The season 3 premiere of The Bear on Hulu’s FX has achieved record-breaking success, garnering 5.4 million views within its initial four days of streaming, as reported by Disney.
According to Variety, this milestone marks the highest-ever performance for an FX premiere on Hulu and stands as the most-watched season debut for any scripted series on the platform. The Bear season 3 ranks as Hulu’s third-largest season premiere when considering unscripted series.
Disney further notes that Season 3 has surpassed Season 2’s premiere views by 24% over the same timeframe, marking a consecutive season of growth for the series. Beginning as a surprise word-of-mouth hit in Season 1, The Bear saw a remarkable 70% increase in viewership during Season 2.
Lil Dicky’s hit television series Dave has been airing since 2020 and has brought with it a host of exceptional cameo appearances. The series has seen Don Cheadle, Kourtney Kardashian, Marshmello, and even Brad Pitt appear as fictionalized versions of themselves, often for comedic effect. Of course, the series centers on Dave’s rise through the ranks of hip hop, offering an opportunity for many of rap’s finest contemporaries to make their mark. Throughout Dave‘s three seasons, dozens of rappers have popped up to interact with a fledgling Lil Dicky, as he progresses through such gauntlets as the Met Gala, the XXL Freshman cover, and a cross-country tour. Here are seven of the best rapper cameos in the series.
7. Trippie Redd
Unlike most of the other cameos in the show, Trippie Redd appears across several episodes of Dave and even takes Dave’s in-house producer and longtime friend, Elz, under his wing. As an established name in hip hop, Trippie Redd represents what Dave and his cohorts are trying to achieve while also serving as an intimidating figure the main cast is desperate to impress. In fact, Trippie is responsible for kicking off the plot of the Season 1 episode “What Wood You Wear,” after tasking Dave and Elz with babysitting his young and reckless nephew.
If Trippie Redd represents a daunting force to Dave, Rick Ross is an untouchable leviathan in the series, a proverbial god amongst men. Ross appears in a brief but memorable role in the show’s third season, which sees him bestowing his massive and expensive diamond-studded chain upon Dave for safekeeping. Unfortunately, Dave is set up by a couple of thugs in Atlanta and must go through the wringer to ensure he doesn’t disrespect Rick Ross’s generosity by losing the chain. Eventually, Dave’s relationship with the Maybach Music pioneer paves the way for his success within the industry.
Doja Cat never actually shared the screen with any of Dave‘s main cast members during her Season 2 appearance. However, her cameo says a lot about societal expectations of women and the mistreatment of artists within the music industry machine. In the episode “Somebody Date Me,” Doja Cat matches with Dave over the celebrity dating app Raya, and the two share a genuine connection over a weekend of texts. Unfortunately, Dave’s self-centered neuropathy results in him blowing his chances with the “Paint The Town Red” vocalist, as Doja’s constant work obligations prevent her from devoting 100 percent of her time to him.
4. Drake
The hype surrounding Drake’s appearance marked one of the biggest moments in the entire show, concluding the third season with a stunning and hilarious interaction. Drake and Dicky showcase a surprising amount of chemistry during the “One Dance” rapper’s brief appearance on Dave and serves as a punchline to a season-long arc about Dave’s ongoing quest for love. The only reason this cameo doesn’t top the list is because there is a bit of shaky green screen happening in the interaction, which suggests the cameo may have been filmed remotely. While Drake’s first stab at the show was a huge success, fans would surely welcome a chance to see the two rappers reunite in person with a proper cameo next season.
Killer Mike appears in the same season 3 episode of Dave as Rick Ross and offers a similar awe-inspiring window into success. After spending the entire episode concerned that Killer Mike would not approve of his place in the rap landscape, Lil Dicky happens into a chance encounter with the Atlanta native and pours his heart out in the interest of securing his place in the culture. Killer Mike offers some genuine insight into black culture and the influence that certain elements of the Black experience have on hip hop and successfully convinces the ever-frugal Dave to make a sizable donation to a charitable organization.
Between the brown curly hair, the beard, and the complexion so white you could probably deep-fry him with a flashlight, Jack Harlow serves as something of an evil twin to Lil Dicky during his Season 3 appearance. Throughout the season, Dave finds himself burdened by unflattering comparisons to Jack Harlow, setting the stage for comedic exploration when they eventually meet up. Unlike many other rappers who appear too big to be aware of Dicky in the series, Harlow is all too familiar with his pale counterpart and was just itching for an excuse to drive Dave out of the Met Gala. The interaction is reminiscent of high school bullying in the silliest way possible.
