A Comprehensive List of the Pop Culture References on Donald Glover's Childish Gambino Rap EP

As you may have heard, Movieline hero Donald Glover released his latest work as rapper Childish Gambino to the Internet on Tuesday morning -- and the songs are anything but a joke. Sure, the first single (the deliciously rauncy "Freaks and Geeks") contains quite a few comical lyrics, but on the whole, Glover's rap persona is quite serious. To put it another way, consider the EP akin to Donald Glover's Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy. And yet! Despite all that melancholia there are pop culture references galore. Loads of them, in fact. Ahead, Movieline offers a comprehensive list of hot topics Glover raps about during the 20 minute EP.

1. "Be Alone"

Sample Lyric: "I don't want to be alone."

Pop Culture References: Pitchfork, Rag & Bow, Arcade Fire.

Pop Culture Savvy: 3 out of 10.

2. "Freaks and Geeks"

Sample Lyric: "Here's the check, grab your purse / Unless we f*ckin', then I'll pay for all the food on the earth."

Pop Culture References: e.e. cummings, Black Swan, Robert De Niro, Meet the Parents (which Glover calls "Meet the f*ckers"), Rihanna, The Big Bang Theory, iPhone, Ariel Pink, Wiz Khalifa's "Black & Yellow," Minority Report, Blake Griffin, Batman, Gavin Rossdale, Adele, the Emmys, Freaks and Geeks.

Pop Culture Savvy: 10 out of 10.

3. "My Shine"

Sample Lyric: "I was hoping they would see me, just for me. Dope rhymer."

Pop Culture References: James Dean, Pearl Jam, Community, Pictionary, Tivo, Aladdin, Amelie.

Pop Culture Savvy: 4 out of 10.

4. "Lights Turned On"

Sample Lyric: "Enough about high school. I'm getting laid, or I'm getting lied to."

Pop Culture References: The Gap, Lil Wayne, FUBU, YouTube, Cameron Diaz, Alex Rodriguez, The Social Network, Vulture, the Super Bowl.

Pop Culture Savvy: 6 out of 10.

5. "Not Going Back"

Sample Lyric: "Jewish girls eat my meat; it's not Kosher."

Pop Culture References: Things Fall Apart, Taylor Dayne, Will Smith, Jaden Smith, Michael Scott, Bruce Willis, Jesse Spano, Girl on Glee (probably Mercedes), Gabourey Sidibe, Rashida Jones (who gets an entire verse), Spider-man, Venom.

Pop Culture Savvy: 7 out of 10.

It's fitting that Glover raps (ding!) up the EP with a reference to his famed campaign to play Peter Parker in the Spider-Man reboot. For what it's worth, this is a must (free) download, and will probably be played at backyard barbecues in Brooklyn for the next six months.

[via I Am Donald]