Pulling on her weave, it's that Andrew Auernheimer Childish Gambino – III. Life: The Biggest Troll [Andrew Auernheimer]
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Andrew “weev” Auernheimer is a notorious American greyhat hacker, known for his prominent association with the Alt-Right movement, himself sporting neo-Nazi tattoos.
Bino plays on his nickname, using it as a homophone for weave.
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Wordplay on his label Glassnote Records and a reference to his Instagram notes where he vented his feelings
Gambino has spoken out about his dislike for labels in general. That is why he doesn’t like to be called a rapper because it puts him in a box. If you imagine looking at him from the other side of the glass as he writes a note it would look like he is writing a label over himself.
Not the first time he’s talked, on this album, about living in a glass house.
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Sure if you jump off a watchtower, you’re not gonna end up very clean. However, Watchtower is the official publication of Jehovah’s Witnesses:
Gambino is most likely describing falling out of faith the religion he grew up with and subsequent trauma. In this sense the track title perhaps refers to both stockholm syndrome (developing affection for your captor) and being zealous (which could describe Jehovahs Witnesses in general, including his parents).
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Gambino cleverly plays on “dig” (or “digging it”), a slang for liking or admiring something. He hopes that people will appreciate his talent before he dies and is literally buried in a cemetery.
This line could’ve been inspired by the once popular news aggregator website Digg, in which users post articles and readers can either “digg” the post if they like it or “bury” the post if they don’t.
Also, it’s possible that instead of “real deep”, Donald is actually saying “RealD,” a type of projection used in movie theaters that enables audience members to see vivid 3D images without the use of lenses. This would make it an extension of the line above.
Fuck it, got money, bought friends like I'm TBS Childish Gambino – III. Life: The Biggest Troll [Andrew Auernheimer]
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Though originally owned by NBC, the rights to popular late 90’s sitcom Friends is also owned by Warner Bros. Television, which is what allows it to air on their television network, TBS.
While Donald was often excluded and bullied in his younger days, people suddenly grew a liking to him as he became rich—essentially meaning he “bought” new friends. This mirrors a line from “V. 3005” where Donald raps:
“My God, you pay for your friends?” I’ll take that as a compliment
This is also literally exemplified in the Because the Internet screenplay in a conversation that The Boy has with Alyssa:
ALYSSA: You’re paying her to be your girlfriend or friend or whatever
THE BOY: Yes. But most people are paying for friends one way or another
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Gambino rented this house from basketball player Chris Bosh to record Because the Internet and shoot his short film, Clapping for the Wrong Reasons
This plays on the axiom “Those who live in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones.” He’s saying he shouldn’t really judge others' riches now that he’s rich as well.
This is also the setting of The Boy’s house in the screenplay.
“The Palisades” is also the name of a track on his EP Kauai.
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Apartheid is a policy or system of segregation or discrimination on grounds of race. One notable example of apartheid was between 1948 and 1991 in South Africa, where the white minority rule put in place a system of segregating themselves from non-whites who included black, Indian and colored people.
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Bino’s a smart guy because he is able to get Tia and Tamera, two very fine twins, in his bed. This line could have something to do with the menage that happens later in the verse.
Smart Guy was another ABC sit-com that starred the Mowrys' younger brother Tahj. In one episode, Tia and Tamera guest-star and the character Marcus tries dating both of them. Marcus fails and TJ walks off with both girls. Meaning the character TJ, not Tahj himself (‘cause that shit would be incest).
Gambino was not the first rapper to name-drop the duo in 2013. North Carolina’s J. Cole beat him to it with a bar off the track Cole Summer:
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“U-ey” is short for U-turn, a common way to turn around a car. He’s making his haters “come around” by continuing to produce great music that forces them to like him.
Furthermore, he’s making his competition spin around in their lane, meaning he is forcing them to change the way they do things even in their respective careers.
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Donald is more atheistic nowadays as he’s had some time to think and reflect, even though he stated in an interview with Complex Magazine:
This suggests that he may believe in God. He refers to himself as a heathen, because he is questioning his beliefs after his fathers death in the Because the Internet screenplay.
“Heathen” is pronounced similarly to “heaving,” which is to produce a sigh or let out air. This ties into the lines that follow.
Could be a homophone between “heathen” and “heaving”
We sure he isn’t saying ‘heaving’? That has a lot more to do with breathing than being a heathen does.