Issa Rae, ‘Rap Sh! T’ to explore the world of female rap: ‘We were outraged and inspired by this double standard’

Vulnerability may have been what Issa Rae started to build her television empire on, but her latest offering is anything but.

Rap shit! you, Ray’s latest half-hour comedy series for HBO Max, is a case study in Confidential; The series follows two Miami high school friends who form an unlikely rap group determined to achieve their dreams of making waves in the music industry.

“I created the show when we were doing season five. [of Insecure]And that always comes to mind. I’ve always wanted to do a show in the music business, so I thought, ‘What show do I want to see right now that’s fun, in the moment, and reflects today’s culture?’” Ray, who serves as head writer and executive producer, said. the hollywood reporter Wednesday at the series premiere. “I saw these comments from a prominent producer about female rappers and how they only rap from their vaginas, to put it euphemistically, and I thought it was very unfair. So I thought, let me start telling this story now.”

Rae – who signed Greta Gerwig Barbie film and will reportedly play a version of the iconic doll (“It’s a lot of fun,” she confirmed) – says she never thought about taking on the role Rap shit! youUnlike your other creations.

But KaMillion, the rapper who plays the energetic and defiantly bored Mia, knew she was destined to be on the show. “When I walked into the courtroom, I literally said, ‘It’s Mia and Mia is me,’” she said.. Filming the show in Miami for six months (from South Beach to Little Haiti) was familiar to people living in Florida, and working with Ray was inspiring. “Issa is a great multitasker, boss, actress, writer… this lady is a tycoon and I aspire to match what she has,” he said.

“[KaMillion] incorporated the character that I envisioned in my head and really helped us define who [her counterpart] “It was Shauna,” Rae said. “[I was] Writing Shana plays about me, but I didn’t want to play someone like me, so it was such a long process trying to find the right Shana – seeing her at every audition bring something new to the table made me realize what I wanted. see in Shawna.” When Kamilion and Aida Osman, who played the modest and smart Shauna, read their chemistry, “it was a conclusion,” Ray added. “They had a great connection.”

Osman, the show’s writer and half of the rap group, said switching between writing and acting was a “constant shift”.

Of the script for the eight-episode series, Osman said, “We all wanted to talk about how our bodies are so politicized and politicized; Women’s bodies are intellectualized in rap before they become famous.”

“Any young man who tries to make it into the rap game is not going to be immune to that criticism and she’s going to have this internal monologue and have to figure out how she feels about it,” she continued. “So we wanted to show all the different sides of the journey ahead.”

The premiere took place at the Hammer Museum in Westwood, where the first two episodes were screened for guests and other cast members, including Jonika Booth, RJ Para Sayler, Daniel Augustin and Jean Ely. The museum’s courtyard has been transformed into almost a club to celebrate the show’s premiere and the show’s summer party spirit.

Fans have noted the show’s similarities to Yung Miami and JT’s life with real-life rap group City Girls, who are executive producers on the show. Sirita Singleton, who worked with Ray Unreliable And there it is rap shit However, the showrunner said the team wanted to “give the City Girls their blessing” as the show is set in their hometown of Miami and follows a story that somewhat resembles their rise in the entertainment industry. music, “when it comes to creating Shauna. and mine. We come from so many stories. We borrow from our personal lives and from many other women in rap: Tierra Whack, Noname, Rapsody, Azealia Banks. We look at everyone’s story to try to bring their travels with some real authenticity.”

One thing many of these artists have in common is the challenge of forging their own path in an industry that simultaneously sexualises women but also criticizes them if sensuality is their primary focus. “We were both angry and inspired by this double standard in female rap and wanted to talk about it on our show and also explore both sides. [of that point of view],” says Singleton. “I think a lot of the female rappers we see now refuse to compete with each other; Instead, they collaborate with each other, and as a culture, we all embrace our power as women. It’s the same thing we want to do on our show, and that’s what I see in music now.”

Speaking about women in power controlling their own narratives, Osman was excited to work with Rae, saying, “Isa is the smartest, most balanced, perceptive and thoughtful genius. The fact that my success can come from being the person I am is the sweetest thing in the world.”

blown up! It starts airing on HBO Max on July 21.