HBO Max has given an eight-episode order to the half-hour comedy series Rap Sh*t (working title) from Issa Rae (HBO’s Insecure and A Black Lady Sketch Show), and announced the premiere date for Max Original dramedy Genera+ion.
Syreeta Singleton (Insecure, Central Park) will serve as executive producer and showrunner of Rap Sh*t, and hip hop duo Yung Miami and JT of City Girls are serving as co-executive producers.
Rap Sh*t follows two estranged high school friends from Miami who reunite to form a rap group.
Rap Sh*t will be executive produced by Issa Rae and Montrel McKay (A Black Lady Sketch Show, Road Trippp) for HOORAE, as well as Jonathan Berry (Insecure) and Dave Becky (Master of None, Russian Doll) for 3 Arts Entertainment, along with showrunner Syreeta Singleton, with Rae also writing the pilot.
Hip hop duo Yung Miami and JT of City Girls serve as co-executive producers, along with Kevin “Coach K” Lee and Pierre “P” Thomas for Quality Control Films and Sara Rastogi for HOORAE.
Rae’s audio content company Raedio will handle music supervision for the series.
Casting is currently underway. Production is scheduled to begin this summer.
The Max Original dramedy Genera+ion debuts on HBO Max with three episodes on Thursday, March 11. The series continues with two new episodes on March 18, two episodes on March 25 and one episode on April 1. An additional eight episodes comprising the second half of the season will debut later this year.
Genera+ion is a dark yet playful half-hour series following a diverse group of high school students whose exploration of modern sexuality (devices and all) tests deeply entrenched beliefs about life, love and the nature of family in their conservative community.
The ensemble cast includes Nathanya Alexander, Chloe East, Nava Mau, Lukita Maxwell, Haley Sanchez, Uly Schlesinger, Nathan Stewart-Jarrett and Chase Sui Wonders with Justice Smith and Martha Plimpton.
Recurring guest stars include J. August Richards, Mary Birdsong, Alicia Coppola, Patricia De Leon, Diego Josef, Anthony Kevyan, Sydney Mae Diaz, John Ross Bowie, Marwan Salama, Marisela Zumbado and Sam Trammell.
Genera+ion is created by Zelda Barnz & Daniel Barnz; Executive produced by Daniel Barnz, Ben Barnz and Zelda Barnz for We’re Not Brothers Productions, Lena Dunham for Good Thing Going Productions, Sharr White and John Melfi; Co-executive produced by Sono Patel and Fernanda Coppel; Produced by Marissa Díaz and Michael Cohen for Good Thing Going Productions.
The writers include Zelda Barnz, Daniel Barnz, Lena Dunham, Sharr White, Max Saltarelli, Eli Wilson Pelton and Christina Nieves. The directors include Daniel Barnz, Channing Godfrey Peoples, Chioke Nassor, Catalina Aguilar Mastretta, Anu Valia and Andrew Ahn.