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Tonight, the series premiere of Growing Up Hip Hop Atlanta airs on WE tv at 10/9c. As part of the press roll-out to the national broadcast premiere, on Tuesday, May 16, Strategic Heights Media and WE tv invited me to the exclusive screening of the highly anticipated reality show, at the iPIC Theater in New York City, and let’s just say, I’ve found my new favorite reality TV binge show.
A Recap of the Private Screening Event for Growing Up Hip Hop Atlanta
As described in the press release, the series “chronicle[s] the perks and perils of being born into hip hop royalty, in the city that the New York Times called ‘hip hop’s center of gravity.’”
The statement continues:
“The rich history of the Atlanta hip hop scene has fostered a unique sense of pride and closeness among the artists that resembles a family. But like any family, Atlanta’s next generation of hip hop stars do not always get along. Growing up together in the shadow of their legendary parents has established tight bonds and bitter rivalries, as everybody fights for their chance to push their way into the spotlight.”
Shad “Bow Wow” Moss, the celebrated child hip-hop phenomena, not only stars in the series, but he is also executive producer of the Atlanta branch of the franchise. In addition to following the life of Moss, the program also showcases Shaniah Mauldin, daughter of Jermaine Dupri; Zonnique Pullins, daughter of Tameka “Tiny” Harris and T.I.; Reginae Carter, daughter of Lil Wayne and author Toya Wright; Ayana Fite, daughter of DJ Hurricane; and Brandon Barnes, the younger brother of Waka Flocka Flame and son of infamous hip hop manager Ms. Deb Antney.
NEW YORK, NY: Zonnique Pullins, Shad Moss, Reginae Carter, Shaniah Mauldin, Ayana Fite, and Brandon Barnes attend the WE tv’s Growing Up Hip Hop Atlanta premiere screening event on May 16, 2017, in New York City. (Photo by Bennett Raglin/Getty Images for WE tv)
Jermaine Dupri, Da Brat, DJ Hurricane, Ms. Deb, Toya Wright, and Kristinia DeBarge, daughter of R&B singer James DeBarge and featured cast member on the original Growing Up Hip Hop, also came out to support the show’s launch. DeBarge even gave attendees a sneak peek of season two of the drama filled inaugural series, which is set to debut later at a later date. After the screening, cast members of Growing Up Hip Hop Atlanta answered questions on a Q&A panel moderated by Sway Calloway.
Initially Hesitant, but Pleasantly Surprised
Although reality TV is among one my favorite guilty pleasures, I was initially unsure about how the series would measure up to my expectations. In my opinion, the current reality TV market has become so oversaturated with stories told from the perspective of attractive, wealthy, and entitled young adults, that the plotlines are just too predictable. Could Growing Up Hip Hop Atlanta bring something fresh to the table, breaking ratings records with its authentic capture of sincere moments of vulnerability, or would it be another formulaic “unscripted” show featuring fabricated drama?
This skepticism only further increased in the wake of the highly trending #BowWowChallenge incident.
After all, Moss was on his way to New York City for the Growing Up Hip Hop Atlanta press tour when he made the rookie mistake of posting an uncredited stock image accompanied by a vague caption on his Instagram that gave followers the wrong impression about his travel accommodations.
https://twitter.com/Al_Khee/status/861986390724284417
Was this careless publishing of “alternative facts” karmic foreshadowing of what audiences could expect from the show? Though hesitant, I did my best to keep an open mind and not allow any preconceived judgments cloud my own.
As it turns out, Bow Wow’s lack of fluency on “the gram” wouldn’t be the only thing to surprise me that week; the premiere episode of Growing Up Hip Hop Atlanta was a lot more interesting and entertaining than I had originally anticipated. I actually really enjoyed it! Of course, the show had its fair share of classic reality TV plot devices that err on the side of inauthenticity—such as first-person green screen “confessionals,” or frequent “impromptu” visits to practically deserted boutiques and restaurants. However, in the case of Growing Up Hip Hop Atlanta, these moments were often overshadowed by a number of unexpected twists and moments of organic sincerity.