Legendary West Coast rapper YG appears in the very first episode of the hit FX series and offers Dave his first real shot at impressing the masses. For many fans who were not aware of Dicky’s music before watching the show, his on-the-spot freestyle, which he drops for YG and company, provides fans and critics alike to see that he truly has a mastery of bars. Over the course of just a few minutes, YG goes from dismissive of Dave to playfully ribbing him to being downright wowed by his lyrical and technical capability. In the end, YG agrees to do a song with Dave and collects a hefty sum for his collaboration. Of course, the episode ends without YG holding up his end of the bargain, leaving Dave to wonder if he’s just made a sizable investment or been scammed.
FX’s The Bear will be returning for a third season. The Chicago-based restaurant drama starring Jeremy Allen White and Carmy and Ayo Edebiri, and Sydney will return for more details about their newly opened fine dining establishment.
“‘The Bear,’ which wowed audiences in its first season only to achieve even greater heights in season two, has become a cultural phenomenon,” said Nick Grad, president of FX Entertainment to Variety. “We’re so proud to partner with Christopher Storer, Joanna Calo, Josh Senior, and the rest of the creative team, as well as the brilliant cast led by Jeremy Allen White, Ayo Edebiri and Ebon Moss-Bachrach. What they and the crew have done is truly remarkable, and we and our partners at Hulu join fans in looking forward to the next chapter in the story of ‘The Bear.’”
The Hulu documentary “Dear Mama,” which delves into the life of iconic west coast rapper and actor Tupac Shakur and his mother Afeni Shakur, has been nominated for an Emmy. The film chronicles Tupac’s struggles with school, poverty, and family while pursuing his dreams of using music as a catalyst for social change. This powerful […]
Jack Harlow reflected on his appearance on Lil Dicky’s FX show, Dave, on Instagram, Tuesday. In doing so, he shared a blooper reel from the behind-the-scenes of a viral clip from the episode.
“Enjoyed every second of this,” Harlow captioned the clip. Lil Dicky responded in the comments section, “This is what life’s all about.” Fans shared plenty of laughs in the comments of the post as did Harlow and Dicky who struggled to keep it together in the blooper reel.
LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY – MAY 18: Jack Harlow attends the Louisville Special Screening of “White Men Can’t Jump” at Baxter Avenue Theatres Filmworks on May 18, 2023 in Louisville, Kentucky. (Photo by Stephen Cohen/Getty Images for 20th Century Studios )
The Dave appearance for Harlow comes after the release of his feature film debut, White Men Can’t Jump. While promoting the Hulu film, Harlow remarked that he’s caught the acting bug. “Through this film I was able to gain my confidence as an actor, and to me, this shit is not a side quest,” he said, as caught by PEOPLE. “This isn’t a side mission that I’m tacking on just to keep the entertainer thing going and make some extra money.”
He continued: “I really got the bug and fell in love with this, and I’m developing a deep passion for the craft of this the same way I had in music. I don’t want it to be a side hustle. I want to full-on go after this, and I’m going after it and I’m going to continue to do more.” Harlow also described the Los Angeles set as being like “summer camp or school” each day. He further admitted that “acting is way harder than music, if you ask me; way more grueling, so I loved the challenge and so grateful that this was the start.”
Despite being so busy on the acting front, Harlow still had time to drop a new album, last month. He released his third studio album, Jackman, on April 28 to mixed reviews from critics.
Dear Mama is the story of Tupac Shakur and his mother, Afeni. Not only does it explore their relationship, but their separate histories. That includes Tupac’s rise in the west coast rap scene and Afeni’s vibrant history as a Black Panther. It’s a deep, intimate, and heartfelt look at a pair whose lives have often been publicized but rarely explored. Tupac died in 1996 while his mother passed away in 2016.
The series, premiering on FX and Hulu, was directed by Allen Hughes. Hughes, along with his brother, is best known for films such as Menace II Society and The Book Of Eli. On his own, he has created Broken City and The Defiant Ones. Dear Mama broke records at FX upon its premiere. Nearly 300,000 people watched the show when it first dropped on FX. It made the biggest premiere for an unscripted FX show. Now it has joined another exclusive club.
Based on six reviews, Dear Mama currently holds a perfect 100% critics rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Furthermore, it holds a 96% audience rating. The reviews, obviously, have been overwhelmingly positive. TIME‘s Judy Berman said it was “One of the most thorough, sensitive portraits I’ve seen of an artist who has by now been eulogized for longer than he was alive—and of the remarkable woman who created him.” Johnny Loftus of Decider added to the praise, “Dear Mama feels like the Tupac Shakur documentary of record as it connects the rapper’s enduring legacy to the philosophies at work in his upbringing and presents its story in a challenging, rewarding nonlinear fashion.”
