like a U-ey
My success and talent is turning heads and catching people's attention, making them wonder how I did it.
And I'm only looking back if I'm looking at her booty (At her Booty)
I'm focused on the present and the future, not dwelling on the past, unless it involves a pretty girl I'm checking out.
What's the rationale?
What's the reason behind people wanting to harm others, especially black individuals, when they are doing nothing wrong?
They wanna smoke a niggas when they Black & Mild
People want to discriminate against and attack black Americans, blaming them for social issues that are beyond their control.
So we acting out
In response to the ongoing struggle for justice and equality, people are starting to speak out against these harmful attitudes and behaviors.
Blue dream by the bouquet 'til I'm blue faced on a Tuesday
I'm smoking weed to deal with the stress and anxiety of everyday life, to the point where it's becoming a problem.
#NiggasBeLike
I'm poking fun at the way people use hashtags and mimic different groups on social media.
Put a plus eighteen on that e-vite
I'm emphasizing the party lifestyle and how people feel the need to go hard or go home, even if it's not the best idea.
And I said what I felt, no re-write
I'm a real person, expressing myself in the moment, with no need to edit or filter my thoughts.
Nah nah, they can't hold me
I refuse to let anyone else dictate my path or control me. I'm my own person.
June/July, drop something
I'm promising to release new music or content in the coming months.
I double dare you, I'm Marc Summers
I'm daring anyone to challenge me, and comparing myself to the host of the TV show 'Double Dare.'
I scorch winters, I burn autumns
My talent and creativity are so powerful, they can even change the seasons and make people feel alive.
Gut niggas, so Kurt Vonne
Like the author Kurt Vonnegut, I'm engaging in social commentary and criticism, exposing the flaws and hypocrisies of our society.
Elle Varner, got a crush on her
I have a celebrity crush on singer-songwriter Elle Varner.
I gotta wait in line for that
I'm not famous enough or well-connected enough to be with someone like Elle Varner. I have to dream from afar like everyone else.
Ain't nobody got time for that
I'm too busy focusing on my music and career to worry about superficial things like celebrity crushes and fame.
Ain't nobody gotta rhyme with that
I'm on my own path, doing my own thing, and I don't need anyone else's approval or validation to succeed.
Too true like 2 Chainz
I speak the truth and go hard like the rapper 2 Chainz.
Blue Blood like he both gangs
I come from a mix of backgrounds and cultures, bringing a unique perspective and viewpoint to my music and life.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: TAIWO HASSAN, KEHINDE HASSAN, ALESSIA PATRIZIA DEGASPERIS, DONALD GLOVER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@yanuarpdt
I love how this song always blow up everytime America's doing shit.
@user-qd6im2hp2e
That’s why it’s timeless
@abiryehia5556
you mean always
@sleepyrowdy1826
America on drugs now
@randomgamer3964
@@sleepyrowdy1826 they must be really high I need to get some of it
@Madison-bx2fm
LMAFAO TRUEE
@charlotte0385
No one:
Childish gambino’s spine: ➡️↗️⬇️⬆️⬅️↙️↖️⤴️↩️⤵️🔄
@Green_L
@@rick5219 It's a joke, shut yo sensitive ass up
@dontclickonmychannel9676
@@Green_L yo thats deep he gonna take that
@dontclickonmychannel9676
@@rick5219 deep you gonna take that