So, without giving away too many spoilers, these are three things that surprised me about Growing Up Hip Hop Atlanta:
1. Yes, They Actually Grew Up Together
Although most are aware of past professional and creative collaborations between the celebrity parents of the featured cast, many probably underestimate the extent of how deep these relationships really are. As a result of their parents’ relationships, Pullins, Moss, Carter, Mauldin, Fite, and Barnes have actually known each other for years, with history dating so far back, their friendships are more reflective of familial bonds. There was even a point where Carter and Pullins sang together in the girl group The OMG Girlz. And since everyone has known each other since back in the day, the chemistry between cast members is not only genuine, it’s dynamic.
NEW YORK, NY: Sway, Reginae Carter, and Zonnique Pullins speak at the WE tv’s Growing Up Hip Hop Atlanta premiere screening event on May 16, 2017, in New York City. (Photo by Bennett Raglin/Getty Images for WE tv)
2. Though Born With a Silver Spoon, These Kids Know How to Hustle
Although I walked in assuming that, other than Bow Wow, these kids were simply the spoiled beneficiaries of nepotism and extreme privilege. However, I could not have been more wrong. Sure, they may have moments of bratty-seeming soundbites on the show, but in actuality, each one was very humble and down to earth.
Carter, Fite, and Mauldin, in particular, didn’t even appear all that interested in pursuing a career in the music industry. A former member of OMG Girlz and the daughter of prodigy rap lyricist Lil Wayne, Cater mentioned that she was currently working with her mother to pen her first novel.
NEW YORK, NY: Reginae Carter and her mom, Antonia Wright, attend the WE tv’s Growing Up Hip Hop Atlanta premiere screening event on May 16, 2017, in New York City. (Photo by Bennett Raglin/Getty Images for WE tv)
Fite, who can be seen discussing how she quit her job as a retail manager within the first few minutes of the episode, clarified during the panel that she didn’t quit her job because she didn’t enjoy working. Rather, at that time, she was also trying to develop her own clothing line, so she took a temporary hiatus from her retail position to focus on her designing aspirations. She also mentioned that, now that her line is complete, she has since returned to the former retail gig.
NEW YORK, NY : Ayana Fite, daughter of DJ Hurricane, playfully gives her father style advice, while attending the WE tv’s Growing Up Hip Hop Atlanta premiere screening event on May 16, 2017, in New York City. (Photo by Bennett Raglin/Getty Images for WE tv)
Meanwhile, Mauldin, whose status as music mogul Jermaine Durpi’s daughter would theoretically allow her to transition into any facet of the music industry with ease whenever she wanted, is in school pursuing a college degree. Perhaps the most reserved of the bunch, it’s clear that, much like her father, Mauldin’s no-nonsense work ethic will lead her down a successful career path of her own making.
NEW YORK, NY: Shad “Bow Wow” Moss, Jermaine Dupri, and Shaniah Mauldin attend the WE tv’s Growing Up Hip Hop Atlanta premiere screening event on May 16, 2017, in New York City. (Photo by Bennett Raglin/Getty Images for WE tv)
3. Is Bow Wow Really Ready to Retire? Not Without J.D.’s Seal of Approval
Contrary to previous reports about Bow Wow’s “retirement from hip hop,” I don’t think he will ever actually be done with recording music—at least, not until mentor Dupri is finally satisfied with the well-rounded, mature quality of his send-off album. Dupri certainly didn’t seem all that impressed by Bow Wow’s most recent album, Ignorant S***, which he impulsively recorded with Soulja Boy in one night.
You can find out how everything unfolds when the broadcast premiere of Growing Up Hip Hop Atlanta airs TONIGHT, May 25, 2017, at 10/9c. Catch it right after the season finale of Braxton Family Values, only on WE tv!
Tonight, the series premiere of Growing Up Hip Hop Atlanta airs on WE tv at 10/9c. As part of the press roll-out to the national broadcast premiere, on Tuesday, May 16, Strategic Heights Media and WE tv invited me to the exclusive screening of the highly anticipated reality show, at the iPIC Theater in New York City, and let’s just say, I’ve found my new favorite reality TV binge show.
A Recap of the Private Screening Event for Growing Up Hip Hop Atlanta
As described in the press release, the series “chronicle[s] the perks and perils of being born into hip hop royalty, in the city that the New York Times called ‘hip hop’s center of gravity.’”
