We sat down with Michael V. Epps (Jake Taylor) and Shamon Brown Jr. (Papa) ahead of The Chi’s eighth and final season on Paramount+ to talk about brotherhood, what it means to grow up on screen alongside your audience, and the specific details of Chicago culture they brought to their characters. Shamon opens up about the personality and comedic timing that is all him, while Michael breaks down the small but specific Chicago details he brought to Jake, from the way he laces his Air Force Ones to a scene in a pizza shop that he made unmistakably Chicago. Plus their theme songs for this season, Michael’s one word for Jake is evolution, and Shamon says don’t judge a book by its cover for Papa.
The Chi’s final season is streaming now on Paramount+. New episodes drop every Friday.
Let us know in the comments what The Chi has meant to you.