If you were devasted to learn Issa Rae’s Rap Sh!t had been canceled, you’re not alone. The actress, producer, writer, and showrunner opened up about the effect canceling Black shows has on the culture and how she believes old gatekeepers in Hollywood are “killing their own industry.” Issa Rae’s TIME ‘Closers’ cover is a work of art. TIME’s closers list recognizes 18 leaders working to close the racial wealth gap. Despite those setbacks, Issa revealed she is developing “two new projects” for HBO.
According to TIME, Issa will return to the screen in her first show since Insecure, in a production reportedly set in an ‘alternative present.” An additional comedy, for which she teams up with Diallo Riddle and Bashir Salahuddin, the creators of the shows South Side and Sherman’s Showcase,” focuses on “corporate America.”
Issa Rae’s Time ‘Closers’ Cover
Rae, who has seen the nuts and bolts of the Hollywood machine, up close, described it as a “clueless” operation. “I’ve never seen Hollywood this scared and clueless, and at the mercy of Wall Street.”
And she doesn’t mince words when it comes to those running the script.“I’m sorry, but there aren’t a lot of smart executives anymore…And a lot of them have aged out and are holding on to their positions and refusing to let young blood get in.”
She added, “Now these conglomerate leaders are also making the decisions about Hollywood. Y’all aren’t creative people. Stick to the money…The people that are taking chances are on platforms like TikTok: that’s what’s getting the eyeballs of the youth. So you’re killing your own industry.”
The California native, who broke onto the scene with her 2011 Youtube series The Misadventures Of Awkward Black Girl, has amassed a loyal following of Black women who find themselves in her characters. Still, it doesn’t seem enough to keep shows like Rap Sh!t afloat. It seems the industry is watering down diversity and leading more towards “universal stories,” as noted by TIME. “There is a bitterness of just like, who suffers from you guys pulling back? People of color always do.”
Issa also covers this month’s Porter magazine, proving her influence and in-demandness. She also opened up about the upcoming projects she is producing, saying, ” “I’m writing a couple of different projects – one for myself and one to produce and create with others – and I’ve been feeling so inspired and excited to get back at it,” she says. “I’m embracing that challenge. The industry is in flux, so it’s really inspired me to focus and hone in on what stories I want to tell. I’ve been laser-focused on getting these projects up and running.”
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