Issa Rae’s Rap S*** is canceled at Max following its second season… after her Insecure follow-up earned rave reviews

Issa Rae’s critically acclaimed series Rap S*** has come to an end.

The series, which concluded its second season on December 21 on Max (formerly HBO Max), has been canceled by the streamer.

The series was Rae’s follow-up to her hit HBO series Insecure, which she starred in for five seasons on the cable network until 2021.

Although Rae — whose Barbie movie recently scored multiple SAG nominations — did not star in the series, she created and executive produced the series, with Syreeta Singleton also executive producing and serving as showrunner.

“I am so proud and grateful for Syreeta, our cast, writers and crew who made this show possible,” Rae said in a statement to Variety on Thursday. “Thanks to Sarah Aubrey and Suzanna Makkos for supporting the show, and many thanks to the fans who tuned in weekly to support our girls.”

Rae created and executive produced the series, along with Syreeta Singleton, who also served as the showrunner; Rae pictured in July 2022 in LA

Rap S*** follows the journey of two former high school friends, Shawna (Aida Osman) and Mia (KaMillion), as they rekindle their friendship years later in Miami.

The reunited friends start their own rap duo with the ambition to make it big in the music industry.

Rae’s insecure character also aspired to become a rapper early in the series, although subsequent seasons largely jettisoned that storyline to focus on her drama-inducing romantic relationships.

“I love this show and I am so proud of the work we have done,” Singleton said in her own statement. ‘We created something fun, raw and original and we did it our way! I will be forever grateful to Issa, our incredible cast, the amazing writers and crew who made this show possible. And I’m so grateful to Max for giving us the opportunity to bring Rap S*** to the screen.”

In a statement from Max, Max thanked Rae “for creating Rap S***, a unique comedy with compelling social commentary that reached viewers in a way only Issa’s talents can.”

“Thank you to Issa, showrunner Syreeta Singleton and the teams at Hoorae and 3 Arts Entertainment for introducing us to Shawna and Mia, a duo whose journey fans have invested in and continued to support through it all,” he added to it. a spokesperson for the streamer. ‘We will never get Temptation and Twilight out of our minds and we wouldn’t want it any other way.’

Rap S*** debuted on Max in July 2022 and quickly became a hit with critics and award shows.

While it didn’t win any major awards, it scored nominations from the Gotham Awards for Breakthrough Series and a nomination for Best Lead Performance at the Independent Spirit Awards for KaMillion.

Rap S*** follows the journey of two former high school friends, Shawna (Aida Osman) and Mia (KaMillion), as they rekindle their friendship years later in Miami. The reunited friends start their own rap duo with the ambition to make it big in the music industry

The show had its second season finale on December 21

Rap S*** was Rae’s scripted sequel to her critically acclaimed HBO series Insecure (pictured). She can currently be seen in Barbie and American Fiction

The NAACP Image Awards nominated Rap S*** for Outstanding Comedy Series, while Singleton was nominated for Outstanding Breakthrough Creative (Television).

Rap S*** was scheduled to begin its second season on Max on August 10 last year, but due to the long-running actors’ strike, the show was postponed until November 9.

The series was a hit with critics from the start, with both seasons receiving an astonishing 100 percent fresh ratings on Rotten Tomatoes.

After appearing on screen in the hugely successful Barbie, Rae is back on screen in the critically acclaimed film satire American Fiction, which stars Jeffrey Wright and is an adaptation of Percival Everett’s critically acclaimed 2001 novel Erasure.