Davionte Ganter, known professionally as GaTa, (born June 30, 1987) is an American rapper and actor best known for his role as a fictionalized version of himself, named Davionte Ganter / GaTa, in the FXX TV series ''Dave'', as well as for being the

hype man A hype man, typically in hip hop music, is a backing vocalist who supports the primary performer with exclamations, interjections, or ad-libs in an attempt to increase an audience's excitement or engagement. Origins Early hype men included Keef C ...

for rapper

Lil Dicky David Andrew Burd (born March 15, 1988), better known by his stage name Lil Dicky, is an American rapper, singer, comedian, and actor. He first received recognition after the music video for his 2013 song, "Ex-Boyfriend" became a viral video, v ...

throughout his career as well as on the show.

Early life and education

GaTa grew up in

South Los Angeles South Los Angeles, also known as South Central Los Angeles or simply South Central, is a region in southwestern Los Angeles County, California, lying mostly within the city limits of Los Angeles, south of Downtown Los Angeles, downtown. It is de ...

, where he was adopted out of foster care by an aunt whom he considers his mother. He never knew his biological mother or father. Inspired by the rapper

Da Brat Shawntae Harris-Dupart (née Harris; born April 14, 1974), better known by her stage name Da Brat, is an American rapper. Born and raised in Chicago, she began her career in 1992 and signed with Jermaine Dupri's So So Def Recordings two years l ...

, he began rapping while a student at Audubon Middle School.

Career

Music

As a

, GaTa traveled the world performing with rappers including

Lil Wayne Dwayne Michael Carter Jr. (born September27, 1982), known professionally as Lil Wayne, is an American rapper. He is often regarded as one of the most influential hip hop artists of his generation, as well as one of the greatest rappers of all ...

and

Gym Class Heroes Gym Class Heroes was an American rap rock band from Geneva, New York. The group formed in 1997 when Travie McCoy met drummer Matt McGinley during their high school gym class. The band's music displays a wide variety of influences, including h ...

Tyga Micheal Ray StevensonMicheal Ray Stevenson

, and his childhood friend

Schoolboy Q Quincy Matthew Hanley (born October 26, 1986), better known by his stage name Schoolboy Q (stylized as ScHoolboy Q), is an American rapper. He began recording in 2007, and released his first two mixtapes, ''ScHoolboy Turned Hustla'' (2008) and '' ...

, forming the music label G.E.D., which GaTa says stands for "grinding every day, getting every dollar, getting educated daily." Around 2013, GaTa began working with David Burd, known professionally as

, who would become his close friend and with whom he would later star on the comedy-drama ''Dave''. After gaining popularity as an actor, he continued to build his own burgeoning solo rap career, releasing the single "Check Up" in July 2021.

Television and film

GaTa began his acting career in the FXX TV series ''Dave'', in which he plays an authentic but "heightened" version of himself named Davionate "GaTa" Ganter. Having never acted beyond music videos or taken any acting classes, he had to audition to play the role of himself on the show. His performance has been well received, leading some critics to say he deserved an

Emmy The Emmy Awards, or Emmys, are an extensive range of awards for artistic and technical merit for the television industry. A number of annual Emmy Award ceremonies are held throughout the year, each with their own set of rules and award catego ...

nomination. In 2022, GaTa appeared in the

stoner film Stoner film is a subgenre of comedy film based on marijuana themes, where recreational use often drives the plot, sometimes representing cannabis culture more broadly or intended for that audience. Genre The midnight movie scene in theate ...

'' Good Mourning'' with Machine Gun Kelly and

Mod Sun Derek Ryan Smith (born March 10, 1987), known professionally as Mod Sun (stylized as MOD SUN or MODSUN), is an American singer, songwriter, rapper and musician from Bloomington, Minnesota. He has released five solo studio albums, three EPs, and ...

. GaTa also appeared on season 1, episode 10 of Apple TV’s '' Loot'' as himself. In 2023, GaTa played Pete in the romantic comedy film '' Anyone but You''.

Personal life

GaTa has

bipolar disorder Bipolar disorder (BD), previously known as manic depression, is a mental disorder characterized by periods of Depression (mood), depression and periods of abnormally elevated Mood (psychology), mood that each last from days to weeks, and in ...

, a condition that was also given to his character on ''Dave''. In October 2023, GaTa was arrested and charged with

felony A felony is traditionally considered a crime of high seriousness, whereas a misdemeanor is regarded as less serious. The term "felony" originated from English common law (from the French medieval word "''félonie''") to describe an offense that r ...

domestic violence Domestic violence is violence that occurs in a domestic setting, such as in a marriage Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes r ...

before being released on bond.

Filmography

Music videos

Television

Film

References

{{reflist 1987 births Living people African-American male rappers 21st-century American male rappers Rappers from Los Angeles African-American male actors West Coast hip-hop musicians Male actors from Los Angeles People with bipolar disorder 21st-century American rappers 21st-century American actors American male television actors 21st-century African-American musicians