Song Analysis 2 Childish Gambino: Outside

The autobiographical song is a critical part of hip-hop. Most hip-hop artists sprinkle autobiographical elements throughout their work.

Some songs take a full-on memoir quality, like Childish Gambino’s “Outside.”

Within the hip-hop context most of these songs confirm the artists’ cred—that he’s from the street, and he has fought through hell to prove his ballsy character.

Sure, a lot of hip-hop artists are succeeding without talking about being from the ghetto, but the central conversation in hip-hop is life in the hood, and what becomes of those who rhyme their way out of it…among a lot of songs about bitches and hoes.

Slowly, but surely it is becoming less and less of a prerequisite that rappers be from the hood, and Gambino is a part of a class-ultraconscious hip-hop movement. Gambino is unapologetic about being or sounding untraditionally Black; he undermines the stigma that he should sound Black, even though he is from the hood.

The song “Outside” is a memoir of Gambino’s childhood, and it deals with class conflict he has faced in his life. Childish raps about how when he was young and poor he felt comfortable enough to dream, to be content. He talks about racial norms, being exoticized, fitting in, and in the end about his relationship with his cousin.

My favourite part:

 “And I just wanna fit in, but nobody was helping me out/They talking hood shit and I ain't know what that was about/Cause hood shit and Black shit is super different.”

There’s a difference between race and class. Blackness is not dictated by the hood and the hood is not dictated by Blackness. 

Lyrics:

[verse 1]i used to dream every night, now i don't dream at allhopin' that it's cause i'm livin' everything i wantused to wake up in a bed between my mom and auntplaying with this land before time toy from pizza hutmy dad works nightsputting on a stone facehe's saving up so we can get our own placein the projects, man that sounds fancy to methey called me fat nose, my mom say you handsome to memrs. glover ma'am, your son is so advancedbut he's acting up in class and keeps peeing in his pantsand i just wanna fit in, but nobody was helping me outthey talking hood shit and i ain't know what that was aboutcause hood shit and black shit is super differentso i'm talking hood shit and cool it now like new editionmom and dad wouldn't listenthey left the bronx so i wouldn't be thatall their friends in ny deal crackit's weird, you think that they'd be proud of himbut when you leave the hood they think that you look down on 'emtruth is we still struggle on a different plane7 dollars an hour, with vouchers, it's all the samefacebook messaging hopin' that could patch up shitbut all they get now is, "can your son read this script?"
[hook]there's a world we can visit if we go outsideoutside, outsidewe can follow the roadthere's a world we can visit if we go outsideoutside, outsideno one goesthere's a world we can visit if we go outsideoutside, outsidewe can follow the roadthere's a world we can visit if we go outsideoutside, outsideno one knows

[verse 2]yeahdad lost his jobmama worked at mrs. winner'sgun pulled in her faceshe still made dinner"donald watch the meterso they don't turn the lights off"workin' two jobs so i can get into that white schooland i hate it therethey all make fun of my clothes and wanna touch my hairand my uncle on that stuff that got my grandma shookdrug dealers roughed him up and stole his address bookhe's supposed to pay 'em backhe owe 'em money but his bank account is zeroso my momma made us sleep with phillips heads under the pillowlike that would do somethin'but she's got six kids, she's gotta do somethin'she don't want me in a lifestyle like my cousinand he mad cause his father ain't aroundhe lookin' at me now, like"why you so fuckin lucky?i had a father toobut he ain't around so i'mma take it out on you"we used to say "i love you"now we only think that shitit feels weird that you're the person i took sink baths withstreet took you overi want my cousin backthe world sayin' what you are because you're young and blackdon't believe 'emyou're still that kid that kept the older boys from teasin'for some reason
[hook]
[outro]can you hear me now?can you hear me now?oh, help us lordoh, baby baby baby