Following the cancellation of Rap Sh!t Issa Rae lamented the waning coddling of diversity projects by Hollywood execs, adding that they were dumb. Rap Sh!t won’t be making a comeback for another season. The comedy series, spearheaded by Issa Rae and showrunner Syreeta Singleton, had its final run with Season 2. The storyline centred around Shawna and Mia, two friends from Miami aiming to make it big in the rap game after reuniting. Aida Osman and KaMillion brought these characters to life, alongside Jonica Booth, RJ Cyler, and Daniel Augustin.
Issa Rae, expressing gratitude, acknowledged the team behind the show Rap Sh!t. She thanked Sarah Aubrey and Suzanna Makkos for their support and the fans who kept the show alive week after week. Singleton echoed Issa Rae’s sentiments, expressing love for the series and pride in the work accomplished. She credited Issa Rae, the cast, and the crew for their dedication.
The show debuted in 2022, marking Issa Rae’s venture into scripted television following Insecure. Throughout its run, Rap Sh!t received recognition from various award bodies. Season 2 faced a setback with a delay due to the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike. However, upon its release, it garnered positive reviews from critics, particularly for its alleged authentic portrayal of black women in the rap industry. Critics praised the show’s exploration of fame, dreams, and past traumas. The series finale, Under Construction, written by Issa Rae and directed by Calmatic, wrapped up the story. When a series hardly anyone has heard of scores a perfect 100% critics score it can only mean one thing, and it isn’t that it is the best show produced ever. Rap Sh!t was celebrated by critics for its music, curated by Raedio, Issa Rae’s media company, which included original tracks like Seduce & Scheme and BBW.
Recently, Issa Rae has been vocal about the lack of enthusiasm for inclusive storytelling in Hollywood. She highlighted the cancellation of several Black-led shows and the departure of diversity executives. Issa Rae complained that she had “never seen Hollywood this scared and clueless and at the mercy of Wall Street,” and “you’re seeing so many Black shows get canceled, you’re seeing so many executives — especially on the DEI side — get canned,” adding “you’re seeing very clearly now that our stories are less of a priority. It’s made me take more steps to try to be independent down the line if I have to.”
Rae criticised the reluctance of older executives to embrace change and the influence of conglomerate leaders on creative decisions. Despite the apparent lack of Hollywood coddling, Rae expressed confidence in her partnership with HBO. However, she admitted to reassessing the feasibility of smaller projects amid industry shifts. She acknowledged the competitive landscape of streaming services and the evolving definitions of success. Despite external pressures, Issa Rae emphasised her commitment to preserving her “artistic” identity.
Issa Rae lamented, “There is a bitterness of just like, who suffers from you guys pulling back? People of color always do.” Issa Rae thinks that Hollywood executives wanting to earn a return on investment is dumb: “I’m sorry, but there aren’t a lot of smart executives anymore,” Issa Rae complained.
Perhaps Issa Rae should give free performances of her projects to her audience. It will be a double whammy, that way Issa Rae can “preserve her artistic identity” and the people who absolutely must see her “art” won’t be at the mercy of those “dumb” Hollywood execs.
Don’t be surprised if Issa Rae starts gaining amount of weight from her stress of making excuses and acting like another Critical Race Theorist.
Jeez, Modern critics have Terrible taste in music!
“There aren’t a lot of smart executives anymore.” — Sounds like her definition of a “smart” executive is one who throws money at her projects despite knowing they’ll make no return on the investment. In other words, charity. I’m fairly certain she’s unqualified to rate the intelligence of others.