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Issa Rae. Photo by Bam0822. Wikimedia

Top 10 Facts About Issa Rae

Issa Rae was born in the city of Los Angeles, California. Her mother is from Louisiana, and her father is from Senegal. Her family moved around a lot when she was a kid. They lived in Potomac, Maryland, Los Angeles, and Senegal, respectively.

Jo-Issa Rae Diop is Issa’s real name. Jo-Issa is a combination of her grandmothers’ names, Joyce and Isseu. Her middle name alludes to one of her aunts. One of her college friends suggested she use Issa Rae as her nickname.

Issa Rae is unquestionably a rising star.  She’s risen from YouTube content creator to HBO series creator, and folks have become obsessed with her in the last few years of her career. There is no doubt about it: she possesses a talent that should not be overlooked. 

Despite her recent rise to prominence in mainstream television and film, she has clearly been honing her creative process for some time.

1. Android users can always talk to her on phone

If you’re a fan of Issa, you can contact her via phone. That is, as your Google Assistant. Google announced in October 2019 that Issa Rae would be the second celebrity to lend her voice to the technology.

Rae had to record more than 40 hours of random phrases for the software to mimic her speech. If you need dating advice or just want to ask Ms. Rae about a long-awaited season of Insecure, you can pick up your device with the Google Assistant and talk to the rising star.

2. She graduated from Stanford

Stanford University Main Quad. Photo by King of Hearts.

Rae grew up in an environment that valued books and learning as the daughter of a doctor and a teacher. She excelled in school and attended Stanford, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in African and African American studies and a minor in political science.

3. “Dorm drama” was her first film creation

Rae came up with the idea for Dorm Diaries while attending Stanford: a show about what it was like to be “black at Stanford.” She had been writing and directing plays in college, and the idea of expanding on it and making a mockumentary came to her when she was forced to do a paper she didn’t want to do. She borrowed a camera from the library, cast her friends in it, and hoped they’d share it with their networks, which they did.

4. Issa is renowned podcast creator 

Podcast recording station. Photo by demaerre.

Issa Rae has been on several podcasts, including The Read, Another Round, and The Breakfast Club. But you might be surprised to learn that she has her own podcast. Juicy is a podcast series written by Issa Rae that is available on podcast hosting sites. It is a fictionalized story about a professional football player named X who is searching for himself, and the show explores many themes of hypermasculinity and sexuality. It’s like listening to a memoir, soap opera, and radio show all rolled into one.

5. She is a restaurateur

As if her work ethic wasn’t already outstanding. Issa Rae is an actor, producer, writer, director, musician, and author, among other things. She is, however, a successful business owner.

Issa Rae joined forces with Hilltop Coffee and Kitchen in 2019 and is now a proud co-owner of the new Inglewood location. The café is in South LA, where the actress has roots and may even start her own production company. It is also the setting for her HBO series Insecure.

6. Issa loves ratchet music 

Issa Rae. Photo by Bam0822. Wikimedia

You’ve probably seen Issa Rae’s characters rap flawless bars in the mirror if you’ve watched Insecure or The Misadventures of an Awkward Black Girl. It’s a way for them to cope with major life decisions and stressors.

Issa Rae’s musical taste is also evident in her television shows. She also had a YouTube channel called Ratchet Piece Theatre, where she dissected rap music with her own deadpan explanations of sometimes hilariously problematic lyrics.

7. She’s an avid YouTuber 

Play YouTube icon. Photo by A Mokhtari.

Issa Rae got her start on YouTube by writing, directing, and producing her own web series, The Misadventures of an Awkward Black Girl. The show debuted in 2011 and lasted two seasons. Issa created the show because, as a black woman, she couldn’t identify with or relate to the characters she saw on television at the time. Her initial plan was to create a cartoon series for an Awkward Black Girl. The web series was a huge success, and it helped launch her career.

This was a criticism of the lack of diverse characters and stories in the television and film industries. Issa Rae has not only created her own web series, but she has also created a number of other shows on YouTube with diverse characters and storylines, such as Roomieloverfriends and Little Horribles.

The Misadventures of Awkward Black Girl, her first sitcom, premiered in 2011. 

8. She’s the first black woman to create and star in an HBO series 

Rae created Insecure with Larry Wilmore to continue deconstructing the black stereotype on television. They started working on it in 2013, as a comedy series about the black female experience. HBO picked it up for production in 2015, and the first season premiered in October of the following year.

The plot revolves around two college friends attempting to navigate life after graduation in Los Angeles. Her goal was to demonstrate that people of colour are relatable. It was not your typical hood story.

9. Her show Insecure is a love letter to Los Angeles 

Issa Rae. Photo by Bam0822. Wikimedia

Insecure has always featured Los Angeles as its own character, much like its lead character has found her calling, showcasing the best of her community. The block party episode, for example, featured local vendors who were chosen after soliciting suggestions from the show’s staff, as well as performances by local musicians.

10. She has been nominated for major awards

Issa Rae’s inscription in a signed copy of her book. Photo by Jay Dobkin.

Insecure has earned Rae two Golden Globe nominations and one Primetime Emmy nomination. She has received a Peabody Award and three Black Reel Awards for Outstanding Actress in a Comedy Series. She also received a Gracie Allen Award and a Satellite Award in the same category.