'The Drop: A Snowfall Saga' Is Here, and FX Celebrated With All of South LA

FX brought the sound, style, and creative energy of early-’90s hip-hop back to South Los Angeles this past weekend, throwing a daylong community celebration to mark the arrival of its new Snowfall spinoff, The Drop: A Snowfall Saga. The event, called Neighborhood Sessions, took over Somerville at 4437 West Slauson Avenue on Saturday.

The outdoor activation leaned all the way into community, bringing together local food, shopping, and interactive experiences rooted in the surrounding neighborhood. Guests browsed a marketplace of local artists and Black-owned businesses curated by Black on the Block, including The Black Los Angeles, TAP Candle Company, and Ninety Four Frames, while grabbing food from Nay’s Tacos and Marathon Burger.

There were also lowrider photo moments where guests could create their own album cover, along with customized airbrushed tote bags.

Inside Somerville, the restaurant owned by actress and entrepreneur Issa Rae, the series’ musical themes came to life through surprise live performances by Dom Kennedy and Ty Dolla $ign, curated by The Voice of L.A., award-winning radio personality Big Boy.

Following the performances, guests got an early look at the series with a special screening of the first episode. Cast members Gail Bean, Isaiah John, Asante Blackk, Peyton Alex Smith, Simmie “Buddy” Sims III, Nicki Micheaux, Brandon Mychal Smith, Eric Balfour, Isidora Goreshter, and Quincy Chad all joined fans throughout the celebration.

Neighborhood Sessions was just one piece of a broader citywide rollout inviting fans to step into the world of The Drop through collaborations with brands rooted in South Los Angeles. Randy’s Donuts, Hilltop Coffee + Kitchen, Marathon Burger, and The Marathon Clothing all participated, offering limited-edition menu items, co-branded packaging, in-store installations, and exclusive merchandise throughout the campaign.

The Drop, which premiere episode is now streaming on Hulu, follows Snowfall characters Wanda Bell (Bean) and Leon Simmons (John) as they fight to reinvent themselves in ’90s Los Angeles, where the fallout from the crack epidemic is fueling a new game entirely: the rise of West Coast rap.

Wanda starts the series driven by the belief that West Coast rap has the power to reshape American culture, working to put together a ragtag group of geniuses and lead them toward that vision. To do it, she has to navigate the dangerous overlap of music and street politics, pulling in those closest to her, including her cousins Lamar Kinsey (Blackk) and James Kinsey (Alex Smith), and pursuing volatile local rapper Artillery (Sims), who’s already tangled up with law enforcement. Her internship with former D-boy-turned-label-owner Darryl “DG” Grant (Mychal Smith) opens doors for Wanda, but it also deepens the tension between her and Leon, who has vowed to leave the streets behind for good and chase his own atonement through his free legal clinic.

As ambition, loyalty, and survival collide, the series asks how much everyone is willing to risk to build something lasting in a world that keeps threatening to pull them back down.

Stream The Drop today with new episodes airing on Tuesdays on FX and Hulu. Check out more images below.