
Issa Rae
Issa Rae is ethereal when she walks into the Black-woman-owned hair salon in downtown LA to star on xoNecole’s first digital cover. The salon seems named for her: Melanin on 6th. The glow on her skin that you see in photos is no filter; that’s all her light. She’s wearing a burnt orange bikini top and slacks from The Sei’s prefall ‘22 collection like she invented the color. But her hair is the real show stopper.
With this cover shoot, we knew we wanted the images of Issa to tell a hair story, celebrating her role as a natural hair icon. Since she became a viral sensation in 2011 for writing, directing and starring in her YouTube webseries The Misadventures of Awkward Black Girl, Issa’s natural hair has been a focal point. Her subsequent starring role in the HBO series she created, Insecure, launched her into Hollywood stardom. Her commitment to rocking and styling her natural hair – in the face of an anti-Black industry and world that seeks to degrade and even punish us for our hair – revolutionized the way natural hair is portrayed on screen.
“I hadn't seen that length of hair, that texture, be featured on television from a lead before [Insecure],” Issa shares later that day during the filming of an episode of xoNecole’s podcast She Comes First. “And so, I do feel like we were able to change the game. And I feel honored that [Felicia Leatherwood, Issa's longtime hairstylist] was able to be a part of it and showcase what she does amazingly.”
xoNecole September 2022 Digital Cover
Photo Credit: Cécile Boko
Fashion Credits: Earrings by Jalxndra
Top and pant by The Sei
Ring by Khiry
Leatherwood is on hand for our shoot, and has sectioned Issa’s natural locks into four unicorn ponytails, each wrapped with afro kinky hair to elongate Issa’s hair and create what Leatherwood calls an “extraterrestrial,” AfroFuturistic look.
“[It’s] an African American version of the West African Thread style,” Leatherwood explains of elaborating on the tradition of wrapping thread around hair to stretch it. For an extra glamorous touch, Leatherwood has added white pearl beads throughout each ponytail. This style, she says, “represents the past and the future.”
It also encapsulates the essence of Issa. Born Jo-Issa Rae Diop in Los Angeles, California, to a Senegalese father and a Black American mother from Louisiana, Issa spent her formative years moving between LA, Senegal and the suburbs of Maryland. She details in her 2016 New York Times best-selling memoir named after her webseries that the culture shock of moving back to LA included her classmates mocking her natural hair. She found comfort watching Black women rock natural hair styles on TV shows.
“When I moved to Los Angeles and the kids said I talked white but had nappy hair, I found a sort of solace in knowing that Freddie from A Different World and Synclaire from Living Single were napped out, too," she writes in her memoir. "I could be worse things.”
It’s part of the reason Issa describes her relationship with her hair as “tumultuous” during our podcast conversation: “I love my hair at the end of the day, and I love how versatile it is. But for me...I just like ease and comfort, and there's times where it doesn't feel easy and comfortable. But I just love all that it can do. So, it's a genuine relationship,” she says. “We have ups and downs.”
By the time HBO approached her about creating an original series for the channel, Issa was confident enough in herself that she couldn’t be swayed by the Hollywood machine. “I was like, [HBO,] ‘You all are letting me be in my show,’” she says on the podcast. “I wish somebody would tell me that I couldn’t wear my hair a certain way. By that time, I was, like, confident in the fact that it’s my hair, it’s my show – there’s nobody that can tell me anything.”
She also knew that she wanted to have the same impact on viewers that Freddie and Synclaire had on her. “I wanted to be what I wanted to see on TV; what younger me wanted to see – what I needed to see,” she says. “So, there wasn’t really a question for me about wearing my hair in that way.”
Photo Credit: Cécile Boko
Photo Credit: Cécile Boko
The second look for Issa’s shoot is a stunning lime green Prabal Gurung gown. Leatherwood has transformed Issa’s four unicorn ponytails into Bantu knots in the shape of a mohawk, using kinky hair by Latched and Hooked. She's pressed small black faux diamond studded earrings into each Bantu knot. As Issa lounges, self-possessed, on a lush dark green velvet couch, posing effortlessly, exuding glamor, I get teary-eyed, recalling a passage from her memoir.
