Rap Sh!t season 2 review: A tour that’s more grit than glamor

The season-one finale of Rap Sh!t, creator Issa Rae’s follow-up to Insecure, demanded a second season. Its stellar final moments left viewers with the promise of a tour for fledgling Miami rap duo Shawna (Aida Osman) and Mia (KaMillion) and their hustling manager Chastity (Jonica Booth), a tease that was immediately knocked over by the Feds showing up to interrogate Shawna about her alleged involvement in Maurice’s (Daniel Augustin) credit-card fraud ring. Don’t worry, the tour is still happening, but that raises another question for season two, which premieres November 9 on Max: Would the series be able to recreate the spark of the first installment while both literally and figuratively moving the trio to new places?

The goal of any sophomore season is to expand upon everything that made the first installment a fan favorite without losing the show’s overall vibe and identity. And surprisingly, Rap Sh!t is able to pull this feat off even as it leaves a lot from its first chapter behind. Miami is no longer the central setting, though the spirit of the city remains in the DNA of the entire endeavor. Social media and video chats are still an important part of the story, but they’ve largely decreased as framing devices, with a higher ratio of scenes happening in traditional multi-cam setups. The new episodes’ more naturalistic tone allows for a “back to basics” focus on how these characters move through the world, and it makes the season overall a more settled, confident watch.

Rap Sh!t remains adept at peeling back whatever glitz and glamor the idea of the rap game brings to mind, showing how the come-up requires constantly compromising and selling out bit by bit. See, for example, the tour: It quickly becomes clear that Shawna and Mia are just supporting acts for the Reina Reign (Kat Cunning) show, though Francois Boom (Jaboukie Young-White) promises that the low-shine gig is the prime stepping stone for the rap duo to get the attention of record labels. The series plays up the absurdity of Reina’s “outrage marketing” (in Francois’ words) to hilarious effect, while also using the situation to highlight the contrasting mindsets that made the Miami natives’ growing friendship come to a halt last season. Shawna, understandably, is conflicted about co-signing Reina’s “outrage marketing” and being treated like a second-class artist, while Mia is determined to use any moment she must spend away from her daughter to her full advantage.

Anyone who has watched a Behind The Music episode knows that even the most tight-knit groups have to deal with the members’ different motivations, and it fits that Rap Sh!t would explore Shawna and Mia’s challenges. But this also means that the show loses the sheer electricity of Osman and KaMillion’s chemistry when their characters are in sync. Their rift is more pronounced as the plot keeps them separate for the first few episodes, even to the point that Mia jets off for a quick sojourn with her new suitor Cash in between tour dates. The loss of those dazzling moments where Shawna and Mia perform as a united team is pronounced in those first installments, especially during a standout scene where they step onstage with Reina for the first time. Thankfully, as the pair works back toward a better place as the season progresses, that levity returns.

Both Osman and KaMillion remain superb in their respective roles, and it’s great to see them grow with ease as they spend more time with their characters. The former has an especially loaded storyline to explore outside of the tour, as she finds herself in over her head and struggling to keep Maurice’s trust when he’s faced with federal charges. That’s just one of the compelling threads in Shawna’s orbit, which includes her obvious disdain for Reina, her conflicted friendship with Francois, and her admiration for the tour’s headliner, Lord AK (played by One Piece’s Jacob Romero). While KaMillion’s charm is enough to power her scenes, Mia is unfortunately paired with unfamiliar characters as she juggles her many flirtations, while her baby daddy Lamont (RJ Cyler), one of the series’ best characters, is mostly sidelined as the season spends time away from Miami. Watching Mia finesse these men and their egos gets less interesting once you realize that Lord AK has better characterization within one scene than Cash gets over several episodes.

Meanwhile, the standout of this season is Booth, who reaffirms Chastity as essential to the show even when the character faces the threat of being shut out of the team. It’s clear from the first scene that Francois intends to poach Shawna and Mia out from under her, and Booth plays the embattled manager with a skillful combination of bravado and vulnerability. Even as Chastity blunders through meetings and her lack of knowledge about the industry is obvious, it’s impossible not to root for her. All of the series’ characters are fighting to get respect and build a life outside of survival mode, but it’s Chastity who’s the blatant, cathartic example of that hustle.

By the end of the six episodes provided to critics, it’s clear that Rap Sh!t’s scales are tipped a bit more into character-led drama than sidesplitting comedy in season two. Of course, the laughs are still there, but the show is more focused on depicting what it’s really like to be up-and-coming female rappers, showing all of the struggle that entails. And while season two is still a very enjoyable watch, we’d be lying if we said we didn’t miss the first round’s emphasis on levity. After season one hooked fans with the electric antics of Shawna, Mia, and Chastity, it’s a bit of a bummer that those moments are fewer and farther between in season two. Here’s hoping that more of that spirit is in the final two episodes (and, of course, that the show gets a third season).

Rap Sh!t season 2 premieres November 9 on Max