Jacob Latimore and Birgundi Baker on Keisha and Emmett’s Evolution in Season 7 of ‘The Chi’ (Exclusive)

The Chi is back for its highly anticipated seventh season. Premiering on Friday on demand and on Paramount+ and SHOWTIME, the gang is reeling from the loss of the city’s mayor/terrorist, Douda, while grappling with their own personal ups and downs.

In Season 7, with Alicia (Lynn Whitfield) at the helm, the women take center stage this season and rise to reclaim their power. Yet as loyalties are tested and new rivalries are stoked, it becomes clear that there’s only one crown and it will come at a heavy cost.

The Chi is an ever-evolving coming-of-age story centering on a group of residents on the South Side of Chicago who become linked by coincidence but bonded by the need for connection and redemption. Season 6 was record-breaking for the drama series, delivering its most-watched season yet on streaming, surging nearly 25% over Season 5. 

Birgundi Baker and Jacob Latimore star as Keisha and Emmett, respectively. Longtime friends and on-again-off-again lovers, the pair have finally found their rhythm. This season puts them to the ultimate test, as friends are lost and they fight to keep their family unit intact as the circumstances in their city put their judgements in jeopardy. 

Ahead of the Season 7 premiere, PopCulture.com spoke with Baker and Latimore on what to expect this season. They also dished on growing up in front of the camera.

PopCulture.com: Keisha and Emmett’s relationship has come full circle. What do you attribute the character’s relationship growth to? 

Birgundi Baker: The writing, and the support from the fans. A lot of people want to see them stay together. Some people don’t, but we’ve had a lot of support from the fans.

Jacob Latimore: I think we see that Emmett and Keisha just have a friendship at the foundation of their relationship. It’s just pure friendship. It oozes a lot of grace, oozes a lot of forgiveness, which is refreshing to see on camera. And I think it’s powerful for our generation to see a young couple working through their issues. 

PC: With Douda gone, how does this impact the interpersonal relationships within the group? 

BB: I think we thought that Douda being gone was going to solve everyone’s problem, but it actually opened up an opportunity for power, which is going to create more problems. 

JL: And that power is very close to home and we see the concerns and from Emmett and Keisha trying to figure out how they can make sure to keep their family safe as they go into this next phase of life. 

PC: Douda may be gone, but Nuck is now in charge. How does his ploy to be on top penetrate the city? Is he better or worse than Douda? 

BB: Only time will tell. 

JL: I think they’re different, but it all ends the same way. It’s either jail or death. 

PC: Rob is also gone. Does this damage the relationship between Tiff, Emmett, and Keisha? 

JL: It definitely brings just a little more weight on the household support in Tiff, but we also see that Emmett and Keisha are just trying to strongly support family and be a family with Tiff and our children, the children we share, the children we help raise, and try to create an environment that is healthy as we go through this tragic loss. So we definitely felt that Rob was becoming family to us. 

BB: I think when you have a death that’s that big, it’s a push and pull. You’ll have moments where it brings people closer and then you’ll have moments where it pulls people apart. So I think that you’ll see that up and down throughout the season. 

PC: The Chi has tackled some hot topic subjects over the years such sickle cell anemia, kidnapping and trafficking. Some of the subject matters are prevalent today, keeping the show relevant. Would you say such storylines are a testament to the show’s staying power? 

BB: Absolutely. People feel seen, people feel heard, and I think that’s a great thing when you can watch TV and see yourself or see a family member. It just tugs at the heart in a different way, and The Chi is notorious for that. 

JL: Absolutely. It keeps our show alive and real, and we can do a scene and then go out into public and they say, ‘Man, I really resonate with that story. That story hits me and my family in a different way.’ And sometimes you can just be on set, working, working, and working, but we are starting to realize in every season that we’re impacting lives on a much bigger level than we think. 

PC: We have watched the kids of The Chi grow up. As a cast member, is it crazy to also be part of that evolution? 

BB: Yes. And we’ve seen them go off to prom, we’ve seen them date, we seen them explore other things like music and writing. It’s like being a big sister, a proud big sister. 

JL: Yeah, it’s beautiful to just see them grow and sometimes you’re with them so much, you don’t realize how much they’ve grown until you go back and look like, ‘Oh man, you were small.’ But I’m so proud of our cast and this show has been groundbreaking for new, young, fresh actors coming up and this is just a launching pad for their careers. This is just the beginning for them. 

PC: Which character’s storyline will shock viewers the most this season? 

BB: I say Emmett.

JL: It’s hard to say which storyline because everybody’s so tied in together, everybody’s so like… 

PC: It’s an ensemble. 

JL: Yeah, it’s an ensemble, so I think one loss affects pretty much almost everybody. But it’ll affect certain characters more, but overall we’ll see that just that missing piece of the puzzle. It’ll be a lot of shock value this season.