The statement continues:
“The rich history of the Atlanta hip hop scene has fostered a unique sense of pride and closeness among the artists that resembles a family. But like any family, Atlanta’s next generation of hip hop stars do not always get along. Growing up together in the shadow of their legendary parents has established tight bonds and bitter rivalries, as everybody fights for their chance to push their way into the spotlight.”
Shad “Bow Wow” Moss, the celebrated child hip-hop phenomena, not only stars in the series, but he is also executive producer of the Atlanta branch of the franchise. In addition to following the life of Moss, the program also showcases Shaniah Mauldin, daughter of Jermaine Dupri; Zonnique Pullins, daughter of Tameka “Tiny” Harris and T.I.; Reginae Carter, daughter of Lil Wayne and author Toya Wright; Ayana Fite, daughter of DJ Hurricane; and Brandon Barnes, the younger brother of Waka Flocka Flame and son of infamous hip hop manager Ms. Deb Antney.
NEW YORK, NY: Zonnique Pullins, Shad Moss, Reginae Carter, Shaniah Mauldin, Ayana Fite, and Brandon Barnes attend the WE tv’s Growing Up Hip Hop Atlanta premiere screening event on May 16, 2017, in New York City. (Photo by Bennett Raglin/Getty Images for WE tv)
Jermaine Dupri, Da Brat, DJ Hurricane, Ms. Deb, Toya Wright, and Kristinia DeBarge, daughter of R&B singer James DeBarge and featured cast member on the original Growing Up Hip Hop, also came out to support the show’s launch. DeBarge even gave attendees a sneak peek of season two of the drama filled inaugural series, which is set to debut later at a later date. After the screening, cast members of Growing Up Hip Hop Atlanta answered questions on a Q&A panel moderated by Sway Calloway.
Initially Hesitant, but Pleasantly Surprised
Although reality TV is among one my favorite guilty pleasures, I was initially unsure about how the series would measure up to my expectations. In my opinion, the current reality TV market has become so oversaturated with stories told from the perspective of attractive, wealthy, and entitled young adults, that the plotlines are just too predictable. Could Growing Up Hip Hop Atlanta bring something fresh to the table, breaking ratings records with its authentic capture of sincere moments of vulnerability, or would it be another formulaic “unscripted” show featuring fabricated drama?
This skepticism only further increased in the wake of the highly trending #BowWowChallenge incident.
After all, Moss was on his way to New York City for the Growing Up Hip Hop Atlanta press tour when he made the rookie mistake of posting an uncredited stock image accompanied by a vague caption on his Instagram that gave followers the wrong impression about his travel accommodations.
https://twitter.com/Al_Khee/status/861986390724284417
Was this careless publishing of “alternative facts” karmic foreshadowing of what audiences could expect from the show? Though hesitant, I did my best to keep an open mind and not allow any preconceived judgments cloud my own.
As it turns out, Bow Wow’s lack of fluency on “the gram” wouldn’t be the only thing to surprise me that week; the premiere episode of Growing Up Hip Hop Atlanta was a lot more interesting and entertaining than I had originally anticipated. I actually really enjoyed it! Of course, the show had its fair share of classic reality TV plot devices that err on the side of inauthenticity—such as first-person green screen “confessionals,” or frequent “impromptu” visits to practically deserted boutiques and restaurants. However, in the case of Growing Up Hip Hop Atlanta, these moments were often overshadowed by a number of unexpected twists and moments of organic sincerity.
So, without giving away too many spoilers, these are three things that surprised me about Growing Up Hip Hop Atlanta:
1. Yes, They Actually Grew Up Together
Although most are aware of past professional and creative collaborations between the celebrity parents of the featured cast, many probably underestimate the extent of how deep these relationships really are. As a result of their parents’ relationships, Pullins, Moss, Carter, Mauldin, Fite, and Barnes have actually known each other for years, with history dating so far back, their friendships are more reflective of familial bonds. There was even a point where Carter and Pullins sang together in the girl group The OMG Girlz. And since everyone has known each other since back in the day, the chemistry between cast members is not only genuine, it’s dynamic.
