Donald Glover Says Childish Gambino Is 'Not Fulfilling'

By Andrew Sanford | Celebrity | July 19, 2024 |

By Andrew Sanford | Celebrity | July 19, 2024 |

You can’t only be one thing if you want to make it these days. Yes, multi-hyphenates are not new in the entertainment world. However, with the rise of social media, hustle culture, and private equity firms, celebrities and entertainers must wear any number of hats. They have to own businesses, have a podcast, and turn themselves into a financially viable brand. Donald Glover is one such celebrity.

Glover broke into the industry thanks in part to Derrick Comedy. Glover was a member of the comedy troupe, whose videos achieved success online. He was also a writer on 30 Rock, appearing on the show several times. His biggest break came when he was cast on the NBC/Yahoo show Community. While Community remained on the bubble until its cancellation, Glover emerged from it a bonafide star. It wasn’t just the cult hit show that assisted his fame. He also had help from Childish Gambino.

Childish Gambino is the name that Donald Glover raps under (though not for much longer). The actor released a mixtape in 2008 and has been releasing music consistently in the years since. He has released five albums, with his newest one serving as a soundtrack for his upcoming film, Brando Stone & the New World. It will be Glover’s last album under the Gambino name.

The actor and comedian recently confirmed to the New York Times that he will no longer use the Gambino stage name. He’ll be retiring after almost two decades of use. “It really was just like, ‘Oh, it’s done,’” he explained to the outlet. “It’s not fulfilling. And I just felt like I didn’t need to build in this way anymore.” Glover is stepping away from the name, but it is not clear if he is stepping away from music altogether.