The 10 Best Lines From Childish Gambino's "Royalty" Mixtape

Posing as a triple threat of entertainment value—actor, writer, and rapper—Donald Glover, known as Childish Gambino in the music realm, simply does not rest on his success. Nowhere is his commitment more evident than in his raps, where an early career of verses over indie rock and Adele has blossomed into a fully-fledged style, unique in its embrace of thug, soul, and hipster alike.

His successful debut album, Camp, forged a new direction that relied far more on storytelling and emotion than mainstream rap and Gambino's own style. Thankfully, for both old fans and new listeners, Royalty is a perfect fusion of Gambino's undeniable talent for clever rhymes and fast, percussive wordplay and the interesting, revealing interludes that made Camp more than just another rap album. True to a royal fashion, Gambino boasts assists from rap kings, including Ghostface Killa, RZA, and Bun B.

To breakdown Gambino's latest project, Complex got down with RapGenius to bring you The 10 Best Lines From Childish Gambino's Royalty, selected for energy, complexity, and pure humor.

Song: "Arrangement"

Gonage comes unexpectedly with a typical rap boast that still manages to poke fun at recent events. Gucci Mane—Waka Flocka's mentor and the hood's favorite ice cream man—infamously threw a girl out of a moving car after a bad deal. Not only is Gonage wrapped in Gucci like a second seat belt in his whip, he is physically buckled into the car to avoid the same fate as Gucci's girl.

A normal day for Gonage is everyone else's vacation, including $1000 shoes and the common sense to keep his crimes from the police. Who is Gonage? Few know today, but expect more from the Georgia local and his Brick Squad connections.

Song: "We Ain't Them"

In a more soulful and realistic moment, Gambino reflects on the traditional battle of opportunity and safety. While starring in Community and writing for 30 Rock, Glover chose to break off toward a potentially dangerous rap career. Like all parents, both saw happiness in a different way, a fight between dreams and survival. Gambino's life is a series of harsh, often blind choices, all of which have lead him to his throne.

Song: "R.I.P."

Few would call Bun B a nerd (though he is quite the sneakerhead). Yet Bun drags up a reference to Dragonball Z, one of the first cartoons to introduce anime to an American audience. Broly, stronger than the powerful Goku, was known to stand up to even the most extreme power.

Bun B's rhymes are beyond imagination, coming down like a missile and knocking over even the great Saiyan. Rubbing in the insult, Bun asks listeners to go look up the reference, making even the students at the front of the class feel stupid while losing to a self-proclaimed “Trill OG.”

Song: "American Royalty"

Like the Angel of Death returned, The RZA brings back memories of the impossibly perfect verses on Wu-Tang's “Triumph.” Despite a drought of medical, hypnotic rhymes that matched the description of a bullet entering the heart, RZA has lost none of his gift for percussive, enchanting lines.

The scholar of the body and mind looks beyond what could be a simple “smoking and doing drugs” line and produces a chemical breakdown of exactly how he gets his high. Apparently, cigarettes laced with painkillers rob his cells of oxygen, stupefying and bringing RZA to his holy place. With the tape boasting appearances by both RZA and Ghostface, we can assume they approve of Glover's Wu-Tang Name Generator created rap name.

Song: "We Ain't Them"

In a now infamous review, Pitchfork gave Childish Gambino's premier album a 1.6/10 rating. With fans sticking behind Gambino, he continued to gain ground, with his album reaching well-deserved success. In this late response, Gambino shuns the fairweather friends who stuck with him only in fame and pushes them aside with the rest of the negativity.

Song: "Black Faces"

Even four years after 2008's market collapse, most of the “1%” are still in power and still controlling global finances. Rappers, thinking themselves rich, often fight over a grand, a hundred stacks, or a million dollar contract and miss the point. Instead of targeting small money, Gambino wants the world to go back to Occupy Wall Street, reclaim the market, and spread the wealth. To complete the shake, Gambino tosses in a reference to crying over the proverbial 1% milk.

Song: "Black Faces"

Glover, always quick to the punchline, took no time to make fun of Chris Brown and Drake's recent bar brawl. Brown ended up with a hole in his chin and a dent in his ego, something that Childish Gambino is more than willing to give out to any haters. The message may be funny because of the absurdity of a Drake feud (perhaps worse than J Cole/Diggy, another “beef” that Gambino laughs at), but the promise is firm: He may be friendly, but do not cross Gambino the wrong way.

Song: "Shoulda Known"

Starting with a pun on “cum laude/come laude,” Childish Gambino channels Kanye West for a rant on success beside college achievement. Unlike West, Gambino finished his term at NYU while also rapping, marking two turning points for his future. His career, solidly in the middle of the rap spectrum, places him on the “Dean's List” of rappers, above average but still below the “magna” and “suma” world of the greats.

Still, a majority of rap falls below the line of excellence, leaving other rappers average, so below Gambino's level that a “so-so/sew-sew” pun describes their career: Repetitive. As an even more subtle blow, this line repeats exactly in Wale's verse from Kid Cudi's “Is There Any Love,” perhaps targeting the MMG representative.

Song: "Silk Pillow"

The evolution of Childish Gambino's style can be marked by his increased use of percussive, internal rhymes. By cutting the “g” on “nothing” and “bumping,” two simple lines take on a separate flow, often found in Lil Wayne and Nas' work. The result is a fiery way to say “things remain the same.”

Gambino started as the rapper who “does not talk,” inventing ideas and styles that few had tried before. Now, with fans recognizing his ability, he does the same and makes money. Even Gambino's trash raps are unique, making your efforts all the more weak.

Song: "Unnecessary"

In one of the most complex rhymes of Gambino's career, references to The A-Team, Gambino's debut Camp, the alphabet, and the fear of unplanned parenthood blend into a subtle body blow. In one layer, a simple nod to the macho A-Team, driving around in a black van and helping fight crime, simply places Gambino's Sick Boys as action heroes.

In the end, Gambino recalls his successful album and Camp Tour, where “Camp Gambino” became the way to relax. Rather than just mentioning the appeal, Gambino recalls the A-Team's rescue of hostage victims and asks fans to demand a return of the “summer” that he created.

Diving deeper, the ceremonial “fuck y'all” melds with a mention of “Plan B,” the pill responsible for blocking accidental pregnancies after mistakes: Gambino's flow blocks your attempts at a rap life before they even start. The simple “A-B” interchange used by Eminem and A$AP Rocky never fails to disappoint, and brings the line together seamlessly.