NEW YORK, NY: Sway, Reginae Carter, and Zonnique Pullins speak at the WE tv’s Growing Up Hip Hop Atlanta premiere screening event on May 16, 2017, in New York City. (Photo by Bennett Raglin/Getty Images for WE tv)
2. Though Born With a Silver Spoon, These Kids Know How to Hustle
Although I walked in assuming that, other than Bow Wow, these kids were simply the spoiled beneficiaries of nepotism and extreme privilege. However, I could not have been more wrong. Sure, they may have moments of bratty-seeming soundbites on the show, but in actuality, each one was very humble and down to earth.
Carter, Fite, and Mauldin, in particular, didn’t even appear all that interested in pursuing a career in the music industry. A former member of OMG Girlz and the daughter of prodigy rap lyricist Lil Wayne, Cater mentioned that she was currently working with her mother to pen her first novel.
NEW YORK, NY: Reginae Carter and her mom, Antonia Wright, attend the WE tv’s Growing Up Hip Hop Atlanta premiere screening event on May 16, 2017, in New York City. (Photo by Bennett Raglin/Getty Images for WE tv)
Fite, who can be seen discussing how she quit her job as a retail manager within the first few minutes of the episode, clarified during the panel that she didn’t quit her job because she didn’t enjoy working. Rather, at that time, she was also trying to develop her own clothing line, so she took a temporary hiatus from her retail position to focus on her designing aspirations. She also mentioned that, now that her line is complete, she has since returned to the former retail gig.
NEW YORK, NY : Ayana Fite, daughter of DJ Hurricane, playfully gives her father style advice, while attending the WE tv’s Growing Up Hip Hop Atlanta premiere screening event on May 16, 2017, in New York City. (Photo by Bennett Raglin/Getty Images for WE tv)
Meanwhile, Mauldin, whose status as music mogul Jermaine Durpi’s daughter would theoretically allow her to transition into any facet of the music industry with ease whenever she wanted, is in school pursuing a college degree. Perhaps the most reserved of the bunch, it’s clear that, much like her father, Mauldin’s no-nonsense work ethic will lead her down a successful career path of her own making.
NEW YORK, NY: Shad “Bow Wow” Moss, Jermaine Dupri, and Shaniah Mauldin attend the WE tv’s Growing Up Hip Hop Atlanta premiere screening event on May 16, 2017, in New York City. (Photo by Bennett Raglin/Getty Images for WE tv)
3. Is Bow Wow Really Ready to Retire? Not Without J.D.’s Seal of Approval
Contrary to previous reports about Bow Wow’s “retirement from hip hop,” I don’t think he will ever actually be done with recording music—at least, not until mentor Dupri is finally satisfied with the well-rounded, mature quality of his send-off album. Dupri certainly didn’t seem all that impressed by Bow Wow’s most recent album, Ignorant S***, which he impulsively recorded with Soulja Boy in one night.
You can find out how everything unfolds when the broadcast premiere of Growing Up Hip Hop Atlanta airs TONIGHT, May 25, 2017, at 10/9c. Catch it right after the season finale of Braxton Family Values, only on WE tv!
SEASON 1
Rick and Morty is an honest and cruel look at the modern world through a grandfather and grandson relationship. It tells a story of the evolution of family values, hits on disturbing real life issues using enlightening adventures of inter-dimensional travel.
We begin with a family, like any other family with a mad genius grandfather living in the home and stealing away the grandson for heinous adventures. Rick, grandfather to Morty, father to Beth, the woman of the household with granddaughter Summer, and son in law Jerry. Rick is a genius scientist and inventor capable of traveling throughout infinite dimensions. Instead of using this ability to cure cancer, he uses it to feed his more addictive pleasures in life and engage in the most entertaining debauchery. Because in reality, what else would you really do with a portal gun…?
Episode one really sets up the culture of this television world. Rick storms into Morty’s room in the middle of the night drunk to drag him into a newly built spaceship. Drunkenly stammering and fishing for compliments from Morty about the ship, Rick then leisurely admits to just needing to make a bomb. You see quickly Morty’s feelings and terror on the matter and the episode divulges into chaos.
I for one, came to this show not knowing it was on Adult Swim and thinking it was another great youth cartoon that appealed to an adult audience. I quickly found out this is not for children. Episode 11 “Risky Business” Summer, Rick and Morty have a house party while their parents are away, and simply in the background, we hear, “I love watching bukaki, but I don’t know if I would personally do it.” – I was mistaken, sorely mistaken about what I was getting into.