She’d recounted a time in her childhood when her grandfather had made a cruel comment about her appearance in front of her frenemy. “Yet another reason why I didn’t fit in; or why the boys in my school looked past me; or why I’d never be considered as pretty as my friends.”
If only little Jo-Issa could see herself now.
Issa Rae wearing Prabal Gurung for xoNecole
Photo Credit: Cécile Boko
Fashion Credits: Earrings: Stylist Jason Rembert's own
Dress by Prabal Gurung
Ring by Khiry
Besides being acknowledged as one of the most beautiful people on the planet, the Hollywood mogul has a portfolio of community-oriented businesses that celebrate our culture and the things she’s loved since childhood. After inspiring Black women to rock their hair natural, she’s become the face and co-owner with her sister-in-law, Hanna Diop, of a Black natural hair care company, Sienna Naturals. After obsessing over R&B and hip hop and being in rap groups of her own growing up, she now owns the music label Raedio, where artists have complete ownership of their masters.
Raedio and its artists also supply the music and music direction for her hit shows and films, from Insecure and The Photograph, to her latest HBO Max series, the reality show Sweet Life: Los Angeles and scripted show Rap Sh!t.
Loosely based on the City Girls, Rap Sh!t is Issa living vicariously through the fictional female rap duo Shawna (Aida Osman) and Mia (KaMillion) as they make their way from obscurity to viral fame. It’s “for the best,” she says, of why her own rapper dreams didn’t work out. “I didn’t know that I was not talented [at rapping].” Though she’s not acting in this series, she did create, write and produce season one.
“I love female rappers so much,” she says. “Even to be able to collaborate with some of my favorite rappers to write the music for the show, to craft the sounds…I feel like in some ways, I’m living through them.”
Two of her favorite rappers that she worked with on the show are, of course, the City Girls, JT and Yung Miami, who are also credited as executive producers on the series. The series also shares a name with one of their earlier tracks.
“We had that first initial meeting where we were kind of picking their brains about what we were going to put in the show, what they thought that was acceptable, and told them we were going to lean on them for Miami culture,” Issa says of their collaboration, which, spoiler alert for the season one finale, features Shawna being pursued by police for credit card fraud. In real life, JT did a bid for credit card fraud from 2018-2019.
This also encourages speculation that fan favorite character Lamont (played brilliantly by RJ Cyler), who’s the father of Mia’s daughter, might meet his demise in season two, as the father of Yung Miami’s child was killed in real life. Whether the series will portray this heartbreaking event is yet to be seen; but what we do know is that, in an Issa Rae production, Black trauma will not be exploited.
“There’s absolutely nothing wrong with trauma, obviously,” Issa shares of her philosophy on portraying Black life on screen. “It happens; it’s a real thing, and we’re not shying away from that,” she says. But, there are limits.
In season one, Mia has an horrific encounter with two white men where the threat of sexual assault is real, yet we never see the scene on screen. We watch her slowly unravel, knowing that something happened to her in that hotel room, but what, we can’t be sure of – until Mia tells Shawna what happened in a later episode. The writers had a conversation about whether to show the events in some form and decided against it.
“You know what happens to her,” Issa says. “I don't need to see her live through that. And I think, for me, I always rely on that understanding that we have as Black audiences,” she says. “And I think that's the advantage of creating for Black audiences; it's like, 'Oh, we know. We understand the language.'"
Even in the development process of the show, Issa received feedback asking about why we don’t see what Mia experienced. Her response was “No, no, no, no, no, no. We got it. We don't need that,” she says. “There's plenty of other shows that will do that and will do it gracefully. But it's just not for me, for this show."
