by Mike Hilty, Contributing Writer
Every week when I host trivia, one of the things I have to contend with is what music I play during the rounds. I usually play four songs during the round, split up into 45 second chunks between questions. It’s a careful balance because I have to balance what the audience wants (or doesn’t want), what is going to keep people who aren’t playing trivia happy, and most importantly, keep me happy as the host. I usually switch between playing songs from a particular time frame like the 1980s or 1990s, or playing a particular genre of music. I typically like to play rap music a few times in the course of the night. Rap is a great way to start the night. The opening set of songs needs to get people hyped up, and rap can definitely do that. I also play it halfway through the night because it gets people pumped up for the home stretch.
If the group in Rap Sh!t consistently put out tracks, I probably would add them to my playlists for trivia to play. They’re that good.
Rap Sh!t,created by Issa Rae, follows Miami natives and high school acquaintances Shawna (Aida Osman) and Mia (KaMillion). Shawna is an aspiring rapper and wants to be an artist with something to say. Mia is a make-up artist with a daughter. A chance meeting sets them on a path where they create a rap group together. Rap Sh!t is eight episodes and is currently streaming on HBO Max.
Rap Sh!t’s greatest strength is what it’s trying to say regarding women, specifically in the hip hop business. Shawna and Mia both have an ideological difference at times with how they want to proceed as a rap group. Shawna wants their music to have some type of meaning to their music and wants to find ways to get certain messages across. Mia, on the other hand, wants that, but wants to make money as well. She understands that part of the draw is adding a little bit of theatricality to their performances, whether it’s dancing and/or sexualizing themselves in some capacity. These differences become big topics about what women have to do in order to make it in the music industry. It’s just emblematic of the struggles that women have to go through in general, and how it’s not enough to be good at your craft. There are extra hoops to jump through, which isn’t right or fair.
The comedy and writing is really strong, and a lot of this has to do with Rae’s influence on the show. The dialogue is great and the comedy is smart and catchy. I’m a huge fan of Insecure, so I’m glad to see Rae getting more chances to showcase her talent. Rae and HBO should continue to make content together because their partnership just works.
The music does not disappoint in Rap Sh!t. Between the diegetic and non-diegetic music, everything is so good. The performances that Shawna and Mia put on are great, and you can see the joy it puts on both of their faces. The elation they get from performing it is really great, particularly Shawna. She has been trying to make it in the rap game for a long time, so it’s great to see her have a small taste of success.
Social media plays a large part in the show. There’s a large element of this show that involves screen life. I really dug that, and it just goes to show how much of an influence social media is for people nowadays. It was a nice change of pace and a unique way to show the scenes in the episodes. Whether it’s with Instagram Lives, comments on videos, Reels, TikToks, social media becomes a driving force for how they publicize their tracks. This show must have been sponsored by Spotify because there was a heavy presence of the music app throughout the series. Rap Sh!t fully embraces social media and music apps as a way to showcase how much they’re needed in today’s culture.
From a performance standpoint, Osman and KaMillion both do a great job. They both are asked to do two very different things from one another. Osman is a struggling artist who’s trying to navigate what it means to be in the music business. She wants to stand out with messaging in her music, and she struggles a lot with her relationships, particularly with men. KaMillion, on the other hand, is a single mom trying to make ends meet for her daughter. She also is less polished than her rap counterpart, but she knows what it means to perform. I really like their dynamic, especially as the show evolves. They have to start checking egos, navigate who they can trust, and find ways for their styles to mesh together. Other than the leads, the other person I thought was a strong character was Lamont (RJ Cyler). He helps produce some of Shawna and Mia’s tracks, and is Mia’s dad. He’s not a great dad at first, but once Mia gives him some feedback on what he needs to do to be better, he turns the corner. Cyler and KaMillion are both great together as well.
The only storyline that I struggle with involves Chastity (Jonica Booth). She is the group’s manager, who is well connected in Miami circles. She also works with a group of sex workers getting them business. Maybe her working with sex workers is supposed to be a metaphor for what it means to manage a group of performers, but that storyline feels a bit odd to put in. Some characters are used merely as props to provide rap fodder for Shawna and Mia. The only other thing I found odd about the show was the season finale. There isn’t a lot of focus on the music, nor is there a lot for what’s next for Shawna and Mia as a group. There’s progress for both of them individually, but the finale is quieter than I expected.
HBO Max has another great original show on its hands with Rap Sh!t. Rae has another great hit in the making as well. The blend of great performances and great music make this such a great show about underdogs making it against all odds in the music industry. It also has great themes about women and hustle culture. I’m very curious to see what HBO Max decides to do with this show. Will it continue to shine on HBO Max, or will it be a casualty of the cost cutting CEO? I’m hoping it continues, because I’m rooting for Shawna and Mia. Until then, I will add their tracks to my trivia playlist and hope for more in the future.
Score: 8/10
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