Throughout the season we get a taste of the worlds of Rick and Morty, the estranged history between Rick and his daughter, and the torture Rick puts Morty through. It’s a blend of unspeakable hardship, with undertones of the love for his family. Although, it’s hard to tell if he loves them, or if he really just needs them to overcome his intergalactic hurdles.
Rick uses the most basic elements of his abilities to appease his family. For instance, fashioning an apparatus to make the family dog smarter to get Jerry off his back, which ends up taking over the world with the rest of it’s robot friends. Or making a potion so Morty can get the girl at the dance and creating an ENTIRE universe of mutilated beings called, “Cronenbergs,” (playing on the horrific creatures Director David Cronenberg creates in his films.)
Normally I’d insert an image of Cronenbergs, but I’ll spare you the grotesqueness of it all – you’re just going to have to watch the episode to truly know.
Now I know what you are thinking, I’m not really selling you on this show but, I have to give it up to Rick and Morty for laying out all of the world’s societal issues by making fun of each of them equally. Rick travels with his granddaughter Summer to a planet ruled and inhabited by only women, I mean they greet and leave a room by saying, “I’m here if you need to talk” – highly accurate – highly offensive, it’s perfect!
At one point we learn that Morty is only on these adventures because in the multiverse each Rick needs a Morty, a being of considerably less intelligence in order to shield Rick’s from detection and better their abilities in the multiverse. One of the many Mortys literally stages a covert revolution, an uprising against the “main” Rick – inevitably trying to free all of the Morty’s. I literally felt inspired to make signs – “FREE MORTY!”
It does take a certain type of person to laugh at the cruelty this show brings. It reminds me of my family, maybe not so dysfunctional but, we use unrelenting humor to show our love. You definitely have to have a tough skin and deep inner love to be in my family, and also to watch Rick and Morty. It is a disturbing train wreck that you cannot look away from. At the same time, it’s enlightening to find animated characters with complex inner turmoil covering up the pain with outlandish antics.
Season one closes out with, of course, a huge rager house party where calamities ensue to the point which the entire home is transported to another universe. Instead of helping return to earth, Rick makes Morty and a few other party guests go on a perilous journey for some crystals. We find out these crystals were simply to get high…Someone DIES! Anyway, this is where we are introduced to Birdperson, most likely the only person that knows the true Rick, having been through wars with Rick and being his only confidant. Birdperson explains to Morty the pain that Rick is actually going through inside. At the party, Birdperson hooks up with Summer’s friend Tammy and we see them fly away home together with Summer, Rick, and Morty left with a trashed home.
SEASON 2
We begin season two of Rick and Morty with time frozen for everyone except Rick, Summer, and Morty. They spend the next 6 months dicking around as the rest of the world is frozen, and then eventually clean and fix the house so their parents never notice. Of course, this rips the time and space continuum when Summer and Morty do something with doubt. See how subtly they bring in these morals?! You have to be honest and clear and absolutely sure of your decisions in life, in this case, if you want to stay alive.
In this season, they take us deep into the cripplingly unstable relationship between Beth and Jerry. We see Beth and Jerry head off to intergalactic couples counseling, and like a good Family Guy episode by the end, you are trying to trace your steps back to see how we got here. The personified creatures of both Beth and Jerry’s inner thoughts of each other end up taking over the facility and working as a well-oiled machine to murder everyone. Somehow, this experience gives them the motivation to stay together.
The best part of this show is watching the many layers of Rick unfold – he in himself is a conundrum. We see a semblance of a heart in the episode, “Auto Erotic Assimilation.” Rick Morty and Summer travel to a galaxy inhabited by a hive organism named “Unity” who happens to be Rick’s ex-girlfriend. And I do mean girlfriend, not a fling or some chic he messed with.
