Childish Gambino to ditch his rap name after new album release
Childish Gambino, whose real name is Donald Glover, has revealed why he plans to drop his rapper moniker following the release of his upcoming album, Bando Stone & the New World.
The rapper, singer, and actor has been releasing music under the name since 2008, when he used a Wu-Tang Clan name generator for inspiration. Between 2008 and 2010, he released a series of mistapes, Sick Boi, Poindexter, I Am Just a Rapper, I Am Just A Rapper 2, and Culdesac.
Although Glover caused a significant stir with his first two albums, including his 2011 debut, Camp, it was Awaken, My Love! that captivated global audiences, with several hits spawning like ‘Me and Your Mama’, ‘Redbone’, and ‘Terrified’.
After over a decade using the name, Glover has explained why it’s time to move on, saying that there are more things in his life that bring him joy.
“It really was just like, ’Oh, it’s done,’” he said in a new interview with The New York Times. “It’s not fulfilling,” he continued. “And I just felt like I didn’t need to build in this way anymore.”
While this seems like a big decision to make, the rapper assured that he would not regret opening new doors. “I think grace is undervalued in the world,” he said. “When I put my son on my shoulders, I feel deep joy. That’s real. No one on their deathbed is going to look back and say, ‘Thank God I avoided being cringe.'”
Glover recently teased the new album with singles ‘Lithonia’ and ‘In The Night’ featuring Jorja Smith and Amaarae. He also shared his plans to release Bando Stone & The World, his first feature film, in coordination with the final album. This follows the release of Glover’s fifth album as Childish Gambino, Atavista, earlier this year.
Bando Stone & the New World is scheduled for release on July 19th.