‘Atlanta’ Writer Stephen Glover on Creating a Soulja Boy-Inspired Serial Killer to Honor the ‘Crank Dat’ Era

SPOILER ALERT: Don’t learn in the event you haven’t watched “Crank Dat Killer,” Season 4, Episode 6 of “Atlanta.”

In 2006 and 2007, Atlanta was experiencing a renaissance.

A renaissance of snap music, to be particular. The town was already producing hits like Dem Franchise Boyz’s “Lean Wit It, Rock Wit It” and D4L’s “Laffy Taffy.” Then, Soulja Boy launched his debut single Crank That (Soulja Boy)” simply because the idea of YouTube virality was coming into existence, prompting 1000’s of Atlantans to create their very own variations — from “Crank Dat Yank” to “Crank Dat Roosevelt” to a “Tremendous Mario” model — whereas the remainder of the nation watched.

In Season 4, Episode 6 of “Atlanta,” headlines are warning Atlantans concerning the Crank Dat Killer, a serial killer focusing on anybody and everybody who made a “Crank Dat” video again within the day. Alfred aka Paper Boi (Brian Tyree Henry) realizes his outdated “Crank Dat Jimmy Neutron” dance might get him in hassle. After a cellphone name with Soulja Boy (performed by the rapper himself in a brilliantly positioned cameo) he tries to hide his id in public, however fails. Solely badly disguised celebrities put on logo-less baseball caps, as a mall worker tells him earlier than pointing to the identical getup on “Chris Evans.” (It’s only a random white man in a baseball cap.) Quickly, another person sees that it’s Alfred and begins taking pictures, then a number of different passersby pull out their weapons and the scenario devolves into an motion film-like shootout, expertly directed by Hiro Murai.

In the meantime, Earn (sequence creator Donald Glover) and Darius (LaKeith Stanfield) desperately hunt down some newly-dropped and sold-out Nikes and meet Shoe Man (Terence Rosemore), who gives to present them some without spending a dime — if they comply with kiss one another and let him watch. After a lot deliberation, they kiss, however they’re parked outdoors of the identical mall as Alfred and Shoe Man will get shot within the head, rendering the kiss ineffective. They seize the footwear and run.

“Atlanta” is gearing up for its sequence finale, which is ready to air on FX on Nov. 10. After years spent struggling to succeed in the highest of the music trade — with Season 3 even detouring for a European rap tour — the characters are actually again within the metropolis they’re from, working to regulate to the cash and notoriety they’ve made for themselves. They’re attempting out remedy, investing their salaries and combating to retain some sense of normalcy. “With all of the episodes this yr, we’re circling round these themes of dying and finality and peace of thoughts,” says Stephen Glover, who wrote “Crank Dat Killer” (and is Donald’s youthful brother).

Glover talked to Selection about securing high-profile cameos, cringy interactions within the rap trade and the absurd costs of unique sneakers.

Soulja Boy is an Atlanta legend. Had you been attempting to get him on the present for some time?

He’s positively an Atlanta staple. It wasn’t like we had been attempting to get him on the present, however I believe the concept was so good for him. We don’t have the most effective luck getting excessive profile individuals to be on the present. I do know that sounds type of loopy [because Season 3 featured actors like Liam Neeson], however we don’t. However this was a kind of issues the place there’s no backup plan. It’s a humorous concept, however you want Soulja Boy. And we wrote the entire episode earlier than he bought concerned. [If he had said no], getting another person to play Soulja Boy would have been hilarious — however possibly there’s one other snap legend we might have gotten. Possibly Fabo.

How did Soulja react to the supply?

I keep in mind Donald telling me that he bought on the cellphone with Soulja Boy to see if he was , he’s speaking to him, and he appears fairly lackadaisical. He’s like, “Mmhmm.” He doesn’t appear very . After which he’s like, “Wait a second, is that this, like, Donald? Oh! Why didn’t you say so? I assumed I used to be speaking to any person else. Yeah, man, I’ll positively do it!” He was excited. I noticed he did an interview on “The Breakfast Membership” a few months again the place he was saying, “I’m an actor now! I bought my first function!”