Unity has taken control of the entire planet’s inhabitants and her perfectly assimilated society begins to fall apart because of Rick’s influence in her life. In the end, she leaves him. We see Rick come home realizing he’s the reason for her downfall, then brushes it off when the family asks. At this time the music has changed and it gets REAL. He heads to the garage and develops a machine to obliterate his head and it barely misses. Just keeping it the realist, you could cry…
The big event that really brings home the season is the wedding of Bird Person and Tammy. Spoilers! It’s like a cartoon red wedding – now a lot of people die but the family survives. At the wedding, it is revealed that Tammy was a plant from the intergalactic government to take down Birdperson and Rick. The drama! In the end, the family cannot go back to earth and find a barely habitable planet to live. Rick overhears the family discussing what a burden he is and goes and turns himself in. the last shot we see is Rick locked up in an intergalactic prison. We hope he is doing it out of love, it’s never really clear…
All that said, Rick and Morty, lets me get schwifty, and squanch it up! It’s just as addicting as Walking Dead used to be. At the end of each episode, you just have to know what’s gonna happen even when one episode to the next have nothing to do with each other. You end up loving Rick and believing in Morty, praying for Mr. Poopy Butthole, and hoping Beth and Jerry get a divorce. It turns you into a delightful jerk.
You can find episode one of season three out there in the ether somewhere. I for one might wait until the full season is available so I can binge myself into laughter and sadness.
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Little known fact. The late Michael Turner was one of my personal heroes. He was also one the catalysts who inspired me to go to art school and get my BFA in computer animation. It was on the path of getting my BFA that of course eventually led me to becoming a published author and a comic book nerd seraph that you’ve all come to know and feel morally ambivalent about.
And to think none of that might’ve happened had a chance meeting not occurred.
He was a phenom. His unique artistic style took the comic book industry by storm. Michael Turner was one of the most gifted writers/artists in the game.
I had the pleasure of meeting Turner several years ago when I was living in the bowels of hell known as Chattanooga, TN. He was on a signing tour and he stopped in at the local comic book store. I was irked because I was scheduled to work and I would miss meeting him.
Obsessed with his art, I followed Turner’s career pretty closely. I was surprised to learn that he was a fellow Tennessee boy. I can’t tell you how many days and nights I spent sketching away in my tablets, trying to emulate his penciling style. And on top of that… well… he was hot. Smoking hawt.
Suffice it to say I wasn’t going to miss this once in a lifetime opportunity; job or no job. Given how abusive and thankless that job was, let’s just say my decision was a no-brainer.
I went on my “lunch break” and headed out to the comic book store to meet one of my heroes. I stood in line and waited for Turner to sign issue 12 of Fathom which was the big crossover featuring Tomb Raider, Witchblade and the titular heroine herself.
He greeted me with a warm grin and signed my copy. As he signed, I flipped through his portfolio and saw his various pieces.
“Did you have any formal training?” I asked.
“Nah,” he said. “I took one art class one time and I got a C-.”
“Do you have any advice for novice artists?”
“My only advice would be to just to keep at it and keep working on it.”
I thanked him and we shook hands. You could tell his warmth was genuine and he couldn’t have possibly been a nicer guy.
I must’ve been gone from work on my “extended lunch break” for a couple of hours. I never did get caught or get in any trouble. After work, I returned to the comic book store and imagine my shock to learn that Turner (who was supposed to have been gone at that point) was still around greeting fans and signing autographs.
The store manager stated that Turner stuck around of his own volition, was one of the friendliest people he ever met and an all-around class act.
A few weeks after the signing, I learned that Turner had been diagnosed with cancer. What was even more inspiring was not only did he beat it, but he came back with a vengeance.
He launched his own company, produced his own titles, and was still sought after by Marvel and DC alike to do cover art and story arcs. And when the cancer returned, he didn’t let it stop him. Giving credence to the notion that Turner was every bit the superhero that he made his living drawing.
When things got rocky in art schoool or when pissy professors were lining up eager to tell me that I would never finish school, let alone work in the field, he was one of my inspirations to keep me persevering. Persevering to the point that I graduated with honors with received the departmental award for outstanding contribution to the media arts and animation department. Persevering to the point that two novels, several short stories, and hundreds of articles later, I’m just getting started as a pro author.
While our only meeting was brief, Turner shaped me in a profound way. To this day I imagine his other fans still echo that sentiment.
To Michael Turner,
Your time on this world was far too brief but that didn’t stop you from making a monumental impact. You created new worlds for us to explore and you showed us a glimpse of the beauty that was in your soul. Your work and character inspired countless lives and for that all I will be forever grateful.
Take a bow, and thank you.
