GaTa, the real-life hype man for Lil Dicky and breakout start of his semi-autobiographical FX series, Dave, has released a video for his new single, “Check Up”.
The bass-heavy banger itself is a simple yet clever hip-hop ode to cashing your check, but the video adds a comedic spin to the song’s bravado. In the clip, GaTa plays the man behind the counter at a check-cashing spot, tasked with dealing with the colorful cast of characters rolling through to try to scam some paper.
The first to appear, during the song’s intro, is a shifty Phish fan trying cash a suspicious-looking check and head out on tour. When GaTa pushes back and asks for ID, the guy gets agitated: “Like, I just gotta go, I gotta meet my friends, like, we’re doing Phish tour right now, like, come on, just like, it’s easy, you know, it’s money!”
Related: Phish Urges Vaccination, Masks At Shows Ahead Of 2021 Summer Tour
“This looks like a coupon,” GaTa responds, before the Phish kid explodes: “Just give me the money! Cash the check!” Cool and collected, GaTa tells him to “get [his] Grateful Dead-lookin’ ass out of here.” As tour dude clamors in response while being dragged out, “I mean, dude, have you ever seen Phish in concert?! … Just cash the check. It’s money, man!”
Throughout the rest of the video, we see GaTa and his security guard foil a slew of schemes and bask in the cash themselves. It’s all just a daydream, though: at the end of the clip, GaTa’s boss comes by and snatches back the stack of bills from the drawer, leaving him at his desk still broke—a charmingly self-effacing comedic coda for the project. Watch the video for “Check Up” by GaTa below.
GaTa – “Check Up” (Official Music Video)
[Video: GaTa]
The “Check Up” video is not the first time GaTa has taken some good-natured shots at the more cringe-worthy elements of Phish fandom. In the third episode of Dave season one, the show’s fictional version of GaTa helps Lil Dicky’s super-white-guy friend/manager Mike fix his internet connection so he can stream a Phish show.
When GaTa works his magic and the familiar LivePhish stream pops up on their TV screen, an excited Mike runs to grab some herb from the drawer to celebrate. GaTa, who appears to be enjoying what he’s hearing, sends an unconscious jab at the band’s sound: “But when they gonna stop warmin’ up, though?”
Related: Watch A Rapper Get Introduced To The Joys Of Phish On Lil Dicky TV Series, ‘Dave’ [Video]
In response, Mike—like a good Phish fan—goes into evangelist mode, attempting to help this new initiate appreciate what he’s hearing: “Oh, no, this is the whole show. This is what they do the whole time, man. Feel that. Feel that. Feeeeel that, dude!”
While the “Phish-kid-introduces-rapper-to-Phish” tangent is just a minor subplot in the episode, it is surely an amusing storyline to help highlight the very different realities in which Lil Dicky exists.
Dave season two is currently airing on FX on Wednesday nights, with episodes hitting Hulu the following day.
GaTa will also co-star in a new film, Not An Artist, alongside Bobby “RZA” Diggs, Haley Joel Osment, and Cleopatra Coleman. Follow him on Instagram here.