We shot a model on set in Atlanta the place he wasn’t there. He simply referred to as in on the cellphone. After which they shot a model at his home. 

For his first few strains of dialogue, we’re solely seeing Alfred and listening to Soulja’s voice. I assumed it wasn’t truly Soulja till it switches to the setup in his home.

Like I stated, we don’t at all times get the most effective luck getting individuals. In Season 3, we had some loopy cameos the place it was like, “Possibly we are able to!” However we wish to hold the concept we are able to’t promise something. That’s simply humorous to us to. Just like the D’Angelo factor. [In the previous episode, Earn spends a week trying to get a meeting with D’Angelo and ultimately fails.] “Oh man, did they get D’Angelo?” Like, no. We are able to’t get D’Angelo. 

Did you truly attempt to get him for that episode? Or to get Chris Evans for this one?

We didn’t attempt to get Chris Evans. We simply suppose he’s humorous. The writers’ room has a number of working jokes about Chris Evans, however we’ve by no means tried to get him. And it’s humorous, one of many producers on “Atlanta” was like, “We would have been in a position to get D’Angelo.” Somebody from his camp reached out, however we didn’t even suppose it was doable. He’s mysterious and laborious to trace down anyway, so it most likely wouldn’t have labored out. There might have been an opportunity, however we simply assumed.

The mall scenes additionally introduce us to Roberto (Adrian Mauro), the worker with desires to turn out to be a rapper. It’s arrange like he’s going to get to fulfill Alfred and rap for him — I assumed he is perhaps the one to save lots of Alfred when gunfire breaks out. However he makes the loopy resolution to begin rapping throughout the shootout, Alfred pushes him by way of a glass wall, and we by no means see him once more. What’s that storyline based mostly on?

I simply thought it could be hilarious. The child tells a narrative about how Huge Sean rapped for Kanye. In rap, there’s turn out to be this factor the place you meet Jay-Z and he modifies your life in a single day, otherwise you rap for Drake, and Drake tells you to hop on his tour bus and also you go on this magical journey. This concept that every one it takes is so that you can meet your idol, and it’s all gonna work out. Individuals put all these items onto celebrities. They deal with celebrities like they’re part of their film; their solely objective is to satisfy your desires. I simply thought it could be humorous if this man had this imaginative and prescient that that is going to occur, and he simply picked the worst doable time. 

One time we had been on the hospital with my dad, who had most cancers, in the course of the evening. We’re rolling him round, looking for the room he’s alleged to be in, looking for any person, and we go as much as this assist desk. Then there was this woman, some affected person, who’s strolling away, after which she realizes it’s Donald. We’re like in the course of speaking and he or she simply comes over, like, “Hey, can I take an image?” Like, we’re doing one thing! However individuals are like, “That is my alternative. My one shot.” Just like the “8 Mile” track. 

That is certainly one of a number of near-death experiences for Alfred all through “Atlanta.” Why so many alternative shooters this time? And what was that wish to movie?

We had such a very long time between penning this episode and taking pictures it. I went again and browse it earlier than taking pictures like, “Man, this episode is insane.” I keep in mind going to Hiro like, “Possibly this was an excessive amount of?” He was like, “Nah, it’s nice.” In Atlanta proper now, there’s so many weapons. There’s been a number of shootouts at malls specifically in Atlanta, and lax gun legal guidelines. It seems like everyone in Atlanta has a gun. I assumed it was humorous, this concept individuals have that weapons are gonna make conditions higher, however right here’s a shootout within the mall and it simply turns into chaos. 

Alfred having these near-death experiences goes again to how lots of rappers find yourself dying of their hometown or killed in some type of altercation. So the specter of dying is at all times following Alfred. That helps get individuals into the mindset of what it’s wish to be a rapper and be in your house metropolis, and the way straightforward it’s for one thing unhealthy to occur to you. 

