How KaMillion Became the Star of “Rap Sh!t”

Photo credit: Rodin Eckenroth/WireImage

In her own words, rapper and actress KaMillion talks about HBO Max Rap shit!balancing her music and acting career, and manifesting the life she wanted.

Rap shit!, a new HBO Max comedy from Issa Raehighlights the steps people will take to become famous.

The show follows two old high school friends, Shawna (Aida Osman) and Mia (KaMillion), who reconnect after years of not speaking. After a night of partying, the two make a viral hit song, “Seduce and Scheme”, and suddenly find themselves inseparable through a mutual desire to take control of their destinies. Both characters see benefit in a partnership, with Shawna needing Mia’s huge social media following, and Mia needing Shawna’s talent as a lyricist. Despite their differences in what it takes for women to succeed in the music industry, the two form a rap band, finding common ground in wanting more out of their lives than the constant hustle and bustle to survive.

Based in Miami, Florida, the show creatively gives the viewer the opportunity to observe the characters’ lives through their various social media platforms, such as TikTok, Instagram, and OnlyFans. The premise of Rap shit! shines a light on the constant struggle of women in rap – the desire for respect for their lyricism and the endless discussion about appealing to the male gaze. The show is loosely based on superstar duo JT and Yung Miami from City Girls, Who serves as co-executive producers of the series.

The breakout presence on the show is KaMillion, who is making her first appearance as an actress. KaMillion is a rapper and because of that, she can relate to her character all too well. The Jacksonville, Florida native has had her fair share of ups and downs after eight years in the rap game as an independent artist. His introduction to mainstream television began on VH1’s 2020 hit show, Love and hip-hop: Miami. But behind the scenes, she writes for artists like Diddy, Usher, Missy Elliot and Rihanna. In 2019, she won a Grammy for her work on “Instead», a single from HER’s self-titled album.

In his own words, KaMillion talks about Rap shit!balancing her music and acting career, and manifesting the life she wanted.

As said to Quierra Luck

on how Love and hip-hop: Miami prepared it for Rap shit!.

Well I was still nervous to carry on love and hip hop because of social media. In our world, artists have to be transparent to breathe, and now I step into the light to show people who I am. My manager will tell you that I am the most private public person. I always move like the Feds are watching me, and I don’t do illegal shit. When I went on this platform, I didn’t want to make a fool of myself, because I watch people do that. I thought to myself, “how can I make this work for me where people still like who I am?”

It was really just a stepping stone for me to bring people a little more into my music, but I still didn’t feel like I had the chance to tell my story. I will never discredit love and hip hop. Shout out to [producer] Mona Scott. I will always be grateful for that.

By responding to the call for casting for Rap shit!.

So, it was so crazy, because I was going through some crazy personal shit, but I ended up in a hotel room and I wanted to cry. I read the script and it was the last day to submit the videotape for auditions. I’m like, “Man, this is bullshit.” I literally waited until the last minute to send my tape. I started with my audition, “I am Mia. And Mia is me. And that was my manifestation right there. When I got the part, Syreeta Singleton, who is the showrunner, said, “ The first thing that stuck with me about you, like you said, Mia, was me. I didn’t want to see anyone else. I knew you were the girl. And I was like, “wow , I did that.” But somebody else realize that it was a manifestation.

Photo Credit: Alicia Vera/HBO Max

Working with his rap partner Aida Osman.

I love him so much. She is my twin flame. She’s a Cancer like me. It was so crazy, because we are so similar and different, but we just clicked. It was so much fun showing up to work together. She is also a screenwriter in the series. She’s a scammer. And we are real friends. She and I don’t like fake bitches, and they liked it about us. You know? We really reflect the characters and our friendship is genuine.

On Rap shit! become a staple for this generation.

I want people [know] that I am a real actress. I’m not just a reality TV star. I’m a real creator, and I want them to like this show. I want it to be like a new age show, like how everyone loves “Insecure”, “Martin” and those kinds of shows. I want it to be a staple for the next generation.

Pulling it out of the mud.

We did something called ADR [automated dialogue replacement], where we do voiceovers for parts of the show that lack audio. And the first day I walked in and saw myself on screen, I burst into tears. I remember sleeping in my car. I remember wanting to give up, kill myself and all those things. I remember I was there. I remember having lost everything. And it’s like, man, if I quit, I wouldn’t be here today.

I like to inspire because people put limits on their dreams. “Oh, I must have some money to do this” or “I must be in my early twenties.” Then it makes them stressed, depressed and they come to hate us in the comments. I want them to continue chasing their dreams. I don’t come from the money. I don’t come from anyone in the industry. All this shit is that I’m from Duvall County. It all came out of the mud.

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Quierra Luck is a North Carolina-based sportswriter. You can follow her @Quierra_Luck