We went into the latest episode with anticipation of how Molly would react to Dro’s advances as well as Issa’s desire to have a roster of intimate options. What we didn’t expect was how Lawrence would take potentially finding out Issa may still be kicking it with her ex Daniel. The drama continued and we thoroughly enjoyed the evolving storylines. Like those before it, this ep has it all: comedy, drama, and sex. Since we do not provide spoilers for folks who have not seen the show yet, check here for a full recap.
Hip-Hop artists Kingjet and Leikeli47 begin this episode with back to back twenty something tales of the come up and life on the grind. Although the lyrical content was somewhat typical, we dug KingJet’s flow which reminded us of ’90s legends The Pharcyde. The infectious hyphy of “Money” by Leikeli47 compelled us to listen a bit closer to this sister who flowed well with the track. These contrasted with more mellow songs like “The Juice” by Hero and “Insecure” by Jazmine Sullivan and Bryson Tiller, which were both outstanding contextually.
The music by itself is great but what makes it greater is how it provides the ideal soundbed for the scenes they accompany. For example, when Issa is overtly eager to continue her date with Nico, Dejanay‘s loungy “Boy Yup!” plays in the background. In the same way, during Molly’s parents’ vow renewal, The Gap Band’s “Burn Rubber on Me” plays in the background like many Black family gatherings. The irony of the moment is that in the song Charlie Wilson sings “Why you wanna hurt me girl?” and, in fact, as Molly learns, it is the other way around in her parent’s marriage. Finally, “Needy Bees” scored major points for the performance by Nick Hakim but also the synchronicity achieved between the lyrics and the passionate scene under which is plays. In all three cases, not only did the music direction (Kudos Kier Lehman, Issa Rae, Raphael Saadiq, Solange Knowles) work but the songs themselves underscored the events within the episode. This is compelling to say the least.
A personal standout for us include Steve Lacy’s “Some.” Playing as Issa walks in to meet her date for the evening, we paid extra attention when we heard this track. Although in the background, the slanky swagger of the guitar matched Issa gait as she eased up to the bar to meet Nico. Steve confidently sings “I’m sure that there’s are a lot a guys that you see, but I swear they’re not as cool as me.” It was almost as if it was something that Niko would have been thinking on his first date with Issa, who was clearly having a good time.
Enjoy this one. There is something in there for everyone.
Season 2: Week 3 “Hella Shook” Tracklist (and scene recall)
- Kingjet – My Everyday: Issa is driving in her car and notices she is running low on gas.
- Leikeli47 – $: Issa and Daniel kiss; scenic shots of LA and Chicago.
- Steve Lacy – Some: Issa and her new Tinder date Nico meet up at a classy bar and start to like each other.
- Dejanay – Boy Yup!: Nico and Issa wind down their date.
- The Gap Band – Burn Rubber on Me (Why You Wanna Hurt Me): Molly’s parents begin their vow renewal.
- Derrius Logan – Bring It Back.: Issa drives around and gets into an accident after receiving an unexpected message.
- APM Music – A Crush on You*: Molly talks to her brother in the kitchen about her parents.
- Hero – The Juice: Issa calls Daniel after her accident.
- Jazmine Sullivan & Bryson Tiller – Insecure: Lawrence stalks Issa on social media.
- Nick Hakim – Needy Bees: Molly and Dro.
*Not currently available on Spotify or Tidal. It is included below in the You Tube playlist.
Season 2: Episode 5 “Hella Shook” Playlist
Don’t have Spotify, listen to the entire soundtrack here via YouTube playlist: