In the rap world, music is just the launching pad for artists to discover and find more ways to express themselves. For years, those in the hip-hop community have expanded their horizons and explored the world of television. There is no specific way to tell a story, just like there is no specific way to craft a rap song—and we found the creatives who’ve excelled at the crossover in entertainment.
Rappers like Childish Gambino and 50 Cent have gone beyond sharing who they are on wax and have created successful shows guided by their creative vision and experiences.
8. ‘Trigger Warning With Killer Mike’
The rapper and activist launched the Netflix series in 2019 to help showcase his political views in his own unique and hilarious way. In one episode, he helps the Crips monetize their brand to sell “Crip-a-Cola” pop that rivals Coca-Cola, and in another episode, he uses porn to teach carpentry.
He comes up with a new scheme and focuses on one issue per episode, culminating in a comedic 30-minute run time. He’s an intelligent, open thinker, guided by curiosity and determination to see his experiments through, regardless of the result. A quest to “buy black” for 72 hours leads him to reject all the non-black strippers in a strip club.
While some things that Killer Mike does or says may make your jaw drop, he ultimately stands in solidarity with any marginalized group and focuses on what one person or small group of people can do to affect change. It’s an enjoyable watch, but something that might teach you a lil something as well.
7. ‘Rap Sh!t’ Executive Produced by City Girls
Following the “fake it ‘till you make it” POV of social media, Rap Sh!t chronicles the trials and tribulations of estranged high school friends Mia and Shawna, who reunite to form a rap group and pursue success.
Set in the streets of Miami, the show mimics the real lives of City Girls, JT, and Yung Miami, who serve as executive producers alongside the show’s creator, Issa Rae. If you enjoyed Rae’s other HBO show, Insecure, you’d like Rap Sh!t for its comedic depiction of relatable drama regardless of your profession.
It does fall into the predictable theme of rappers making shows about the music industry, but is entertaining nonetheless. Moral compromises and mistakes are made, posing the age-old question of is it all worth it? The show highlights the importance of being online for most up-and-coming rappers, adapting widescreen proportions of IG live, TikTok, and iPhone recordings to create a digital-centric aesthetic.
Nearly 200 rap songs are featured on the soundtrack ranging from Isaiah Rashad and Lola Brooke to 21 Savage, Nardo Wick, and Lil Baby. The show was cancelled after two seasons but is worth a watch for those who like watching Rap Sh!t as much as they like listening to it.
6. ‘Power’ by 50 Cent
Without doing a major deep-dive, two things are clear about 50 Cent: He loves his hometown of NYC, and he has had a crazy life so far (like getting shot nine times in 2000). Along with Courtney A. Kemp, he brought all of his past experiences and insight to create the world of Power.
The 2014 series focuses on James “Ghost” St. Patrick, your average New York City nightclub owner by day. By night, though, he runs a drug empire, and although he’s cutthroat, he’s never impulsive, intelligently plotting his way out of situations that seem impossible.
The acting in the show isn’t Oscar-worthy, but the plot is what hooks you. Thrilling, dark, and gritty, each episode leaves you scrambling for the “up next” button, wanting to know how the drama in various storylines unfold.
There are also plenty of rap stars as well—50 Cent became a major character in the series as Kanaan and they even got Kendrick Lamar to play a drug addict. The show ended in 2020, so you can binge-watch to your heart’s content.
5. ‘Swarm’ by Donald Glover
It’s normal to care deeply about someone and what their music means to you on a healthy level. However… Some people take that love and support way too far. The 2023 show Swarm, created by Donald Glover and Janine Nabers, focuses on people in the latter category.
Based on the title and plot info, you can probably guess what Beyhive, I mean, fanbase the show is making fun of. The comedy-horror spectacle tells the story of Dre, a Houston-based superfan of the singer Ni’Jah. Dre doesn’t tolerate anyone slandering the artist she loves—and they face deadly consequences for doing so via sledgehammer, kettlebell, cast-iron frying pan, or any heavy object in reach.
Part social satire, most of the show’s humor comes from exaggerating the idiosyncrasies of fan culture and social media, and part social analysis, highlighting the void Dre’s fandom fills in her life.
In true Glover form, the show has you questioning what role Dre’s identity as a black woman in America plays in her ability to fly under the radar as a sloppy serial killer, holding a mirror up to society and all its flaws.