Meanwhile, Variety’s Joshua Alston praised it for “Beyond its intimate and nuanced portrayal of their relationship, “Dear Mama” miniaturizes a huge swath of Black life without diluting it.” While not a perfect score, Nick Allen from RogerEbert.com had strongly positive comments about the series. “Ambition can be a messy act of passion, and throughout an eye-opening and sometimes disorienting five hours, we come to share Hughes’ intricate admiration for the Shakurs and their impact across movements and generations.”
Fans have long awaited Dear Mama, a documentary series about the relationship between Tupac Shakur and his mother Afeni. Directed by Allen Hughes (Menace II Society, Book Of Eli), the five-part mini-series is set to provide an intimate look into one of the most important relationships in the late rapper’s life. Additionally, it chronicles their respective histories, such as Afeni’s time as a Black Panther.
The first two episodes of the series premiered on FX and Hulu on April 21. The series was also released on Disney+ in international markets. The series currently holds a 100% critics rating and a 92% audience rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Furthermore, industry legends helped create the series. They include Lasse Järvi, Quincy Delight Jones III (QD3), Staci Robinson, Nelson George, Charles King, Peter Nelson, Adel “Future” Nur, Jamal Joseph and Ted Skillman.
Prior to Dear Mama‘s release, the most-watched premiere on FX and Hulu for an unscripted series was Welcome To Wrexham. That documentary follows the journey of Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney in buying the English soccer club Wrexham AFC. That series debuted in August 2022 and is preparing to release a second season later this year. While Dear Mama trailed Welcome To Wrexham initially, it surpassed the record when streaming figures were factored in. The record set by Welcome To Wrexham was 271,000. However, nearly 200,000 people alone watched the live FX premiere of Dear Mama, which gave it a strong footing.
Furthermore, FX were overjoyed by the new record. Their feelings were expressed by entertainment division president Nick Grad. “It’s only fitting that Allen Hughes’ definitive piece on Tupac and Afeni Shakur delivered a record performance for us and it speaks to Tupac’s enduring legacy. Allen’s examination of Tupac viewed through the prism of his mother Afeni is a fascinating take that really gets beneath the education and experience that shaped his life and inspired him to become one of the greatest artists ever.” However, what do you think of Dear Mama? Did you help it break the record? Be sure to make HotNewHipHop your first stop for entertainment news.
FX recently dropped a new full-length trailer for Dear Mama, highlighting Tupac’s struggles and his mother, Afeni Shakur, when he was younger. The docu-series is expected to stream on Hulu. Updated By: Kendall Parks (3/23/23 at 5:00 pm) FX has revealed the full-length trailer for Dear Mama. The docuseries Dear Mama: The Saga of Afeni […]
Dear Mama, the docuseries about Tupac and Afeni Shakur, just got an emotive and impactful new full-length trailer. Moreover, the FX outing will focus on the legendary rapper’s relationship with his mother, who was a Black Panther and shaped him profoundly. On Wednesday (March 22), a two-minute clip premiered ahead of its April 21 debut on FX. Not only that, but the premiere will consist of two of its five episodes, with the rest coming out individually every following Friday for three weeks. Also, each episode will be available to stream on Hulu the day after its network broadcast.
“It was very difficult for me to be a mom. But I knew very well how to protect my children,” Afeni Shakur says in the short clip. “My mother taught me to analyze society and not be quiet,” a 17-year-old Pac remarks in the trailer. “If there’s something on my mind, speak it. Because – I gotta reiterate it – my mother was a Black Panther and she was very involved in the movement.” Amid photos, video clips, and Pac’s music, the teaser paints a concise, vivid, and emotional picture of their bond.
Tupac’s Dear Mama‘s Full-Length Trailer Is Here
“Wherever possible, we tried to find archival footage that hadn’t been seen. So there’s a lot that we have in the five parts,” series director Allen Hughes explained. “There’s also audio that’s never been heard. And not just some of his acapellas and vocals, there is a lot of stuff of Tupac from his baby years that had never been seen.” Moreover, Hughes also directed the Dr. Dre and Jimmy Iovine-centered The Defiant Ones.
Furthermore, he shared these details while promoting Dear Mama at the Television Critics Awards winter press tour. Also, he explained that prioritizing new content will help viewers understand some of Pac and Afeni’s decisions more. “For Tupac superfans, I believe that two of the most important things in the project is the never seen before [footage],” he continued. “But most importantly, you get to understand why he made certain decisions.” Check out the trailer above and come back to HNHH for the latest on Dear Mama and Tupac Shakur.
Last December, FX released the teaser for a new docu-series touching on the lives and legacies of late West coast rapper Tupac and his mother, Afeni Shakur, whose life in activism served as inspiration. The late “California Love” artist Tupac Shakur and his mother, political activist Afeni Shakur, are the subjects of a new Hulu […]
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