While “Dave” is well written, funny and easily digestible, “Atlanta” has pushed the limits of what could be done in half-hour blocks of television.
“Dave” couldn’t pull off “Teddy Perkins,” 34 minutes of Donald Glover in whiteface. “Atlanta” co-writer Stefani Robinson told IndieWire she viewed the move as a “symbolic reference to the industry maybe and what you do for greatness, or what one will do to be perceived as great.” Multiple members of the “Atlanta” cast could pull off GaTa, though, the dynamic “Dave” character who is played by Lil Dicky’s actual hype man himself, Davionte “GaTa” Ganter.
In June 2014, Glover called out white rapper G-Eazy for copying his pose and outfit for G-Eazy’s “These Things Happen” album cover. A couple of months later that year, and days after Michael Brown was shot and killed by Ferguson police, Glover went on a Twitter rant where he said he wished he was a big, White rapper like G-Eazy.
“I hope I become too big and too white,” Glover tweeted. “But I am just a Black male. I am a n—-.”
That next year, Glover’s Because The Internet album, accompanied by a 72-page script and interactive app for his tour and was nominated for the Grammy’s Best Rap Album award. Eminem’s The Marshall Mathers LP2 won that year.
