Donald Glover, an American actor, writer, comedian, and rapper is taking over all forms of the media by storm. Most students know him by his stage name, Childish Gambino, which he received from a WuTang name generator a while back. Born on September 25, 1983, this 30 year old has shared his talent through multiple areas of the entertainment industry. Prior to his newfound fame in hip-hop music, Glover started off as a comedian on Derrick Comedy, a popular Internet Comedy Sketch Group involving students from New York University. Supported by a large YouTube fan base, the group performed at sold out venues, which landed them directly in Rolling Stone Magazine. This was only the beginning of Glover’s path to stardom.
Shortly after, Glover added writing and acting to his resume. NBC quickly hired Glover to begin writing for the popular TV Show, 30 Rock, where he made a few cameo appearances; however, many recognized him from his role in NBC’s show, Community. Throughout his television career, Glover aired his own comedy stand-up special on Comedy Central, and earned various awards for his accomplishments. From his very own Rising Comedy Star Award to the Writers Guild of America Award for Best Comedy, his talent was endless.
In 2010, Glover began to work on his musical career. He released an EP titled Be Alone, but it wasn’t until his performance at the 2011 Bonnaroo Music Festival that he introduced himself as Childish Gambino. By July of 2011, Glover was ready to release his first full length album entitled Camp and officially signed with Glassnote Records. Recently, a reporter from The Daily Aztec stated, “Gambino, has really nailed the dynamic of this generation, and more specifically, his audience. Throughout the years, we have seen Gambino’s persona evolve into a deep-delving, self-aware and methodical rapper.” In his music, Glover sings about personal issues such as bullying, troubled relationships, family, suicidal thoughts, and alcoholism. Irene Wagabaza (11) commented, “I like how he rhymes and he’s clever with his rapping! You could listen to his songs 48,393 times but still not know the deeper means till later.” Everything he writes about provides an escape and emotional connection for his listeners. Childish Gambino has been granted the opportunity to perform across the country with numerous tours and appearances on festival stages. Isabella Rivera (11) stated, “He’s a very multi-talented person. His music is so different than any other artist and it’s very easy to connect to.” In the coming months, Glover will be touring the U.S. to promote his recent album, Because The Internet. Fans of all ages are lined up to get front row seats at his upcoming performance at the SXSW Music Festival.
