It appears Donald Glover might dedicate his career entirely to acting and drop music altogether. Glover dropped a bombshell on fans at this weekend’s Governor’s Ball Music Festival in New York. The rapper announced his upcoming Childish Gambino album would be his last. Fans are already expressing their sadness on social media since Donald walked off stage last night.
Glover has become a force to be reckoned with in entertainment as he has triumphed in the music, television, and movie industries. The singer has released three albums under his stage persona Childish Gambino — Camp (2011), Because the Internet (2013), and Awaken, My Love! (2016).
Childish Gambino took the stage on night two of the Randall’s Island festival alongside Mark Ronson and the Wu-Tang Clan. Other acts in the three-day festival included Lorde, Chance the Rapper, and Tool. Many flocked to the event especially to see Glover, as live performances aren’t normally a part of his repertoire.
While fans were pumped to see Childish Gambino perform in his only scheduled appearance of the year, their sentiments shifted dramatically when his set concluded. The rapper ended his set with the fan-favorite song “Redbone” from his latest album. At the song’s end, Glover decided to drop the bomb that would leave the crowd stunned.
“You’re in my heart,” he told his fans. “I’ll see you for the last Gambino album.” While fans cheered for Glover as he exited the stage, the applause was met with gasps and shocked expressions as the rapper’s statement sunk in.
Fans have already taken to Twitter to expresses their grief in memes and GIFs.
#ChildishGambino ‘s next album is not gonna be his last because I haven’t seen him live yet so no, it’s not happening. ?????????? #GovBallNYC pic.twitter.com/8wo9lmjhdR
— ??? (@stechu___) June 4, 2017
Music was not how most were introduced to Glover, but rather on the hit television comedy Community, where he portrayed the lovable Troy. Since then, he has earned two Golden Globes for his 2016 FX show Atlanta, which he created, produced, wrote, directed, and starred in.
Last month Variety announced Donald would be the showrunner behind FXX’s upcoming animated Deadpool series. Donald’s brother Stephen Glover will also be at the helm of the show which is set to premiere in 2018.
Glover’s career expanded to the big screen in 2011’s The Muppets . He started scoring bigger gigs in movies like The To Do List (2013) before nabbing roles in the more popular flicks Magic Mike XXL and The Martian which both premiered in 2015.
Glover’s movie career continues to blossom with roles in three of the biggest movies currently in production. Next month, he will be seen alongside Tom Holland in Spider-Man: Homecoming. Glover will also be portraying Lando Calrissian in 2018’s untitled Han Solo Star Wars anthology film. Things won’t slow down for actor in 2019, as he’s set to voice Simba in the upcoming The Lion King CGI flick.
With Atlanta also slated for a second season in 2018, Glover’s announcement of Childish Gambino’s last album should come as no surprise to mourning fans. With his television and movie career taking precedence, there doesn’t seem to be much time to spend in the studio.
However, upon Donald’s announcement, loyal fans remembered this wasn’t the first time the rapper suggested he would be done with music. During an interview with Today in 2015, Glover hinted that the end was near for Childish Gambino.
“I guess Childish Gambino is a period in my art time. I want to have periods in my life,” he said. “I feel like Childish Gambino is a period that should come to a close. I like endings.” While fans thought it was all over for the rapper, he still released a new album in 2016.
For now, Childish Gambino admirers will have to listen to hits “Heartbeat” and “Redbone” on repeat as they await the official announcement for the final album. Glover has yet to speak on the matter since last night’s performance. Don’t expect any news on the fourth and final album from Donald on social media, as he wiped his accounts in 2015 despite having over a million followers.
How do you feel about Childish Gambino calling it quits? Do you prefer Donald Glover behind the mic or on the screen? Let us know in the comments below.
[Featured Image by Nicholas Hunt/Getty Images]