In the second season of Max's Rap Sh!t , there's a scene in which Aida Osman's character, hotel front desk agent-turned-rapper Shawna, suffers a severe scare. This was the first time Osman cried on command.
Minutes before filming the scene, the 26-year-old actor sat in another character's daughter's pink bedroom. It was much like the one she'd slept in in Nebraska when she was six, and Osman immediately felt painful childhood memories come flooding back.
“Whether it’s a bad stepfather, or a bad relationship with my mother, or my siblings who later died in 2017, or the friends I lost to drug overdoses during the pandemic, there are so many things in my life that I can connect with ," said the actor, who also serves as a writer on the show.
Director Amy Aniobi also cried when she announced the cut after the first take. Osman was approached by series creator Issa Rae and EP Syreeta Singleton. "[They] said, 'This is great. I don't know how you do it,'" she recalled. “I prioritize laughter, but it’s cool to know that I can evoke real emotions in people.”
Spoilers ahead. The scene in episode six reflects a larger tonal shift in Rap Sh!t 's second season. This city-girl-inspired comedy follows a rap duo’s rise in the music industry. The show has previously addressed some poignant themes, such as misogyny, in the laughter of its main characters, Shauna and Mia (KaMillion). But episode five is heavy: After a failed hookup with Shauna, rapper Rod AK (Jacob Romero) sets himself on fire during a mental health crisis.
Osman, who began her career as a comedy writer, used humor to avoid confronting painful emotions, so the show's sharp left turn seems equally out of character for her. But she says her solo work leans more towards dark comedy, inspired by Phoebe Waller-Bridge's Fleabag and Michaela Cole's I May Destroy You .
“I can write a little darker than the average writer, but those tones are thrown away—except Lord AK is lit!” explains Osman. "How Lord AK hurt himself was a bone of contention in the writers' room. I kept pushing for Catching Fire. There was no other option in my mind. I wanted to see something crazy that you wouldn't expect."
"There are two sides to this show. It's 'City Girls' meets 'The Wire .'"
When proposed storylines went a little off the rails, Ray was on hand to rein them in with script notes. "[She] has the final say on what happens," Osman said.
"Our show doesn't shy away from the world these characters live in. Chastity is a pimp, Mia is an OnlyFans, Shauna is actually in organized crime," she said. "There are two sides to this show. It's 'City Girls' meets 'The Wire .'"
Below, the actor recounts season 2's wildest moments, previews the future of Rap Sh!t , and discusses promoting the show.
Let's jump back to the Lord AK scene in Episode 5. How does this shocking, pivotal moment shape Shauna's trajectory throughout the second half of the season?
Everyone panicked. It came out of nowhere, but a lot of things in that episode foreshadowed terrible things to come. In that moment, Shawna saw the dark side of success.
What do you mean when you say everyone panicked about that scene?
People on Twitter were shocked and confused as they tried to figure out why he did it, what happened, and if Shauna was the cause. We know he's depressed, and we also know the entourage in his life are essentially leeches, which is not unusual for most rappers.
For the first time Lord AK felt a connection to Shauna as a person. They bond over their respective interests, flirt with each other, and they spend these passionate moments in the bedroom. But then drugs kept him from being who he wanted to be, and he just couldn't deal with it. You don't know if it was intentional or unintentional.
Wait, so maybe the self-immolation was not intentional?
If you paid attention during the show, the fire was already on the balcony. He went out. You don't know this.
So, can you clarify what's going on?
You can't figure it out because that's how real life is. We don't know what happened to Juice WRLD. We don't know what's going to happen to the rapper.
I'm sure you've seen fans on Twitter who feel the show doesn't get the publicity or discussion it deserves. What do you think about this?
I’m a firm believer in putting your head down and going to work, and the work will speak for itself. In the grand scheme of life, our work will reach the people who need to see it. I can't control the promotion of the show, but I can control the content in it, so 20 years from now, when someone watches Rap Sh!t , it's still quality writing and a good snapshot of women in 2023.
Jumping to the finale, Shona said at the beginning, "It's disgusting to use what happened to Lord AK to gain attention," referencing Gat. But the last thing she says in the episode is, "I think this is what Lord AK wants me to do." Should viewers view this as a sell-out moment?
In this moment, you realize that trauma and pain are for sale. "If y'all want to do it, I'll do it too. Guess what? I'm connected to him too. I was there. So I'm going to tell my story and have this brand moment," she also tried To get revenge on Gat and prove to him that she won't give up without a fight.
Chastity is part of the collateral damage. Mia tells Shauna, "What's the point of winning if you don't work with your people?" But they dismiss Chastity in favor of Francois anyway. How do you defend this decision?
That was a rough one. Business is business. They haven't known each other long. They are not friends. Shawna wanted to win and wanted a manager who knew who was in the business. She didn’t want to run a club circuit; She wants to win a Grammy. Unlike François and Chastity, Shawna is willing to sacrifice anyone to move on.
Shawna also seemed willing to sacrifice Maurice. How will those incriminating recordings come back to haunt Shauna?
That's the scary thing. When Shawna picks up the phone, [only the audience] knows he recorded it, she's like, "I know I'm the reason we're committing all these crimes!" Like, no! This was a pivotal moment in the story and I knew it was about to come back to grab her. She incriminated herself in a very dangerous way.
Some fans are comparing Mia and Lamont to Issa and Lawrence from Insecure : Agree or Disagree?
They have similarities in their "will-they-won't-they" dynamic. There's a rule in writing that the first love interest you meet for your protagonist or one of the main characters is the one the audience will root for because, as humans, we are stupid. We always choose the first person to see our character.
So it's hard not to root for Lamont. He was the father of her child and he raised her child well. Audiences want to see family work, they want to see love work. I hope Mia and Lamont end up together. Lawrence and Issa, by season 4, I was like, I don’t care anymore! Especially after he has a child, what is her name? Gondola? Condola?
Condola.
Yes, Condola. Jay Ellis (who plays Lawrence) was directing us on Rap Sh!t Season 1 and I was watching the final season of Insecure where he had his baby. This guy would come to work and try to tell me what to do, and I'd say, "Sir! I'm not doing that! I don't care what your instructions are! You're having a baby with someone who's not Issa!" It was hard to put that into perspective. Art is separate from the artist.
You wear many hats. Which is the most challenging, acting, writing, or performing music?
Show up on time.
But wait, isn’t the thing about Isa always being on time?
Issa was 30 minutes early! See, I'm done comparing myself to this madman, this robot. One day I'm going to peel off Issa's skin and it'll be all wires and grids. I don't know how she does it! She was always on time, always eloquent, intelligent, and very insightful.
The hardest part for me was the dance rehearsals. I started dancing as a kid but stopped in high school. I thought I would do stand-up comedy and barely be on stage for the next 20 years. Then life taught me you can't escape. You can't escape where you come from. I have to dance.
This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.
If you or someone you know is considering self-harm or has suicidal thoughts, call or text 988 to contact the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, which offers free 24/7 support.
