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 Be On That
Childish Gambino Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And that's because I'm flyer than the mother ship, you ostrich
I'm awesome rich. Call a bitch. Fresher than my lozenges
The problem is you in the Danger Zone like Kenny Loggins is
I'm fly, I'm tight. They say I'm sick, they right
You think you good? I swear, put your shit to bed. Good night
Yes, I'm sittin' on the bench 'cause I don't play no games
Why these mothafuckas think they wakin' up in pain?
'Cause they sleepin' on the hardest nigga in this game
Hell yes, I'm on that zombie shit, I must get brain
They will not forget me, like I was hit by planes
I ain't got to do it big, I just gotta do it different
And these hoes are on my dick, and if you got it, it ain't trickin'
I be steady gettin' paper, call a nigga Dunder Mifflin
And these rappers cannot see me, I'm the only one with vision
I be on that other shit, I be on that other shit, I be on that other shit
And you can't handle none of it
I be on that other shit, I be on that other shit, I be on that other shit
And you can't handle none of it
I'm on top of turd mountain; King shit, bitches
Can't nobody top that; Teen Witch, bitches
I don't make it rain, I bring the heat storm, nigga
Weezy F is in jail, I keep his seat warm, nigga
Yes, I get it like I live it
Yes, this pimp is still is pimpin'
Y'all don't want me to be different
What the fuck is y'all thinkin'?
That does not suit me, call it Ben Sherman
'Cause I get more green than Kermit, heard me?
I'm in charge of new shit; Don't talk, do shit
Spittin' at the crowd like I play heavy metal music
I can say anything, call me John Cusack
Keep my dick wetter than the bottom of a cruise ship
Keep it fresh to death. Keep my swag inside a coffin
So fly, I'm in the sky like Vodka, partner
Shout out to Marc Jacobs. Yeah, my feet be feelin' highbrow
And Band of Outsiders, got your tie on right now
Glory versus failure. There is nothing to it
'Cause you win some and lose some, Sandra Bullock
Tell me when I'm way too much, when no one had faith in us
They thought Child was child's play, but now, they see we dangerous
Bring your girl around and let me show her how her body work
She like me 'cause my wallet fat, it should wear a Hawaiian shirt
Comin' for your spot, like I do when I'm inside of her
Got the cold, hard green in my hand, no Heineken
Listen up
Listen up, please. Check my steez
Insect ligaments, I'm the bee's knees
Watch my math, like 75 minus 6
How can number 2 be number 1?
Because I'm the shit, bitch
I be on that other shit, I be on that other shit, I be on that other shit
And you can't handle none of it
I be on that other shit, I be on that other shit, I be on that other shit
And you can't handle none of it
The lyrics of "I Be On That" by Childish Gambino are a proclamation of his superiority in the rap game. The song starts with Gambino claiming that he is "harder than a consonant" because he is "flyer than the mother ship" while referring to his haters as ostrich. Gambino boasts about his wealth and style, claiming that he is "awesome rich" and "fresher than my lozenges." He then takes a jab at those who underestimate him, comparing them to being in the "Danger Zone" like Kenny Loggins. He asserts that he is the "hardest nigga in this game" and that his opponents will "wakeup in pain" for "sleeping on him."
The chorus of the song repeats the phrase "I be on that other shit" as Gambino brags about being different from other rappers. He claims that he doesn't have to do it big but only has to do it differently, and that his rivals cannot see him as he is the only one with vision.
Gambino continues to showcase his lyrical superiority, making references to pop culture (Teen Witch, John Cusack, Sandra Bullock) while stating that he is "in charge of new shit." He also asserts his sexual prowess and financial success, claiming that women are attracted to him because of his wealth, and he has "cold, hard green" in his hand. The song ends with Gambino's confident proclamation that he is "the shit" and that no one can handle him.
Line by Line Meaning
I be on that other shit, I'm harder than a consonant
I am doing something completely different and unique, and I am incredibly strong and unyielding in my ways.
And that's because I'm flyer than the mother ship, you ostrich
I am so confident and cool that I am beyond compare, unlike the flightless bird.
I'm awesome rich. Call a bitch. Fresher than my lozenges
I am incredibly wealthy and successful, and I am so fresh and cool that it's contagious.
The problem is you in the Danger Zone like Kenny Loggins is
Your behavior and actions are so dangerous that you are in a place of intense risk and fear, like the famous song by Kenny Loggins.
I'm fly, I'm tight. They say I'm sick, they right
I am cool, confident, and skillful in everything I do, and people are right to say that I am exceptional.
You think you good? I swear, put your shit to bed. Good night
You may think you are good, but I am here to show you that you are not even close. Goodbye.
Yes, I'm sittin' on the bench 'cause I don't play no games
I am in the background, taking a break from the spotlight, because I do not play around.
I just spit that Bellevue, watch them go insane
I rap so well and with such intensity that it drives people crazy.
Why these mothafuckas think they wakin' up in pain?
Why do these people think they can challenge me and come out unscathed?
'Cause they sleepin' on the hardest nigga in this game
These people are not paying attention to me, the strongest and most skilled person in this industry.
Hell yes, I'm on that zombie shit, I must get brain
Yes, I am all in when it comes to the behavior and attitude of the undead, and it drives me to pursue whatever I want with relentless determination.
They will not forget me, like I was hit by planes
People will never forget me, even if as if I was hit by multiple planes.
