By: Channie Mac
HBO Max is a streaming service that has been like a little well kept secret. Fans (including myself) were disappointed to hear that series Insecure was coming to a close, but no fear; creator, director, and actress Issa Raye had us covered with a brand new series—Rap Sh!t. The series follows two friends, Shawna, and Mia who live in the Miami area and are just trying to figure out what they want to do with their lives. Shawna (played by actress Aida Osman) a college drop out, and old school hip hop enthusiast works as a front desk clerk at a tourist hotel on Miami Beach, while her counterpart Mia (played by actress KaMilllion) does a mixture of side hustles including makeup and only Fans. The two rekindle their long time friendship after not seeing each other over a few years, and its instant magic like they never missed a beat; not even in the freestyle that kicks off their rap career.
If this story sounds familiar to you, you are probably not too far off. As the series is loosely based off the rise to fame of recording artist, The City Girls, made up of Yung Miami (Caresha Brown) and JT (Jatavia Johnson). Their rise to fame happened in similar fashion as the pair were both not rappers, but came together to form one of the most influential and talked about female rap groups in hip hop history. On board with telling their story, Quality Control managers Pierre “P” Thomas and Kevin “Coach K” Lee serve as executive producers; making sure that every detail about the story line is indeed on point.
Shawna, previously had tried her luck at rapping, but was unsuccessful after a music producer left her hanging. But after trying to make it as a blue collar worker, she finds herself unhappy and irritated with the current climate of the rap industry. Her love interest, Cliff (played by actor Devon Terrell) is off in New York attending college and giving her the long distance blues.
On the other hand, Mia has no experience in the rap industry with the exception to the rappers that she has come across in her DMs. A former exotic dancer, Mia attempts to balance being a mother while working several jobs while her childs’ father, Lamont (played by actor RJ Cyler) plays around in the studio as an up and coming producer. Her struggle to find balance places her in some odd situations with men all being the focal point. The two decide to form a rap duo and instantly grab the attention of Miami.
The series is almost shot from a cell phone advantage, with lots of influence on apps like Instagram and Twitter. This rags to riches story of two friends making it in the industry gives the high and lows as viewers watch the pair climb the ladder to success.
So far, the series is entertaining, funny, and most of all real. There are elements that are relatable such as single parenthood, financial instability, and romantic relations (of course in true Isse Rae fashion). If you haven’t had an opportunity to check this series out, tune in to HBO Max. This 8 episode series is mid way through and I can’t wait to see these young ladies’ rise to stardom play out.
Rap Sh!t airs on Thursdays at 9 p.m. eastern standard time on HBO Max.
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