Life Ain’t Fair Everybody Gonna Cheat

Childish Gambino “35.31 (Little Foot, Big Foot, Get Out the Way)”

“35.31” sounds like The Dixie Cups version of “Iko Iko” crossed with M.I.A.’s “Paper Planes,” with lyrics that directly reference OJ Da Juiceman’s “Make the Trap Say Aye.” It’s a song that calls out for annotation, and I’m sure unpacking all the history in the references and musical elements packed into these four minutes would make for a great book. But as deep as this gets, or as bleak as Donald Glover’s lyrics from the perspective of a young drug dealer can be, the song is ultimately a bouncy, joyful bop above all else. The “Iko Iko” vibe suits Glover very well, flattering all the most charming aspects of his voice and giving him a great opportunity to build a glorious dance spectacle around it that would probably invite a lot of annotation too. I get the sense that Glover enjoys being clever, perhaps out of a desire to be taken more seriously, but I think his impulses as an entertainer prevail in a song like this which is so purely musical that the big ideas are all a bonus.

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