Photo credit: Cécile Boko
Photo credit: Cécile Boko
In her on-screen productions, music ventures, hair care line, Hilltop Coffee + Kitchen chain, and more, the through line is a deep and obvious love for Black people and community. “That really comes natural to me,” she says. It's no surprise, since she comes from a family whose Senegalese traditions include allowing guests to stay in your home for as long as they want. She's also named after her late aunt, Rae Louise Hayward, who created the annual Art of Living Black exhibit, which showcased upcoming Black artists in the Bay Area. If there's one thing Issa's going to do, it's put Black people on.
Mere days before Los Angeles shut down at the beginning of the pandemic in March 2020, I attended one of Issa's Find Your People parties at her Hilltop Slauson Ave. location. The event's purpose was to help Black and people of color writers, producers, editors, directors and cinematographers connect. It’s just another example of the way that she makes space for other Black artists and artists of color who are intentionally shut out of the industry. It also builds on the advice she’s been preaching for years: that creatives should network laterally rather than fighting for the attention of those creatives at the top. “The intentionality [of my business ventures] is something that I place at the forefront,” she says. “I don't want to get involved if it doesn't mean anything to me.”
For all of her passions that lead to business ventures and community opportunities, Issa has become very good at setting boundaries and saying "no" to protect her own peace.
“When I’m real with myself, it’s so easy to just be like, ‘Oh, I can’t do it. I’m sorry. But, I can recommend you to this person.’ I’m great for a recommendation…and then it’s up to them to decide if they have boundaries or if they want to be open and help out,” she says. “But for me, I love saying, ‘No.’”
It frees her up to do the things she needs and wants to do. Ever since overworking herself right up to her wedding last year in the south of France, she’s also learned how to take time off when she needs to. “I’ve just been really intentional about making sure that I have at least one day of the week to myself, and a day to procrastinate, which is always like a half-work, half-I’m-not-writing-today day. That’s been really great.”
Though we all saw her beautiful wedding photos on social media last year (where many people also saw her long-time boyfriend-turned husband for the first time), Issa has been famously private about her relationship, dropping a few anecdotes about him in her memoir and not much else since. She does share, however, what makes her feel like she’s being loved well.
“It comes in the form of community, but also just support,” she says. “I realize, in my relationships, generally – friendships, familial – I love knowing that I have a shoulder to lean on. I love people taking my mind off of stuff. I love a good hug,” she says. “It’s just about being able to just lose myself in someone and be my full self with someone, and that makes me feel loved.”
In the final moments of our chat on the She Comes First podcast, I divulge to Issa my own full-circle moment with her. It’s been eleven years – almost to the day – since my first interview with her, fresh off the success of The Misadventures of Awkward Black Girl,season one. I had my own lifestyle blog back then, and could only imagine how my dreams of being a professional writer would take off, just a year later. She too had big dreams for herself. I remind her of what she said in our 2011 interview about what she hoped her legacy would be:
“That people will think of me as someone who made it happen for herself; That I challenged what was; That I inspired people to believe that you can create your own stories and your own characters; The only one stopping you is you. So, just do it. Nike.”
She laughs at the words of her former self and talks back to her. “What the fuck?! First of all, girl, you were six months into [the success of Awkward Black Girl], so that’s crazy,” she laughs. But still, she spoke her legacy into existence and fulfilled it. And she’s just getting started.
With four shows streaming on HBO Max (including A Black Lady Sketch Show, which she executive produces), two Emmy nominations, and a stable of music, film and TV projects under her HOORAE entertainment banner, Issa says she still has “so much” she wants to achieve.
xoNecole September 2022 Digital Cover
Photo Credit: Cécile Boko
“I've created two shows, and that's it. So, I want, obviously, more in the television space and I want to be able to have my movies and just really see what else I can do, honestly; see what other stories that I have to tell, in addition to the slate that we're producing,” she says. “But for me, it's just constantly about challenging myself and seeing what I have to say and what I have to offer.”
When I compare her Thursday night shows streaming on HBO Max over the summer to her mentor Shonda Rhimes “owning Thursday nights” at ABC, (back when Rhimes had hit shows Grey’s Anatomy, Scandal, and How to Get Away with Murder airing back-to-back) Issa calls it “blasphemous!”
