Issa Rae's 'Rap Sh!t' Is Going To Be The Hottest Show This Summer

Issa Rae's newest TV venture is upon us. Less than a year after her last project, Insecure, wrapped up with its fifth and final season, a new show, Rap Sh!t is here to take center-stage.

According to Rae in a new trailer, Rap Sh!t is "the next big, must-see, fun show this summer." Set in Miami, the show will follow the come-up of two estranged high-school friends who reunite and decide to start a rap group together. The new show created by Issa Rae for HBO Max will have Insecure's Syreeta Singleton back as a showrunner and writer and will also be executively produced by Yung Miami and JT of The City Girls–who are also a female rap duo from Miami, like the show's lead characters.

The first two of the show's eight episodes debut on Thursday, July 21. Here is everything we know about Rap Sh!t so far, including how to watch.

What Is Rap Sh!t About?

As mentioned above, the show will follow two estranged high school friends, Shawna and Mia, as they reunite and start a rap-group. Shawna is a hotel manager by day and a struggling aspiring rapper by night, whereas Mia is a makeup artist and single mother who works several jobs in order to care and provide for her four-year-old daughter. Though they were once very close, in recent years the two's lives took very different turns, which ultimately drove them apart.

Speaking to Harper's Bazaar, show lead Aida Osman opened up about what she wanted the audience to leave their viewings thinking about. "Finding ways to make money and be successful, and turning yourself into a brand, that is what many young Black women are dealing with right now. All women, really! Learning how to be a business, especially if you're a young creative, is something that comes with the job now," said Osman. "It's not just about the art anymore. It's about the commercial aspect of it too. How can you sell yourself? How can you actually get people to listen to your music? How do you get people to enjoy your art? And what does that mean to you? It's about struggle, but it's about success through that struggle, and being able to redefine happiness once you get it."

Who Stars in Rap Sh!t?

Unlike Insecure, Rae will not be the face of Rap Sh!t. Instead the two leads for the show will be Osman and KaMillion. Comedian, producer and writer Osman, who is best known for her work on Betty, Big Mouth, and Group Therapy, will take on the role of Shawna. Meanwhile, real-life rapper, Grammy Award-winning songwriter and Love and Hip Hop: Miami star KaMillion will play Mia.

The cast is also set to feature Jonica "Blue" Booth, best known for her stint on Bad Girls Club, Comedian Jaboukie Young-White, Devon Terrell, and more.

Behind the scenes, it seems we may be set to see a certain Insecure alum take the director's chair. In November 2021, Jay Ellis, who played Lawrence on Rae's former hit-show tweeted a copy of a script with the words "Director sh!t" The tweet was retweeted by Rae and seems to be for an episode with a title that was still "TBD."

This would not be Ellis's first directorial venture. The Top Gun: Maverick star previously directed the Insecure episode "Lowkey trippin'" from season 4 of the show.

When Does Rap Sh!t Premiere?

Well now to the most important question: when can we actually watch this thing? The Golden-Globe nominee first announced the new show back in February of last year, before the last season of Insecure set off, and now it's finally ready to hit our screens.

The show will premiere on July 21 on HBO Max. The first two episodes will be available immediately and the following six episodes will release weekly. Check out the full trailer below.

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