4. ‘Top Boy’ Executive Produced by Drake
Don’t worry, you don’t have to watch Drake attempt his best East London cosplay. But as a big fan of the show, the executive producer helped bring the show over to Netflix in 2019 after it was originally canceled in 2013 (the first two seasons were renamed Top Boy: Summerhouse). Set in an East London area equivalent to the projects of the US, the show focuses on Sully and DuShane, successful leaders of a drug gang and their surrounding community.
It has the thrill and violence of other popular kingpin series like Power or Snowfall but does an immaculate job of humanizing stereotypes and showing the complexities of modern poverty that can make someone turn to crime. What might initially be for survival can turn into greed with deadly consequences and a domino effect of tragedy.
However, the storylines adjacent to the gang rivalry for Top Boy are the most heartbreaking, often involving children who are too young for the cruel world they were born into. With a unique viewpoint on race and equality, it juxtaposes the privilege of not facing the same choices as its characters with the grim truth that this is a reality for some people.
Add a killer soundtrack from rappers like Dave, Giggs, and even Drake himself, a crash course on the culture that shapes UK rap, and you get a compelling five seasons of Top Boy.
3. ‘Dave’ by Lil Dicky
The rapper was previously known for his insane freestyles and waking up in Chris Brown’s body. However, he decided to add TV creator, star, and director to his resume. The 2020 show is based on his own life, playing the main character who tries to convince his friends and eventually the world that he is the greatest rapper of all time.
If you just laughed at the idea of Lil Dicky being the GOAT that’s the point. His rap persona doesn’t take himself too seriously and neither does the show.
Plus, the list of guest stars is insane, making Dave’s fictional world seem a lot more realistic but a joke nonetheless. Everyone from Young Thug, Gunna, and Lil Yachty to YG, Drake, and Jack Harlow had guest appearances throughout the three seasons.
Many of the songs included in the show are Dicky’s original music, which culminated in the 2024 album PENITH. The show has plenty of dick jokes (his name is Lil Dicky, after all) but also offers vulnerable moments about love, stardom, and friendship that other shows haven’t yet captured.
2. ‘The Vince Staples Show’
It should be no surprise that the rapper’s debut Netflix series is ranked high on this list. Loosely based on Vince Staples’ life, the show acknowledges him as a semi-famous and rich rapper but highlights all the ways his perceived privilege doesn’t benefit him. Sure, he gets recognized in jail and has lyrics from “Norf Norf” quoted back to him by a guard, but his family still refuses to bail him out.
Staples is widely regarded as one of the funniest rappers in the game for his deadpan humor. This translates well in the show to humorous moments that are depicted seriously. Like when a family reunion turns into a brawl, one of Vince’s family members walks away and says, “I just don’t understand, why are we black?” or when the loudspeaker at a waterpark menacingly says, “All children must be accompanied by adults of the same ethnic background.”
Refreshingly, the show avoids the stereotypical activities of a rapper and instead provides entertainment as Vince struggles to navigate everyday life underpinned by absurd cartoonesque violence. It was positively received by fans and was recently renewed for season two.
1. ‘Atlanta’ by Donald Glover
The Golden Globe-winning TV series is at the top of our list for multiple reasons. First off, Donald Glover (the show’s creator) did more than just showcase the culture of Atlanta and the talent that it holds. It also showed the deep underbelly of what it takes to get to the top in a satirical way by creating a dichotomy between a dramatic storyline and a comedic perspective.
The chaotic group of Earn, Alfred, Darius, and Vanessa will have you laughing in tears one minute at something unhinged like a kid doing whiteface and then hit you with a deep anecdote about what the Black experience is like today. You’re left questioning what you were just laughing at, making it as thought-provoking as it is entertaining.
The soundtrack featured Atlanta heavyweights like Future and the Migos while honoring classics like Crime Mob’s “Knuck if You Buck.” True to Glover’s eccentric brand of humor, he took notable figures in Black Culture and put them in roles that no one would expect like Kat Williams playing Willie “The Alligator Man” (who later went on to win an Emmy in 2018 for his performance).
The show ended in 2022 but has been cemented as one of the best television series of the 2010s, setting the bar high for other rapper-created series.