“I still strive,” she says. “I’m chasing after Shonda.” But if Issa’s life thus far is any indication, the race she’s running will keep on bringing her right back to herself.
Read all of the stories in the Issa Rae: She Comes First editorial series here.
Credits
Editor-in-Chief / Creative Director: Brooke Obie
Executive Producer: Tracey Woods
Photographer: Cécile Boko
Photo Assistant: Joyce Charat
Digital Tech: Kim Tran
PA: Luiz Carlos "Apu" Gomes
Video Director/Editor: Third and Sunset
DP: Sam Akinyele
Art Direction: Ronda Thompson
Audio: Taylor Tosh
Stylist: Jason Rembert
Stylist Assistant: Christina Arroyo
Tailor: Matthew Reisman
Hairstylist: Felicia Leatherwood
Hair Assistant: India Hammond
Makeup Artist: Joanna Simkin
Manicurist: Eri Ishizu
Location: Melanin on 6th
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Issa Rae finally released the trailer for her highly anticipated new series Rap Sh!t. The HBO show’s trailer hit the internet on Monday after the Insecure star shared it on her Instagram page. “🗣 New Sh!t #RapShit - July 21st @rapshitonmax,” Issa wrote. The trailer gave viewers insight into what they can expect and it looks like they will be in for a ride.
The show, which was created and executive produced by Issa, is about two former high school friends who reconnect to form a rap group in their hometown of Miami, FL. The new series stars Aida Osman, KaMillion, Jonica Booth, Devon Terrell, and RJ Cyler. Here’s everything we know so far about the series that will premiere on July 21.
Rap Sh!t stars a Miami rapper and one of HBO’s Youngest executives.
KaMillion and Aida Osman co-star in the series as best friends Mia and Shawna. In real life, KaMillion is a rapper who hails from Miami and she has also starred in Love and Hip Hop: Miami. From what we know so far, it appears that art will be imitating life as she will be playing a Miami rapper trying to make it to the top. Aida, who grew up in Nebraska, and worked on many TV series as a writer, now has the spotlight on her as a co-lead on the HBO show. Aida spoke about her character in an interview with Harper’s Bazaar.
“It’s comedy, it’s storytelling, it’s music, it’s fine b–hes!” she said. “It’s interesting with Shawna—I’m giving her a lot of my personal storylines. In the writers’ room, we access our own personal stories and give them to the characters just by nature of having conversations about our life and about what’s going on in culture around us. We can have real conversations about Black femininity and control as a young creative, and that’s beautiful to me as a young creative and a Black woman. I get to do a lot of self-exploration through the show, and heal and investigate my own life. It’s like constant therapy.”
Social media is its own character on the show.
Rap Sh!t shows how the characters use social media as a way to document their journey to stardom. Social media plays a key part in many artists' success as they use it to build and entertain their followers. Issa explained why it was important to show that in the series and how famous female rappers like Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion influenced the show.
"When I think about Cardi B, I discovered her because of friends sending me her social media videos before she was a rapper, before Love & Hip Hop. And then, being able to watch her journey and watch people fall in love with her and root for her, and then root for her downfall like that—that is so interesting to me," Issa explained in the Harper’s Bazaar interview.
"Megan Thee Stallion too. I didn't become a fan of hers until I saw the twerking gas station video she did. When I think about so many of the female rappers that we see today, and even just the music industry as a whole, social media is such a huge part of that come-up. To be famous during this time relies so much on what you're putting out. The question of how authentic we really are, knowing that people are watching, really fascinates me. I don't think that this era of female rap exists without social media."
Alicia Vera/HBO Max
Rap Sh!t is about female empowerment.
Issa enlisted Yung Miami and JT of the City Girls to co-executive produce the series along with Kevin “Coach K” Lee and Pierre “P” Thomas who are the co-owners of the “Period” hitmaker’s music label Quality Control. Rap Sh!t’s showrunner is Syreeta Singleton who also worked on Insecure.