The day is saved by Some Man Named Doug [Wisdom Allah], one other aspiring rapper who’s determined to get Alfred on certainly one of his tracks. However in contrast to with Roberto, Alfred is definitely acquainted with Some Man Named Doug. Does he symbolize anybody specifically?

There’s individuals in music who’re very nice individuals, even when their music’s not good. Very nice guys. And wouldn’t or not it’s humorous if we had this nice man, however his music is horrible, so that you don’t wish to work with him? However you’re pressured to need to make this horrible track that you simply knew was going to be horrible.

There’s additionally the B-plot the place Earn and Darius need to kiss if they need Shoe Man to present them the brand new Nikes. Stroll me by way of that storyline, as a result of the scenario feels fully random, however finally ends up aligning with a few of Earn’s character arc this season.

It’s type of based mostly on one thing fucked up, however we thought it was humorous — this concept of how laborious it’s to get unique footwear. Right here’s this man who’s like, “It’s quite simple. All it’s a must to do is kiss.” Which is creepy and violating and disrespectful. However, like, that is what you’re keen to do to get these footwear? We giggle within the writers’ room about how, as we’ve gotten older, our style in footwear has modified. Now you’ll put on a pair of loafers, and these footwear are footwear that you’d by no means like put on in highschool. Nobody’s going to present you props for carrying these footwear, even when they’re $800. Solely different outdated individuals are gonna care, however you’re keen to promote your soul for these sneakers. It’s one thing that the tradition and rappers can all relate: What’s the value you’re keen to placed on a pair of sneakers, and is it price it?

Me and Jamal [Olori, another “Atlanta” writer] have a ton of Jordans. Jamal has much more than me, and he gained’t put on them. He’s ready on the appropriate second. I’ve gotten to the purpose now the place I’m like, “Yeah, man, we simply gotta put on these footwear. We’re placing these footwear on too excessive a pedestal.”

That’s principally what Earn tells Darius, and it appears to connect with Episode 2 the place Earn goes to remedy and talks about spite and delight, however he does ultimately conform to the kiss. Did you think about having him refuse? And at what level did you resolve the Shoe Man would get shot in the course of the kiss?

I had at first thought we had been simply gonna get as shut as doable, however after we got here again round and had been fixing up the script, we had been like, “Nah, they positively ought to do it, but it surely ought to find yourself being nugatory. They didn’t need to do it.” I assumed that was the funniest factor.

The speech that Earn provides, he’s speaking about sneakers, however it may be extrapolated to lots of issues the place he’s like, “We’re above this. Who’re we attempting to be cool for? You can also make your personal cool stuff. You’re placing a lot effort into these footwear, when you may have put that into your self.”

However Darius has an excellent argument too: Why ought to a kiss have a lot which means? Is it actually that a lot effort?

Precisely. He’s the precise reverse. “We’re not homosexual. You’re my pal. It doesn’t matter.” We thought it was humorous, like who is true? On the finish of the day, these footwear are price some huge cash, and a kiss is nothing.

When everybody meets again up and talks about how their days went, we see an image of the Crank Dat Killer on the information, and notice he wasn’t the shooter from the mall. Then Alfred casually mentions working into somebody he “had beef with in highschool” who appeared to nonetheless be mad. It’s apparent why Earn and Darius don’t inform Alfred how they bought the footwear, however why doesn’t Alfred inform them he was the goal of the shootout? 

The entire time, we’re petrified of the Crank Dat Killer, then we reveal he wasn’t even being chased by the Crank Dat Killer. It’s somebody from Alfred’s previous who tried to kill him. It’s coming from all over the place. The power for Alfred to be killed at any time in his house metropolis is coming, most likely, from individuals he already knew. And also you’ve seen a bunch of near-death experiences with him, so in a manner, it’s type of not that large of a deal to him. Regardless that he went by way of a lot, it’s one other day within the life.

This interview has been edited and condensed.