How did Donald Glover’s career aspirations transition from comedy writer to award show dominating phenomenon taking over the entertainment industry? This is the evolution of Donald Glover.
Raised as a Jehovah’s Witness, there was a long list of things Donald’s parents didn’t allow him and his siblings to do. No birthday celebrations, no Santa Claus, no magic tricks, and no TV, aside from educational documentaries about animals or slavery. Luckily, his father was more lenient than his mother and sometimes allowed the kids to watch Bugs Bunny cartoons growing up. He even took Donald out of school to see the Star Wars prequel films as a teenager, a bonding experience that would prove beneficial later in his life.
Later, he attended NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts with the dream of one day writing for Matt Groening’s animated comedy. While in NYC, he joined the Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre.
In 2006, Donald and his brother Stephen pulled in fellow comedians such as Dominic Dierkes, DC Pierson, and Meggie McFadden, among others, and started an NYU-based comedy troupe called Derrick Comedy. They quickly rose to viral, YouTube fame, with many of their videos pulling millions of views.
During the rise of Derrick Comedy, Tina Fey plucked Donald from his NYU. dorm and threw him in the writer’s room of her new comedy TV series “30 Rock,” in which ‘Mystery Team’ co-star John Lutz was already billed.
In the midst of captivating audiences with his nerdy, quirky, and honest brand of humor. Donald threw fans for a loop by pursuing a music career. Childish Gambino, a moniker Donald got from the Wu-Tang Name Generator, had released several mixtapes over the years that hadn’t gained much attention including “Sick Boi,” “Poindexter,” “I AM JUST A RAPPER,” parts 1 and 2, and “Culdesac.”
His sophomore project “Because The Internet” debuted at #7 on the Billboard 200 chart, but 2016’s “Awaken, My Love!” is the certified gold funk masterpiece that marks Childish Gambino’s growth from rapper to artist. However, despite his rising stature as one of the most astute critics of society in hip hop, Childish has repeatedly said that his next album will be his last.