The Photograph star explained the concept behind Rap Sh!t and how she found the inspiration. “I think this is just such a unique time in hip-hop, especially when it comes to female rappers, because there’s such an abundance, and it doesn’t feel like they’re all in competition with each other,” Issa said. “I’m a child of the ’90s, and there used to always be a tendency to put two women against one another. It feels like we’re in an era where there’s such a supportive environment now because of that abundance. All of that, combined with just my own story of coming up, became the next story that I wanted to tell.”
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Featured image by Alicia Vera/HBO Max
Issa Rae’s star continues to shine brighter and brighter. The genius behind Emmy-nominated television seriesInsecureand web series Awkward Black Girl will be receiving the 2022 Producers Guild of America (PGA) Visionary Award. PGA’s presidents Gail Berman and Lucy Fisher made a statement about choosing the actress as the next recipient of the prestigious award. “Issa makes us excited for the future of television,” the statement said.
“With her series Insecure, she achieved the highest levels of comedy, perspective, and performance possible, and her sharp wit and distinct voice will undoubtedly continue to drive quality entertainment featuring underrepresented voices.”
“Beyond Issa’s prolific work, she is a role model and inspiration to the next generation of creatives through her mentorship programs like ColorCreative, and more recently, ‘Project Greenlight.’ We are thrilled to honor Issa this year.”
Issa is in good company as past recipients include Kenya Barris, Octavia Spencer, Ava DuVernay, and more. Issa’s series Insecure is what made the Los Angeles native a household name, but she has gone on to star in other projects such as The Photograph, Netflix film The LoveBirds and she executive produced the HBO reality show Sweet Life: Los Angeles.
After ending her beloved series, she is now working on Rap Sh*t, which is a new HBO show that is about two former high school friends who reunite and try to make it in the rap industry. However, the 37-year-old actress is also making moves outside of the entertainment industry while staying true to her creativeness. Check out these moves below:
Airbnb
Between the weekend of Feb. 12-14, Insecure fans can live like Issa’s character. The writer and producer became an Airbnb host in honor of the Super Bowl being in L.A. “I became an Airbnb Host to create a stay where fans of the show can experience this for themselves. From dinner by Worldwide Tacos on game day to art from my favorite local artists on the walls – this is LA, my way,” Issa said. Guests will also enjoy panoramic views of the city and pamper themselves with haircare products from Issa’s line Sienna Naturals.
Sienna Naturals
Issa co-created haircare line Sienna Naturals with Hannah Diop, which is a line that according to the website is free of products are always free of harsh sulfates, parabens, silicones, phthalates, petroleum, mineral oil, formaldehyde, artificial fragrances, and dyes. “I think ingredients are so important, specifically thinking about how the past products that I've used have all been primarily focused on styling. I think, for me, it's been getting to the root of taking care of your hair, making sure that your scalp is healthy, [knowing the] ingredients, and making sure that you're not manipulating your existing texture or the existing oils in your scalp,” Issa toldAllure.
Hilltop Coffee + Kitchen
In Aug. 2019, Issa partnered with Hilltop Coffee + Kitchen owners Ajay Relan and Yonnie Hagos to open a second location in Inglewood. Issa made an Instagram video about the news and shared how excited she was to open a coffee shop in her neighborhood. “Coffee shops facilitate productivity in so many ways, they facilitate collaboration. I personally have done all of my writing in coffee shops. So it always disappointed me that there weren’t any that were Black-owned, people of color-owned in my neighborhood.”
Featured image by Sarah Morris/Getty Images
I’m still in shock that HBO’s Insecure has come to an end. It truly feels like the end of an era. And much like the show’s main characters, my friends and I have changed so much since the first episode aired. I think that’s why I connect with the series. It told our stories in such a clear, funny, yet beautiful way that seemed familiar to real-life problems, relationships, and friendships. But, the other obvious reason we rallied behind the show is clearly the mastermind herself, Issa Rae.
