SwayBlog

The Big Picture

• Aida Osman and KaMillion each deliver captivating performances in Rap Sh!t Season 2.
• Season 2 of Rap Sh!t takes a closer look at the nitty-gritty and seedy underbelly of the music industry, adding drama and conflict.
• Despite a darker tone, Rap Sh!t Season 2 still delivers captivating performances, magnetic screen presences, and a balance of depth, humor, and heart.

With the persevering reign of prestige television, TV audiences are spoiled for choice when it comes to quality TV shows. However, that also means that underrated gems are flying under the radar more than ever. A notable example of this is Rap Sh!t,which had a dynamic first season made stronger by its charming cast, stellar writing, catchy music, and overall relatability. While most of us will never know what it's like to be budding rappers on the come-up, we do understand the familiarity of the pursuit of success, reconnecting with an old friend, or even making decisions we’re not exactly proud of. Among the many things Rap Sh!t has going for it, its biggest strength is the sense of authenticity in the overall plot and story – a trait which makes it such a shame Season 1 didn’t get the attention it deserves, but one we’re grateful was carried into Season 2.

When Season 2 opens up, we meet Shawna (Aida Osman), and Mia (KaMillion) preparing to go on tour with Reina Reign (Kat Cunning). The atmosphere is tense between Mia and Shawna — which to be fair, is understandable after the events of the Season 1 finale, and by "events," we mean Shawna running away from the police and essentially jeopardizing their careers. The atmosphere is also chilly between Francois Boom (Jaboukie Young-White) and Chastity (Jonica Booth), a cold rivalry that will be sustained all season long.

Rap Sh!t

From executive producer Issa Rae, estranged high school friends Shawna and Mia reunite to form a rap group.

'Rap Sh!t' Season 2 Arrives With a Change of Tone and Pace

The season kicks off as a turning point of sorts, transitioning from the excitement of Shawna & Mia’s music going viral and all the possibilities that brings to the actual nitty-gritty and seedy underbelly of the music industry. Beyond the music side of things, several relationships also face turning points including Mia and Lamont (RJ Cyler), Shawna and Maurice (Daniel Augustin), and even Shawna and Francois where we see a glimpse of the rock-solid friendship they had once, and the hope of what could be. Regardless, the air is charged, and despite the promise of success and fame within reach, the audience is acutely aware that it’s not going to be a smooth ride moving forward. But then again, when is it ever?

When the group finally goes on tour, they manage to convince social media and their followers that it's sunshine and rainbows on the escalator to fame. The tour is made even more exciting by the fact the group is opening for Lord AK (Jacob Romero Gibson), but behind the scenes, it couldn’t be further from the truth. While Episode 1, “Yield,” continues story threads left dangling from Season 1, Episode 2, “Heavy Traffic,” sets up the new conflict and drama that will carry the whole season. It also includes one of the most uncomfortable moments in the whole series, which serves as a reminder of the casual and lewd mistreatment of women in the music industry. Building a career this way is an incredibly specific path many of us will never walk, but the dread of public embarrassment is universal and calls for empathy for a character that is noticeably lost and struggling. This episode also begins to defrost Shawna and Mia’s relationship, reigniting the friendship at the heart of the show. The season is made stronger when these two are on the same page.

Episode 3, “Rough Road,” is a standout this season, kicking off with Shawna making some of the same mistakes that lead to her finally turning a corner with Chastity. The two bond after an unexpected Get Out-esque moment that catches both them and viewers off-guard. While Shawna and Chastity struggle to get to their next stop, Mia enjoys the luxury of a new relationship. Despite who you think Mia should be with, there is no denying that she deserves good things. However, this new relationship is threatened by the episode’s end by an all-too-common mistake. The episode also delivers a pivotal moment in Maurice’s story that will certainly have consequences.

