HBO hosted a thoroughly lit VIP block party in Inglewood, CA to celebrate the second season ofย hit series โInsecureโ.
Show creator and star Issa Rae headlined the star-studded event, which featured surprise music performances, tons of delicious food and drank, and local storefronts reimagined as the showโs set pieces.
The show centers on Issa, a smart, sarcastic and scattered non-profit employee and fledgling rapper. Sheโs surrounded by an equally neurotic group of friends and lovers, each full of charm and grade A clapbacks.
This cast has rapport in spades. From the moment they arrived on the carpet, they were all laughs and inside jokes.
โIssa is justโฆamazing. Whenever we go out and do press and all that jazz, itโs like โI know I saw you yesterday girl but, how you doin? You look bomb!โ,โ said co-star Yvonne Orji, who plays Issaโs best friend Molly.
Photo: Ryan Bergeron (Knockturnal)
A screening of the first episode turned into a damn-near party. It opens with a soon-to-be legendary dating montage, in which Issa is increasingly exasperated by her boring af partners.
The humor only ramps up from there. The audience stood up at several points and yelled at the screen throughout. It was the most fun Iโve had in a while. Also, you donโt want to miss the ending of this one. Legendary.
Three burgeoning music superstars came through and delivered incredible performances: Oaklandโs Kamaiyah, a XXL 2017 freshman, Ty Dolla Sign, an LA native and stellar showman, and SZA, she of the critically acclaimed Ctrl album.
Kamaiyah delivered the laid-back, wordplay-laden set we needed to kick off the day. She was fly as hell and is clearly on the rise. I hear her music everywhere.
Ty โ one of my very favorite singers โ came through and killed a sexy and bombastic set of hits. The crowd swelled as he burned through songs, pausing every so often to nail a classic r&b vocal riff.
SZA closed out the night with one of the best sets Iโve seen. She was at once sinewy and brash and performed with a freedom you rarely see. Aplomb for days.
Also, her stage banter was hilarious. I keeled over laughing at several points, especially when sheโd go into a series of non-sequiturs, obviously just blurting out whatever came to mind.
Lastly, her album is my most played this year. By a mile.
The event ended with Issa, Yvonne and the showโs producers onstage with SZA. They thanked everyone for coming, but really we shouldโve thanked them. This was a hella good day.