As a creative, her story motivates me so much. She defied the Hollywood rules and created her own path to achieve her dream. From the viral web series Awkward Black Girl to a five-year deal with Warner Media, her journey continues to inspire me. Still, it’s not just her story that resonates. It’s also her attitude and personality.
Whenever I see her interviews (and I’ve watched many) or watch her on the red carpet, I get the feeling she is completely being herself. And that self is a talented, awkward, and successful businesswoman who seems to pour herself into her art and helping others. January 12, Rae’s birthday, feels like a good time to focus on her, so let’s take a few moments to celebrate Issa by reflecting on 10 of her most inspirational quotes.
Rich Fury / Getty
Issa Rae On Self-Pride: "I'm rooting for everybody Black."
There’s no code-switching over here! This meme moment will live in our heads forever. When an interviewer asked Issa Rae who she was supporting, she nonchalantly stated that she was “betting on Black.” And her delivery was everything we didn’t know we needed.
On Possibilities: "I don't like being limited. This is my worst nightmare. I want to be able to flex other muscles and see what else I can do."
This Issa Rae quote serves as a reminder not to tie myself into one skill or trait, it’s OK to grow and change paths.
On Authenticity: "Embrace who you are now. Embrace what makes you different. If people don't like you for who you are then those people aren't meant to be in your life."
Don’t feel like you have to fit into a mold. Celebrate yourself and those who see you for who you are.
Issa Rae On Black Women: "We give love and we give life no matter who tries us."
Basically, I love this one because it’s an ode to Black girl magic and how we continue to be great no matter how much turmoil is thrown at us.
Christopher Polk / Getty
On Self-Confidence: "You should never discount anything."
Often it’s easy to diminish our goals yet magnify our problems. You know what I mean: “I got that little promotion” or “I did OK on my exam,” when you actually aced it! We should be comfortable celebrating our accomplishments and need to be careful not to minimize them.
Issa Rae On Taking Up Space: "It take confidence. It takes a sense of knowing what you want to say... but sometimes, as women in the workplace, you really have to speak up for yourself and not expect to be rewarded automatically."
With this one Rae simply reminds us not to fade into the background and be comfortable using our voice.
On Initiative: "Tell the story that you've been brewing in your head for years. Even if there hasn't been something, something that you're passionate about or something that you're curious about. You've just got to start it."
It’s so easy to put off goals and projects, especially when you’re passionate about them. But, this quote reminds me not to let fear make decisions for me.
On Speaking Up: "Never dilute your voice. I'm here for a reason and I have something to say, and that's why they [HBO] called me."
Being confident in yourself can get you far, and I think it feels better in the end when you remain true to who you are.
On Perseverance: "Stop finding ways you can't do something. Then you're not going to do it. Find the way that you can and then go for it."
Just go for it. Whatever it is, don’t be afraid to start it. Nothing is ever perfect but it can’t be improved until it exists.
On Diversity of Black Women: "I'm a proud Black woman who likes swimming, owns an electric car and loves 'Downtown Abbey.' That's me. And just by being me, I'm Black."
Because, it’s a perfect reminder that we’re never a monolith.
Featured image by Arturo Holmes/Getty Images for American Express
Issa Rae Reveals That She May Be Exploring Motherhood Following 'Insecure''s Ending
The saying goes “all good things come to an end,” but it also leads to new beginnings. That appears to be the case for Issa Rae after she dished on the final season of her celebrated HBO series Insecure. The finale premiered Sunday, December 26 and fans are still reeling from the effects of it.
While the characters all had happy endings (shoutout to #LawrenceHive), Issa and the writers actually explored a number of different ways of how they were going to end the season.
If you haven’t watched the finale yet, then you might want to bypass these next few sentences because it is a spoiler alert. After all of the drama and back and forth that, if you think about it, is just a part of life, Issa and Lawrence ultimately end up together.
Raymond Liu/HBO
And while Lawrence had a son with his ex Condola, Issa revealed in an interview with Vulture that she was also open to the possibility of Issa having a child of her own with Lawrence.
“Yeah, actually. Especially — and since it is so present in my life right now, and I’m curious about it — I do wish we could’ve explored motherhood through Issa,” she said.
