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]
Trouble
Childish Gambino Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Fell in love how could you
Trust your heart like only fools do
Go on let it bleed
You smoked ten now it's twenty
Bet you wish you never met me
To stick around you must be crazy
Go on let it bleed
I told you never to get used to me
I still awake when you fall asleep
I'm a whole lot of trouble
We're in a whole lot of trouble
I, I told you, you should never follow me
But here we are, and you're into deep
I'm a whole lot of trouble
We're in a whole lot of trouble
You shout louder than you used to
And you hold on tighter in the bedroom
Stick around like I'm a change soon
Go on let it bleed
As you stand there trying to save me
Use your head and babe believe me
Gonna take much more than a heart to save me
Go on let it bleed
I told you never to get used to me
I still awake when you fall asleep
I'm a whole lot of trouble
We're in a whole lot of trouble
I, I told you you should never follow me
But here we are, and you're into deep
I'm a whole lot of trouble
We're in a whole lot of trouble
But is it lyin' if you know that they don't want the truth
Is it cheating if you jerk it while she in the room? Realer than RedTube
Now you mad at the screen
We were something together
I wouldn't call it a team, just big trouble and little kindness
When I know the best parts are so behind us
Keep the pride tough, more than bad luck
I ain't messed up, I'm just wishing what we needed was a less us
I fell in love with the wrong dream
Crying in my arms what's it all mean?
I used to know those things and flow both wings
Thoughts where never ending and no Nuvaring's
And we fought for a patent pending on my new jack swing
Cool, calm and collected keep the Kool Moe Dee
Here is hoping you satisfy that like an addict
I had thought we'd never had to do those things
I told you you should never follow me
But here we are, and you're into deep
I'm a whole lot of trouble
We're in a whole lot of trouble
The song Trouble by Childish Gambino featuring Leona Lewis delves into the complexities of a toxic relationship. The lyrics describe how the singer's lover fell in love with them, and how they warned them not to fall too deeply for them. The singer knows they are trouble and that sticking around will only lead to heartbreak, yet their lover persists in trying to save them. The lyrics also touch on addiction and how the singer's lover drinks and smokes more than before they met them, potentially implying that the singer is a bad influence on them.
The chorus repeats that the singer told their lover not to get used to them and how they are a whole lot of trouble. The singer is aware of their actions and how they bring trouble wherever they go. The second verse tackles the issues of lying and cheating in the relationship. The singer questions if it's lying if their lover doesn't want to hear the truth and wonders if it's cheating to watch adult content while their lover is in the same room. The verse ends on a somber note, lamenting how the best parts of their relationship are behind them. The final chorus repeats how the singer warned their lover not to follow them but they did, and now they are both in deep trouble.
Overall, the song Trouble highlights how toxic relationships can be thrilling yet dangerous. The singer knows they are trouble, yet they cannot help but draw their lover in. The lyrics also touch upon the idea of addiction and how the singer may enable their lover's habit. As with many of Childish Gambino's songs, Trouble delves into heavier topics and explores the grittier side of relationships.
Line by Line Meaning
You drink more than you used to
You have developed a drinking problem
Fell in love how could you
You have fallen in love, and it's affecting your behavior
Trust your heart like only fools do
You are blindly following your emotions, even though it may not be wise
Go on let it bleed
Let your emotions out and deal with them
You smoked ten now it's twenty
Your smoking habits have increased significantly
Bet you wish you never met me
You are regretting getting involved with me
To stick around you must be crazy
It's difficult to handle being with me
I told you never to get used to me
I warned you that I am not easy to deal with
I still awake when you fall asleep
I am constantly thinking and worrying about our relationship
I'm a whole lot of trouble
I am a complicated and problematic person
We're in a whole lot of trouble
Our relationship is in a difficult and uncertain place
You shout louder than you used to
You are getting more emotional and confrontational
And you hold on tighter in the bedroom
You are clinging to our physical intimacy as a way to hold onto our relationship
Stick around like I'm a change soon
You are hoping that I will change and our relationship will improve
As you stand there trying to save me
You are trying to fix our relationship
Use your head and babe believe me
You need to be practical and realistic about our situation
Gonna take much more than a heart to save me
Our relationship needs a lot more work than just emotions to fix it
But is it lyin' if you know that they don't want the truth
Is it really lying if you are sparing someone's feelings?
Is it cheating if you jerk it while she in the room? Realer than RedTube
Is it really cheating if you are just watching porn with your partner nearby?
Now you mad at the screen
You are getting frustrated with our relationship problems
We were something together
We had something special between us
I wouldn't call it a team, just big trouble and little kindness
Our relationship had more trouble than love
When I know the best parts are so behind us
I am aware that the good times are in the past
Keep the pride tough, more than bad luck
Be strong and don't give up, even when things go wrong
I ain't messed up, I'm just wishing what we needed was a less us
I am not the one to blame, I wish we didn't need each other so much
I fell in love with the wrong dream
I realized that the person I thought I was in love with wasn't real
Crying in my arms what's it all mean?
We are struggling to understand what our relationship means
I used to know those things and flow both wings
I used to be more confident in our relationship and able to handle it better
Thoughts were never ending and no Nuvaring's
We used to have a lot of passion and excitement, without needing contraception to keep us together
And we fought for a patent pending on my new jack swing
We used to work hard together for our creative projects, but now we struggle to even communicate
Cool, calm and collected keep the Kool Moe Dee
Be calm and composed, like the rapper Kool Moe Dee
Here is hoping you satisfy that like an addict
I hope you find happiness and fulfillment in our relationship
I had thought we'd never had to do those things
I never expected us to have to work so hard to keep our relationship alive
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: EMELI SANDE, HARRY CRAZE, SHAHID KHAN, HUGO CHEGWIN, FRASER T. SMITH, JAMES MURRAY, MUSTAFA OMER, LEONA LOUISE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
sheMan32
I've never heard of Childish Gambino before this, but now i thin he's amazing and honestly he makes this song go from great to AMAZING
arshi93kaur
I have listened to this million times and still listening. Just can't get enough of Leona Lewis's songs. They are so strong and powerful. Love this!
Maurice DeShawn
It's always amazing to listen to a R&B/Rap collab, in the case of Leona is fantastic because she doesn't have a lot of collabs like this, love this alternative R&B vibe from Leona with that smart verse by Gambino.
Poetic Justice
Leona's vocals in this one are flawless and epic, which is why she became famous in the first place, so I say, Leona, you always deliver!
3wesshak
this song is one of the best Leona has EVER recorded! FINALLY something worthy! This is the kind of music that suits her the best. Here's hoping that this will be her comeback single in the States, and her 4th #1 single in the UK!
Maria Lopa
I hope everyone buys this single and supports Leona, this is her make or break album and i believe she can do this! But she needs our help. It's a good song and with the right promo can do well! TEAM LEONA x
Miguel Cacciatore
Me gustó muchísimo, ojalá este album le abra de nuevo las puertas a leona en el mundo de la música. Está muy olvidada.
Moon Blue
I miss her so much, I'm so excited to hear from her again. And the song sounds good. Love leona and almost all of her songs. She's incredible.
Naike D.
Love this song so much live, she has a beautiful voice -3
Seth Thomas
It's good to see Childish getting some big name features! This is defiantly his year. And Leona's voice is damn near perfect, as usual.