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Donald Glover is one of the more intriguing celebrities out there and his name can be a little confusing. His stage name is Childish Gambino, but it wasn’t always that way!

Influences And Personal Life

Donald was born on September 25, 1983, in California. He spent part of his youth at the air force base where his father was stationed, which might have had an effect on his work and how he developed in later years. 

Glover is a famously private person. He doesn’t like sharing information about himself on social media and rarely agrees to interviews, therefore there isn’t a great deal to know about his early life. 

Growing up, Glover felt like rap was boring and uninspiring. He couldn’t understand why artists weren’t more inventive with their lyrics. He contrasted it to the type of reaction young people had towards bands like Rage Against The Machine. Those artists seemed to pique his interest, but the rap genre lacked a certain spark. Why was it that bands like OutKast could produce great music, but regular rappers couldn’t?

Career Beginnings

Glover’s early career centered around his sketch comedy channel, Derrick Comedy. He and several others began producing content for YouTube which later transmuted into a full-length feature film called, Mystery Team.

Unfortunately, Glover experienced some significant setbacks early in his career. For instance, he auditioned to play the role of Barack Obama on Saturday Night Live but didn’t get the part.

Maturity And Fame

In 2010, Glover changed his stage name to Childish Gambino which he got from a random name generator.

From that point, the music started flowing. First was the mixtape Sick Boi and then came Poindexter. He then went on to make I Am Just a Rapper and I Am Just a Rapper 2. 

By 2014, practically all of Glover’s dreams had come true. He was a prolific host, for example, at the MTVU Woodie Awards at South By Southwest, and he worked on several studio music productions, working with high-profile score composers to produce the backing tracks for his tracks. 

In 2015, Glover began showcasing more of his talents, starring in numerous films alongside several Hollywood stars. For instance, the aspiring actor was a Jet Propulsion Lab technician in the film Mars, also starring Matt Damon. He also won several Golden Globes for his appearances. 

He also began dating Michelle White in 2015 and now they have three sons together. Unfortunately, tragedy struck Glover in 2018 at the end of his This Is America Tour when his father passed away.

Donald Glover — a jack of all trades and, seemingly, a master of all, too. He has tried his hand in multiple entertainment-related areas, including rapping, directing, producing, writing, and acting, and has made a real name for himself over the years, managing to achieve a great deal throughout his career. 

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