“And deciding to or not to. That is something super real that we discussed in the room: Women having this ticking time clock that’s so unfair that men will never experience. They can be like, Yeah, I’m 53, it’s time to have kids. And we really have a time to decide. You can freeze your eggs, you can do all these things, but there’s just something.”
She continued, “There was an interesting discussion that happened in the room that men were enlightened by — annoyingly so — that the women in the room really bonded over: Oh my God, you feel this way, too? Even if you don’t want kids, you still feel that clock. And there’s such a pressure in the back of your mind of having to decide. That’s something I wish we were able to explore. Maybe we’ll explore it with something else.”
Raymond Liu/HBO
Explaining whether or not she’s looking to explore motherhood on a different show, the actress spilled that she’s actually looking to explore motherhood “in real life.”
“I mean. We’ll see,” she said.
Over the summer, Issa married her longtime boyfriend Louis Diame in an elegant wedding in France and while she’s always been super private about her personal life, it was exciting to see the actress open up about wanting to start a family.
Looks like this mogul is ready for motherhood. We love to see it!
Featured image by Tommaso Boddi/Getty Images for Vulture
There are so many reasons creatives should look up to Issa Rae. She constructs amazing stories and characters, is unapologetically herself and is a real-life example that if you work hard enough, you can truly have it all. But, one of my personal favorite things about the mogul is the way she constantly creates opportunities for others. In a recent interview with CBS This Morning, the actor, producer, and entrepreneur sat down with Gayle King and had a full-circle moment where she opened up about the final season of Insecure and why it's only the beginning.
This is not the first time we've seen Rae and King together. In 2016, when Issa Rae was most known for the still-hilarious and popular web series Awkward Black Girl, she shared her feelings on what it's like to truly live the title with King. "It's [awkwardness] just within me, it will never go anywhere. Like, I've always related to just feeling uncomfortable and out of place." Now, five years later, she admits that while that feeling is still there, she has changed a bit since the 2016 interview.
She tells King, "I feel more confident that I belong here. In Hollywood as a storyteller there's a sense of like, 'I know what I'm doing.'"
Well, I think it's safe to say we definitely agree with her because Issa has racked up so many wins. And Gayle King made a point to list a few of them aloud, like, a plethora of magazine covers, starring and producing in multiple films, securing the bag with an eight-figure exclusive Warner Media deal, and marrying her bae in a secret wedding! But through it all, Issa feels her and the cast's true mission is to create opportunities for others. And when making Insecure, she was intentional about doing just that.
At the start of the series Issa wasn't sure it would be successful but wanted to make sure that regardless, it was helpful to the cast and crew. "At least the people who worked on our show would've had experience. Which is like, the excuse that Hollywood always gives for why they don't hire people of color, and Black people specifically." She continues, "At least they could say 'we worked on one season of an HBO show,' and hopefully get another job, but we were fortunate enough to get five seasons, and watch people grow."
King also made a point to note that Insecure gave many of the actors, staff, and crew their first opportunity at a show on this level, to which she inquired if Issa marvels at that at all. Rae responded beautifully, saying:
"We changed each other's lives. So in that way, I'm just appreciative to have grown with them, to be in the trenches with them, and we have so many memories. We all have the mission to open the door and keep the door open–to make sure that we create a pipeline."
Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic for HBO
It's encouraging and inspiring to see a Black woman who truly understands our stories and is telling them in such an authentic and engaging way, and it's why so many of us root for her, the same way she's "rooting for everybody Black." When asked how she feels about setting examples for creatives, she replied, "It means everything, because I know what it meant for me to watch those shows from the '90s and aspire to that and think like, 'Oh this is possible for me to do.' And these are stories that people care about, matter, and shape me. So to be able to do that for another generation, I'm extremely proud of that."
I'll be honest, I'm really going to miss Insecure Sundays, but it's encouraging to know that Issa has so much more in the works.
"I still feel like a beginner in many ways. I have so much more to do," she says firmly.
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