Donald Glover’s TV series Atlanta has captured the attention In a self-interview with Interview Magazine, the showrunner picked his own brain about a wide range of topics including his music career, his farming hobby and his views on society. The entertainer also addressed the comparisons his show gets to Lil Dicky‘s show Dave which shares the same parent network (FX) as Atlanta. 

While interviewing himself, the “3005” artist references his own tweets about Dave. “Do you dislike the show?” he asks. “No! I like that show. But it does bother me when Atlanta’s compared to it,” he then answers. The comparisons between the two shows likely stem from both series being created by rappers, who then star in the show themselves. Additionally, since both shows premiere on the same network.

“Why?” he questions himself. “You have to think of it like food,” he responds. “You mean it’s a different flavor,” he says back. Glover continues with his explanation of what Dave would actually look like in a more organic setting.

“No. Although I do feel like the flavor is artificial in some sense,” he says. “The organic show should be about a white rapper who’s more successful than his Black peers from the jump. Because he’s more accessible. But what he actually wants is to be part of the culture, but his success keeps him from that and a lot of his Black peers and friends resent him for it but also feel like they have to fuck with him because it’s good for them. That’s the internal struggle I see.”

Glover then goes on to explain his reserves on the two shows often being called similar. “So you think Dave should be your version of the show?” he asks himself. “It should be what it is,” he states. “Like, people think I’m pretentious. I can be a snob. But I think in entertainment or art it’s important to know the difference between things. Like, Anthony Bourdain wasn’t pretentious, but he definitely knew the difference between a dry aged wagyu and a smash burger. Neither is better or worse than the other. They’re just different experiences. And I wouldn’t want to have either every day. But I would never confuse the two. I expect the same of my audience.”

Many of the comparisons between the two shows ultimately stem from surface-level similarities. But while Atlanta focuses on college drop-out and music manager Earnest (played by Glover) learning his way around the Atlanta rap scene, Dave‘s storyline follows a fictionalized version of Lil Dicky, who has simply convinced himself he’s determined to be one of the best rappers of all time. Atlanta is also branded as a comedy-drama, while Dave is promoted as only a comedy series.

Despite the comparisons, both shows are doing well and are enjoyed by their target audiences. Atlanta has kicked off its third season and was renewed for its fourth and final season, while Dave was renewed for its third season back in February.

Do you think either of these shows is better than the other? Let us know in the comments!