During the second season premiere of “Reasonable doubtIn Hulu’s legal drama about high-profile criminal defense attorney Jacqueline “Jax” Stewart (Emayatzy Corinealdi), the theme of mortality foreshadows another high-profile murder case waiting to go to trial. The protagonist, still reeling from the traumatic events of her near-fatal kidnapping in the season one finale, receives a call from her best friend Shanelle (Shannon Kane), who confesses that she has just met her NFL star husband JT (Christopher Mychael) killed Watson) after another domestic violence incident.

The aftermath of the murder and Jax’s inner turmoil are set against the backdrop of the opening episode titled “Can I Live”, named after the classic song on Jay-Z’s critically acclaimed debut album, which shares the same name as the television series.

Jay-Z’s 1996 “Reasonable Doubt” is the groundbreaking masterpiece that helped birth a hip-hop legend, arguably the best in the business. Mafioso rhymes about a busy lifestyle and an upbringing in Brooklyn’s Marcy Houses fueled Jay-Z’s rise to rap’s top ranks. Decades before he created a show with references to Jay-Z’s breakthrough album, veteran TV writer Raamla Mohamed was an avid fan of the New Yorker’s way with words.

“I was in high school when ‘Reasonable Doubt’ came out, and of course I dated myself,” Mohamed muses on a morning Zoom call. “I just remember we had to carpool to school and someone put the CD in and I remember the first song I heard, ‘Can I Live’… I’ve never heard anyone rap about it (such a beat). It was just so gangster.

As a high school student, Los Angeles native Mohamed appreciated Jay-Z’s “Reasonable Doubt” (her favorite Jay-Z album) because it opened her eyes to broader areas of gritty regional rap from the East Coast to the South. But as she grew older, she also developed a deep appreciation for how the rapper’s work paved his path to mogul status with his billion-dollar empire. It motivated her to strive for the same prestige in her career, where she earned hit shows like Scandal and Little Fires Everywhere.

“I really appreciated his consistency and began to respect him as an artist and creative,” Mohamed explains of her admiration for Jay-Z. “I connect with people who care about getting better.”

When it came time for the television producer to give her show a suitable title, she didn’t have to look far. “It’s funny. I was thinking about what the show could be called and suddenly I looked over and held up the album cover of Jay-Z (Reasonable Doubt).”

Both the title of the album and Mohamed’s show address the burden of proof in criminal proceedings and fit perfectly with a dramatic story about court matters. However, Mohamed had a larger vision for her Hulu series, which was to give it an edge over other legal series, which aligned with her view of Jay-Z’s legacy.

“I started thinking about the idea of ​​Black Excellence and that in many ways Jay-Z merged this idea of ​​being gangster and street with this intellectual, sophisticated sense of hip-hop that I don’t think much of.” Other rappers have done it,” the showrunner explains.

This example of Black success weighed heavily on the creative development of Mohamed’s Reasonable Doubt, particularly when it came to lead actress Jax.

“I feel like (Jax) embodies 40-plus black excellence,” the TV creator says, pointing out that Corinealdi’s character is multifaceted in a way that black women aren’t often portrayed on television become. “There’s still a desire to be excellent, to increase Black wealth, but also to be true to yourself and not feel like you can’t be both at the same time.”

“Reasonable Doubt” also makes more obvious connections to Jay-Z, such as episode titles named after his songs, which are cleverly used to complement season two’s storylines.

“One thing that’s great is that Jay-Z has so many songs, so I know I’ll never run out of tracks,” jokes Mohamed. However, every episode of the second season does Conveniently, you have a track from the rap legend’s catalog to chronicle everything that happens with Shanelle’s murder case. For example, Episode 202, “Say Hello” (from Jay-Z’s “American Gangster” album), introduces the new lawyer in charge of her defense: Morris Chestnut’s Corey Cash. The follow-up episode 203, “Part II (On the Run)” (named after the song on Jay-Z’s “Magna Carta Holy Grail” album), shows Shanelle literally on the run with her secret lover Adrian (Vaughn W. Hebron), while trying to avoid prison time.

“I look at the titles and think about which songs illustrate and embody the theme of that episode,” says Mohamed, explaining her show’s creative process. “Each episode is definitely connected. I try not to do it randomly.”

The Jay-Z announcement reflects this season’s murder trial in subsequent episodes of Reasonable Doubt, such as “Guilty Until Proven Innocent” (205), “This Can’t Be Life” (206), and “Who You Wit” (209). But that’s not all. Season 2 also focuses on Jax’s troubled marriage to her estranged husband Lewis (McKinley Freeman) as they navigate relationship issues, including infidelity, in couples therapy. Things come to a head in Episode 207, “Venus vs. Mars,” from a track from Jay-Z’s “The Blueprint 3,” reminiscent of a romance that starts out nice but ultimately goes wrong.

The selection of these episode titles is largely the responsibility of Mohamed, who sees these songs as “as important to me as a story.” Because according to the showrunner, the songs are included within the show or as titles Are the story.

Mohamed points this out with the title of the Season 2 finale of “Reasonable Doubt”: “Encore,” named after the song from Jay-Z’s “The Black Album.” In a way, the final episode gives everyone their encore, a second chance to get their lives back together. Most notably, Shanelle is released after her trial’s guilty verdict after a judge stays her sentencing. Meanwhile, Jax finally gets approval from her captor/ex-client Damon (Michael Ealy) after seemingly having a breakthrough in a conversation with his ghost.

The “Encore” finale could also be a hint at a possible third season of “Reasonable Doubt,” as Jay-Z’s chorus suggests: “Do you want more?”

Mohamed is definitely keeping her fingers crossed that her Hulu series gets renewed again. With two high-stakes seasons in the books, the creator can proudly say that Reasonable Doubt has gained an audience that appreciates her show’s storytelling and hip-hop influence.

“I think the best thing is when you see the impact it has on people,” concludes Mohamed. “I love it when I go on YouTube and see a song that I put on the show and people say, ‘I’m here for ‘Reasonable Doubt.’

“It’s crazy what we’re doing,” she adds. “They don’t realize the impact this has, and I think this is a very special place to live and exist.”

All episodes of ““Reasureable Doubt” Season 2 is now streaming on Hulu.