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 GΓΆransson 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 GΓΆransson 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 βI got a new album coming out soon, so this is the last time weβre gonna play a lot of this shit.β 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, β3005.β
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]
My Hoodie
Childish Gambino Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
My name's Bambino, I'm always in trouble
I do stupid shit on a dare like double
Think your games tight, I'mma bust your bubble
I shop at Gucci and Barneys like rubble
Scope like Hubble, quick like chunnel
I leave MC's in the dark like tunnel
Men do huddles, girlfriends cuddle
[Hook: Childish Gambino]
My hoodie on glow
My hoodie on glow
My hoodie on glow
My hoodie on glow
My hoodie, my my my hoodie on glow
My hoodie, my my my hoodie on glow
[Verse 2: Childish Gambino]
My hoodie so dope, my hoodie so tight
My hoodie in school cause my hoodie so bright
Welcome, my nigga, to color, Crayola
Got the bright purple, like a grape soda
Nigga I told you, my hoodie no joker
Walk up in the hoodie to a party like toga
Breathe like yoga, get off my scrotum
The color of my hoodie like a Lisa Frank folder
Im at the Kid Robot, my wallet done shown up
They had five hoodies, but this shit done sold out
Spent too much, I know a bad habit
My hoodie look like a shit from a Trix rabbit
[Hook]
[Verse 3: Chaz Kangas]
Y'all know I'm a hoodie all pro
Find me in my hoodie like a hoodie Waldo
Rocking Amadeus like a hoodie falco
Staying self-absorbed like I'm Frida Kahlo
From the playground, with the sports team on it
To the old folks home, put some morphine on it
I rock my hoodie whether rain or shine
Over-priced in a Sam Goody frame of mind
Got a pouch in the front that holds my CDs
And warms my hands when it's too breezy
Believe me, the quickest way to get hurt
Is if I catch you calling it a hooded sweatshirt
[Hook x2: Chaz Kangas and Childish Gambino]
In "My Hoodie," the performers Childish Gambino and Chaz Kangas celebrate their favorite piece of clothing: the hoodie. The lyrics talk about the different ways that the hoodie is worn: as a fashion statement, as comfortable clothing, and as a symbol of individuality. But the hoodie is more than just a piece of clothing - it's a symbol of rebellion and nonconformity. By proudly wearing their hoodies, the performers are sending a message that they won't be told what to wear or how to behave.
The lyrics also touch on some of the issues surrounding clothing and identity. For example, Childish Gambino talks about how people judge him based on what he wears, and how he uses his hoodie to challenge their assumptions. Even the language used in the song reinforces this idea of rebellion: the performers use slang terms and unconventional grammar to show that they don't adhere to traditional rules of language or behavior.
Overall, "My Hoodie" is a celebration of individuality and self-expression. By wearing their hoodies with pride, the performers are sending a message that they won't be controlled or defined by others. The song is a reminder that clothing can be more than just a functional necessity - it can also be a powerful means of self-expression and identity.
Line by Line Meaning
My name's Bambino, I'm always in trouble
I am constantly in trouble, and my name is Bambino.
I do stupid shit on a dare like double
I do reckless things on dares, and I do it twice.
Think your games tight, I'mma bust your bubble
If you think you're good, I'll prove you wrong.
I shop at Gucci and Barneys like rubble
I shop extensively, like I'm destroying the stores I visit.
Scope like Hubble, quick like chunnel
I have a sharp eye and I move quickly like a train through a tunnel.
I leave MC's in the dark like tunnel
I outshine other rappers and make them look bad.
Men do huddles, girlfriends cuddle
Men gather in huddles, while girlfriends cuddle.
Eh heh, alright
Just a vocalization of agreement or affirmation.
My hoodie so dope, my hoodie so tight
My hoodie is fashionable and fits well.
My hoodie in school cause my hoodie so bright
I wear my hoodie to school because it's so bright and noticeable.
Got the bright purple, like a grape soda
My hoodie is a bright purple, similar in color to grape soda.
Nigga I told you, my hoodie no joker
I've mentioned before that my hoodie is not a joke - it's serious business.
Walk up in the hoodie to a party like toga
I walk into parties wearing my hoodie like a toga, confident and bold.
Breathe like yoga, get off my scrotum
I remain calm and composed, and I want people to leave me alone.
The color of my hoodie like a Lisa Frank folder
The color of my hoodie is like a psychedelic Lisa Frank folder.
Im at the Kid Robot, my wallet done shown up
I'm at the Kid Robot store, and I have enough money to buy things.
They had five hoodies, but this shit done sold out
The store had five hoodies, but they were all sold out.
Spent too much, I know a bad habit
I spent too much money on this hoodie, but I have a habit of doing so.
My hoodie look like a shit from a Trix rabbit
My hoodie resembles something that a Trix cereal rabbit would wear.
Y'all know I'm a hoodie all pro
Everybody knows that I'm really good at wearing hoodies.
Find me in my hoodie like a hoodie Waldo
I'm always wearing a hoodie, just like Waldo is always wearing a striped shirt.
Rocking Amadeus like a hoodie falco
I'm wearing Amadeus clothing, like a falcon wearing a hoodie.
Staying self-absorbed like I'm Frida Kahlo
I'm like Frida Kahlo, in that I'm focused on myself and my own work.
From the playground, with the sports team on it
I've been wearing hoodies since I was a kid, even when playing sports.
To the old folks home, put some morphine on it
Even when I'm old, I'll still be wearing hoodies, and maybe even taking some medication for pain.
I rock my hoodie whether rain or shine
I wear my hoodie regardless of the weather conditions.
Over-priced in a Sam Goody frame of mind
I have expensive taste, like someone shopping at Sam Goody music store.
Got a pouch in the front that holds my CDs
My hoodie has a pouch in front that holds my CDs.
And warms my hands when it's too breezy
The pouch also helps keep my hands warm when it's chilly outside.
Believe me, the quickest way to get hurt
I'm warning you, the fastest way to get hurt is to call a hoodie a 'hooded sweatshirt'.
Is if I catch you calling it a hooded sweatshirt
I'll be angry if you refer to my hoodie as a hooded sweatshirt.
Contributed by Anna J. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Kyle Mantha
In Sick Boi, it's a little hard to get past his voice, but once you do, you realize the songs are really well written. This, and Love is Crazy are my favourite off the album.
tone1245
Man I remember listening to this in middle school. Was my myspace music and all :,) the glo up was real for my man donald
ArKane Truth
Who came for childish gambino but satyed for the beat
King Libra
The intro always gets me
Nick Trevino
this one and "yes" are my favies...im not gonna lie after being known as this funny dude and more known for comedy he has some pretty dope rhymes!
C Asbury
the good ole days!!
AndThenPotatoes
That's why he calls it the sick boi album. ...Because he was sick.
AfroDom
This song is so relatable
slimsim7
The intro is my favorite part
jameson
yo this is one of my favorite songs off the album, so sick