I ain't got to do it big, I just gotta do it different
I do not need to be financially successful or excessively flashy, I just need to do things in a unique and unexpected way.
And these hoes are on my dick, and if you got it, it ain't trickin'
These women are attracted to me and my behavior, and I do not need to resort to dishonest or manipulative tactics to get what I want.
I be steady gettin' paper, call a nigga Dunder Mifflin
I am constantly earning money, so much so that I could be compared to a paper company like Dunder Mifflin.
And these rappers cannot see me, I'm the only one with vision
Other rappers cannot keep up with me, because only I have the unique perspective and vision to keep moving forward.
I'm on top of turd mountain; King shit, bitches
I am achieving great things despite the negativity and difficulties, so I am the king of this game.
Can't nobody top that; Teen Witch, bitches
Nobody else can achieve what I have, no matter how magical or exceptional they may seem.
I don't make it rain, I bring the heat storm, nigga
I am not a flashy and frivolous person, but rather an intense and passionate one.
Weezy F is in jail, I keep his seat warm, nigga
While Lil Wayne is in jail, I am keeping his position and reputation warm.
Yes, I get it like I live it
I understand the game and the industry because I have lived it and experienced it up close.
Yes, this pimp is still is pimpin'
I am still a successful and impressive person even after achieving great things.
Y'all don't want me to be different
People do not want me to do things in a unique and unexpected way, but I do it anyway.
What the fuck is y'all thinkin'?
What are you people even thinking?
That does not suit me, call it Ben Sherman
That behavior or attitude does not fit my style or brand, like a suit from Ben Sherman.
'Cause I get more green than Kermit, heard me?
I earn and consume more money and wealth than the famous green Muppet, Kermit.
I'm in charge of new shit; Don't talk, do shit
I am leading the charge in innovating and doing things in a unique and unexpected way, rather than just talking about it.
Spittin' at the crowd like I play heavy metal music
I am rapping with such intensity and passion that it feels like I am playing heavy metal music.
I can say anything, call me John Cusack
I can speak my mind and say whatever I want to without fear or reservation, like the outspoken actor John Cusack.
Keep my dick wetter than the bottom of a cruise ship
I am sexually active and experienced in a way that is even more intense and exhilarating than a cruise ship.
Keep it fresh to death. Keep my swag inside a coffin
I stay cool and fresh even in death, like a stylish and impressive coffin.
So fly, I'm in the sky like Vodka, partner
I am so cool and confident that I am flying high in the sky, much like the Russian spirit Vodka.
Shout out to Marc Jacobs. Yeah, my feet be feelin' highbrow
I am giving a special mention to famous fashion designer Marc Jacobs, showing off my class and sophistication.
And Band of Outsiders, got your tie on right now
I am currently wearing a tie and giving credit to the fashion brand Band of Outsiders.
Glory versus failure. There is nothing to it
There is a constant struggle between success and failure, but I am not afraid of either.
'Cause you win some and lose some, Sandra Bullock
Sometimes you succeed and sometimes you fail, like the famously talented actress Sandra Bullock.
Tell me when I'm way too much, when no one had faith in us
Let me know when you think I am doing too much, or when nobody believed in us.
They thought Child was child's play, but now, they see we dangerous
People underestimated me and my abilities, but now they see just how dangerous and successful I can be.
Bring your girl around and let me show her how her body work
Introduce your girlfriend to me, and I will show her what a real man can do.
She like me 'cause my wallet fat, it should wear a Hawaiian shirt
Women are attracted to me because I am so wealthy and successful, my wallet could practically wear a Hawaiian shirt.
Comin' for your spot, like I do when I'm inside of her
I am coming after your position and reputation with as much intensity and fervor as I do when I am having sex.
Got the cold, hard green in my hand, no Heineken
I have earned lots of cold, hard cash and hold it in my hand, easily surpassing a simple beer like Heineken.
Listen up
Pay attention.
Listen up, please. Check my steez
Please pay attention to me and check out my style.
Insect ligaments, I'm the bee's knees
My joints and body are so agile and flexible, I am basically the best ever.
Watch my math, like 75 minus 6
Pay attention to my calculations and problem-solving skills, even if they seem simple.
How can number 2 be number 1? Because I'm the shit, bitch
I can be the best and most successful, even if it seems like there is no room for improvement, because I am just that impressive and powerful.
I be on that other shit, I be on that other shit, I be on that other shit
I am doing something completely different and unique, and I am not afraid to show it.
And you can't handle none of it
You cannot handle or keep up with me in any way.
Contributed by Alexandra M. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Miqueas Bornes
This song is soo great. Every time I listen to this I feel good.
lovemarinelife
I really laughed when he said 'can't nobody top that like teen witch'. That is funny because it's a short rap from the movie Teen Witch. I don't think many people have seen that but that reference was funny to me.
Ryan G
lovemarinelife That is the brilliance of his music. The references are ssooo good and you can keep coming back and find new play on words.
speedstar328i
this is one of his harder songs to find but one of his nicest
Ryan G
This shit is way ahead of its time
Ray Noble
one of his best songs
E3XIII
My favorite side of The Gambino
Woodie Conner
Ebony Everette facts!!
Ryan G
My favourite song to bump in my car in 2010 right next to Freaks and Greeks.
Ben Mitchell
"insect ligaments, I'm the bees knees"