The latest episode of Atlanta features a trip to an office that mimics Spotify to an eerie degree, complete with hip but awkward staff and even branding that resembles the real thing. Aside from giving a brilliant pastiche and commentary on Bobby Shmurda, who famously rapped to an Epic Records boardroom in 2014 from on top of the table, the episode's also got an artist who's almost definitely supposed to be an Atlanta-universe Chance the Rapper.
Clark County, played by RJ Walker, is a rapper who greets Alfred dressed in overalls, with a suspiciously Chance-esque voice and demeanor. Fans of Atlanta were quick to point out the resemblance, and considering Chance is good friends with Donald Glover and watches the show, there's no doubt he caught on to what the episode was doing with Clark. (There's also been some Childish Gambino x Chano music happening.)
The reference was made all the more blatant with a possible spin on Chance's Kit-Kat commercial right at the end of the episode. The commercial for Yoo-Hoo isn't quite identical, but there's a comparison to be made.
As Angelica Jade Bastién points out in her article on Vulture, the Yoo-Hoo commercial, the Bobby Shmurda moment, and Alfred being tasked with performing his hit "Paper Boi" to the office all highlight the bizarre relationship between "black art and white money, authenticity, and the compromises necessary for certain heights of success."
Both hilarious and thought-provoking, Atlanta continues to be one of the best shows on TV.
