MAX (formerly known as HBO MAX) officially canceled Issa Rae’s show Rap Sh!t after two seasons. Rae responded to the streaming service’s decision in a statement to Variety on Thursday (January 18).
“I’m so proud of and grateful for [showrunner] Syreeta [Singleton], our cast, writers and crew that made this show possible,” Rae told Variety. “Thanks to Sarah Aubrey and Suzanna Makkos for championing the show and much love to the fans that tuned in weekly to root for our girls.”
Rap Sh!t, which was created by Rae, premiered in 2022. The series told the story of two estranged friends who reunited to form a rap group.
The show received rave reviews, but the critical acclaim was not enough to save Rap Sh!t from cancellation. MAX axed the scripted series after canceling two other well-received shows, Our Flag Means Death and Julia, this month.
MAX did not publicly cite a reason for canceling Rap Sh!t. A rep for the Warner Bros. Discovery-owned streaming service spoke highly of the show in a statement to The Hollywood Reporter.
“We are extremely grateful to Issa Rae for creating Rap Sh!t, a one-of-a-kind comedy with compelling social commentary that reached viewers in a way only Issa’s talents can accomplish,” the spokesperson said. “A huge 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 been invested in and who they have continued to root for through everything. We’ll never get Seduce and Scheme out of our heads and we wouldn’t have it any other way.”
The second and final season of Rap Sh!t arrived on MAX in November 2023. It was originally supposed to stream in August 2023, but the Hollywood strikes delayed the rollout.
