After a lengthy delay due to the dual Hollywood strikes, the Issa Rae-produced comedy series Rap Sh!t is back for a second season.
The show picks up with Shawna (Aida Osman) and Mia (KaMillion) leveling up as they enter the big leagues going on tour and opening for a major artist. In their climb to the top, they find themselves at a pivotal moment in their rap career, forcing them to decide if they will stay true to themselves or conform to the demands of the music industry.
The elevated, inspiring, and poignantly funny series celebrates Black women and diverse music while not shying away from diving into the complexities of the industry as Shawna and Mia go deeper into this world. Rae and showrunner Syreeta Singleton teed up season 2 in a pre-season with Blavity’s Shadow and Act.
The show maintains relevance to what’s happening in real-time, with Singleton noting art imitates life in the upcoming season.
“They’re on tour this season and they’re in an atmosphere that is male-dominated. We’re seeing them really enter the music industry and have to navigate that,” Singleton explained of how this season’s storyline is relevant to women in hip hop today. “And we also still see them being young women and having to figure out what’s right for them and like what’s not right for them and how do they maximize or capitalize on this moment.”
With the show being centered on the new wave of women in hip-hop, it’s only right that some heavy hitters in the music industry have watched the show and given their stamp of approval.
Rae noted, “A couple of people [have been fans of the show], some of them are featured in the show this season, which is exciting. But it’s all been really positive. Even behind the scenes, people have hit me [about the show] – producers and songwriters who have been like, ‘This is this is for sure my experience.’ So we’re just excited to have this support and we want people in the industry to feel like this is their show, a show that represents them.”
Watch the full video below where the duo also discusses discuss cameos and how Raedio is connected to the show. The first two episodes of season 2 are now streaming on Max.
