Donald Glover is having quite the year already! Last week Glover took home the award for best traditional R&B performance at the 60th annual Grammy Awards. This was not a surprise to any viewers who have been following the rise and success of the multitalented artist. Donald Glover is no stranger to the music scene; for years Glover has performed under the stage name Childish Gambino. So how did the former 30 Rock writer rise through the ranks of show business to become the powerhouse he is poised to be?
Music Beginnings
In 2008 Donald Glover was a writer for the successful NBC show, 30 Rock.
During this time is when he first began to use the Childish Gambino moniker.
He has mentioned often that he got the name from an online Wu-Tang name generator. Later that year he released an independent album titled, “Sick Boi”. Throughout 2009 and 2010 Glover did not slow down; he released three projects: Pointdexter and I Am Just a Rapper 1 &2. This feat is even more incredible when trying to figure out how Glover was able to do all this while starring in another NBC show, Community.
I Am Just a Rapper 1 & 2 showed Glover’s transformation into an artist to be reckoned with—Glover began to let the world know that his rapping ability was on par with the best in the game. Culdesac is Glover’s 5th musical body of work and the songs range from heartfelt acoustic renditions—“So fly”—to upbeat dance records—“I Got This Money”.
During this period people were placing Gambino’s name next to Drake in hip hop conversations. This success of this mixtape catapulted Glover further into the music business. Glover’s next project, simply titled, EP, was originally released in 2011 but is now being re-released due to the growing support and fan base of Glover.
Gambino cemented himself atop the rap game by releasing 5 projects since 2011, the latest being his Grammy nominated album, Awaken, My Love. Awaken my love is a sharp contrast to his earlier projects; however, it shows a Gambino who has gone through a change. Through the lyrics of his music, fans can see that Gambino is enjoying his life as a father and wants to consistently push the envelope.
TV Career
Glover graduated from New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts and was hired to write for the NBC show, 30 Rock. Glover often speaks on his admiration for Tina Fey in his music, and it’s apparent that this time in his life was crucial to his artistic journey.
From 2006 to 2009 Glover was a large part of the writing team; the Writers Guild of America awarded him for his work on the 3rd season of the show. Even with the success of the show, Glover had his sights set on acting. He had small cameos throughout his time on 30 Rock, but a much larger audience was introduced to Glover when he made his debut in the season premiere of the cult comedy, "Community".
As fans began to become familiar with his character on the show, Glover released his 1-hour comedy special.
When does this man sleep? After 4 successful seasons with the show, Glover decided to step away from Community to pursue other film and music oppsortunities.
However, in 2016 Glover returned to the small screen with the critical and commercial success, Atlanta. The show is a surrealistic look into a struggling rapper in the south trying to make it. Some say Atlanta is a mesh of Seinfeld and The Wire; other fans view it as Twin Peaks with rappers. This isn’t undeserved praise; the show has already won a total of four Golden Globes and Emmys—with only 1 season released so far. The 2nd season is set to premiere March 1, 2018.
The Future
Donald Glover is definitely enjoying his time on the silver screen.
Within the past 3 years he has appeared in Magic Mike XXL, The Martian, and Spider-Man—all major box office successes! To prove the point that he isn’t going anywhere, Glover has signed on to play Simba in Disney’s remake of the classic 90s film. In case you were wondering when you could next catch Glover on the big screen, he’ll be playing the iconic role of Lando Calrissian in the upcoming Star Wars film.
Donald Glover has been making a name for himself in Hollywood for years and it looks like it is finally time for him to be considered among the elite blockbuster stars. Be on the lookout for more Glover movies, music, and tv shows in the future.