'Rap Sh!t' Season 2 Takes a Closer Look at the Music Industry

Season 2 still delivers a strong overall performance, but the drama you want comes in at the midway mark. To start with, after going all season long without new music from Shawna & Mia, we finally get some in a freestyle in Episode 4, “Detour.” This leads to a chance meeting with Lord AK and Courtney Luke (Kyle Bary) which in turn offers some of the cutest moments from the season. While Romero was a delight to watch this summer as part of the ensemble cast of Netflix’s One Piece where he played Usopp, he delivers a quiet and introspective performance you can’t look away from in Rap Sh!t Season 2.

Throughout the season, Francois insists that there would be no tour with Reina Reign, but the episode also reminds us that she is only legitimized by her collaboration with Shawna & Mia. Despite this, they don’t get the respect or the treatment that they deserve, which is disappointing. Over the course of the episodes, it is apparent Mia is willing to play the game to their benefit while Shawna works through preventing her ego from standing in her way to mixed results. Thankfully, Chastity comes through for the rap duo in her own “do not try this at home” way.

Without giving too much away, Episode 5, “Dead End,” sadly takes a somber and shocking turn that significantly impacts the rest of the series. While Season 2 still uses humor in its analysis of the music industry, the show’s sophomore run is admittedly darker than its first season. Even with that awareness, the final two episodes of the six made available to reviewers tread a darker path than the series has before, and while this delivers a distinct change of tone, it does not feel out of place.

'Rap Sh!t' Season 2 Is Worth the Wait

Though initially slated to arrive on August 10, the season was pushed to November due to the SAG-AFTRA strike. With Season 1 debuting on July 21, 2022, the show has been off our screens for over a year, but the cast and story ensure it was worth the wait. Osman, KaMillion, and Booth deliver captivating performances rooted in relatability and each has a distinctly magnetic screen presence.

As such, it comes as no surprise that the cast remains one of the strongest parts of the series. While the friendship between Shawna and Mia was the heart of the series in the first season, putting Booth front and center alongside the duo expanded the stakes of Shawna & Mia's success, with more parties having a lot on the line. It's not just the main trio that is a joy to watch, Brittney Jefferson and DomiNque Perry once again steal the show as Alesia and Nelly, filling every scene they’re in with laughs and charisma. Young-White also owns his role as the scheming producer and worthy foil to Chastity, and it will certainly be interesting to see how the feud plays out in the long run. Newcomers Romero and Bary also command the screen thanks to their chemistry with their respective love interests.

Sadly, one character that has little to do this season is Augustin's Maurice. His story this season only serves as fodder to complicate Shawna's. With Augustin being a charming performer, it would have been interesting to see more of what was on the line for him, beyond just going to jail. With Shawna, having glimpsed her relationship with her family, and the threat her actions posed to her and Mia's careers, we better understand what she stands to lose. At the moment, Maurice is more of a hurdle Shawna needs to overcome than a fully fleshed character of his own. This is a let-down considering how well his time on screen in the first season was utilized.

Despite all Rap Sh!t Season 2 has going in its favor, it falters in its pacing, with the first few episodes not achieving the seamless lift-off Season 1 did. This is largely due to the more serious tone, but also the time devoted to setting up the conflicts and foundation that carry this story. Season 1 hit the ground running, and by the end of the first episode, we already had a catchy single that had viewers screaming "Seduce and Scheme" all season long. However, Season 2 does not offer the rap duo a new song till halfway through its run. Thankfully, the soundtrack more than makes up for the deficit in new songs from the group. With the near-pitch-perfect storytelling Season 1 offered, and the success of Issa Rae’s preceding show Insecure, there is undoubtedly a high expectation set for Season 2 to match its predecessors. Without the weight of those expectations, Rap Sh!t Season 2 thrives from the get-go, but under the lens of reality, it takes a second – maybe even a minute – to find its footing.

Season 2 also notably steps away from telling a good portion of its story through the lens of recording devices and social media, and while that is missed, the story does not suffer for it. By stepping away from Season 1’s primary format, the viewing experience adapts and matures alongside the show’s characters. Rap Sh!t Season 2 does a great job of telling a new story within the music industry. The show's ability to balance the depth of its topic with humor and heart makes it both timely and one of the best new series on Max.

Rating: B

Rap Sh!t Season 2 debuts on November 9 on Max in the U.S., with new episodes airing every Thursday.

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