Bustle Exclusive
TheRap Sh!tstar breaks down Season 2s wildest moments.
It was the first time Osman had ever cried on command.
By the time director Amy Aniobi called cut after the first take, she was crying, too.
Series creatorIssa Raeand EP Syreeta Singleton approached Osman.
[They] were like, That was amazing.
I dont know how you did that, she recalls.
I prioritize laughing, but it was really cool to know that I could invoke real emotions in people.
How Lord AK was going to hurt himself was a big point of contention in the writers room.
I kept pushing for fire.
There was no other option in my mind.
I wanted to see something crazy that you wouldnt expect.
[She] has final say on what happens, Osman says.
Our show doesnt shy away from the world that these characters live in.
Chastity is a pimp, Mia is on OnlyFans, Shawna is literally doing organized crime, she says.
There are two sides to the show.
Its City Girls meetsThe Wire.
Lets jump back to the Lord AK scene from Episode 5.
How did that shocking, pivotal moment shape Shawnas trajectory through the back half of the season?
It was a moment for Shawna to see the dark underbelly of success.
When you say everybody was panicking about that scene, what do you mean?
For the first time, Lord AK felt connected to another person with Shawna.
But then drugs kept him from being who he wanted to be, and he just couldnt handle it.
You also dont know if it was intentional or not.
Wait, so theres a chance the self-immolation wasnt intentional?
If you pay attention in the show, the fires already on the balcony.
And he just goes out there.
You dont get clarity on it.
So, can you clear up what happened?
You dont get clarity because thats how it goes in real life.
We dont knowwhat happened with Juice WRLD.
We don’t know what happens to rappers.
Im sure youve seen that the fans on Twitter think the showsnot getting the promo or discussionit deserves.
Whats your take on that?
Im a huge believer in putting your head down and working, and the work will speak volumes.
In the grand scheme of life, our work will reach the people who need to see it.
Should viewers read that as a selling-out moment?
Its a moment where you realize that trauma and pain sell.
Shawnas like, If yall are gonna do it, Im gonna do it.
I was connected to him, too.
I was there, too.
So Im gonna tell my story and have this branding moment.
Chastity was part of the collateral damage.
Mia told Shawna, Whats the point of winning if youre not doing it with your people?
but they still fired Chastity in favor of Francois anyway.
How do you defend that decision?
Thats a rough one.
They havent known each other very long.
Shawna wants to win and wants a manager who knows people in the industry.
She doesnt want to trigger the club circuit; she wants to win a Grammy.
Shawna also seems willing to sacrifice Maurice.
How might the incriminating recordings come back to haunt Shawna?
Thats the scary thing.
She incriminated herself in a way thats really dangerous.
Some fans havecompared Mia and LamonttoIssa and Lawrence fromInsecure: Agree or disagree?
They have similarities in the will-they-wont-they dynamic.
We always go for the first person we see our character with.
So its hard not to root for Lamont.
Hes the father of her baby, and hes doing a good job raising the child.
Audiences want to see families work, and they want to see love work.
I want Mia and Lamont to end up together.
Lawrence and Issa, by Season 4, I was like, I do not care anymore!
Especially when he has the baby with, whats her name?
Im not doing that!
I don’t care what your directions are!
You are having babies with people who are not Issa!
It was really hard to separate the art from the artist.
You wear many hats.
Between acting, writing, and musical performances, which is the most challenging?
Showing up on time.
But wait, isnt Issas thing that shes always on time?
Issas like 30 minutes early!
Look, I have stopped comparing myself to this maniac, this robot.
I dont know how she does it!
The hardest thing for me were the dance rehearsals.
Ive been a dancer since I was a kid, but I stopped dancing in high school.
Then life showed me that you cant escape.
You cant run from where you come from.
I have to dance.
This interview was edited and condensed for clarity.
