UB Anniversary ReVisit: Issa Rae Talks ‘Awkward Black Girl’

Over the next few months, we’ll be spotlighting features from our e-zines from the last 25 years. T M H Entertainment, T M Hxone and Urban Bridgez.

As the longest running website for R&B online, since 1999 – We’ve been able to conduct some amazing interviews with R&B Royalty, as well Hip Hop Legends.

UB has also been blessed to speak with some of black cultures, biggest icons, in film, television and literature.

Issa Rae is an actress, writer, director, producer, and web series creator. She first garnered attention for her work on the YouTube web series, “Awkward Black Girl.”

Issa grew up in the Los Angeles’ affluent black neighborhood View Park and is a graduate of Stanford University where she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in African and African-American Studies.

As a college student, she made music videos, wrote and directed plays, and created a mock reality series entitled “Dorm Diaries” for fun. At Stanford, she met Tracy Oliver, who helped produce “Awkward Black Girl” and starred on the show as Nina.

After college, Rae received a theater fellowship at The Public Theater in New York City. Oliver and Rae started taking classes together at the New York Film Academy. Rae worked odd jobs and at one point was struggling to decide between business school and law school, but eventually abandoned both ideas when “Awkward Black Girl” started taking off in 2011.

With her own unique flare and infectious sense of humor, Issa Rae’s content garnered more than 25 million views and more than 200,000 subscribers on YouTube.

In addition she made the Forbes “30 Under 30” list twice and winning the 2012 Shorty Award for Best Web Show for her hit series “The Misadventures of Awkward Black Girl,” Issa Rae has worked on web content for Pharrell Williams, Tracey Edmonds, and numerous others.

In 2013 she joined the original weekly talk series, “Exhale.” Hosted by five dynamic, successful African-American women, journalist and media maven Angela Burt-Murray; actress and comedian Erin Jackson; blogger, author and TV anchor Rene Syler; and actress Malinda Williams.

Issa Rae created and starred in the Peabody-award-winning HBO series, “Insecure,” which garnered her multiple Emmy and Golden Globe nominations. Her follow up series for Max, “Rap Sh!t,” went two seasons.

She made her mark on the big screen last year, starring in Greta Gerwig’s cotton candy-colored comedy “Barbie.”

Aries from UB, spoke to the uberly talented Issa Rae in 2013 about “Exhale,” she speaks on Issa Rae Productions, how she started and more!

UrbanBridgez.com: What was the motivation behind Exhale and how did you decide that you wanted to be a part of it?
Issa Rae: I decided it was something I wanted to be a part of because it’s something that I’ve never done before. I’ve always wanted to see this type of show. So when they asked me to do it, it was pretty much a no brainer. Excited to be a part of Magic Johnson’s Network.

UrbanBridgez.com: What’s been one of the best parts about doing this show?
Issa Rae: Honestly the conversations we have. Like the opening and closing conversations when it’s the five of us. Really just having an honest discussion and discussing all of our business. Listening to one another, it’s just been so much fun learning about these women.

UrbanBridgez.com: What two upcoming episodes are you the most excited for people to see?
Issa Rae: The sexuality episode, because I know we dealt with some topics that are pretty controversial. That’s one of the episodes I’m kind of nervous about because I felt like I said a little too much (laughs). But we’ll see! And then the faith and relations episode is really dynamic. I think that we really explored alternatives. We really explored the African American community and I think we did a great job of exploring all these different viewpoints. And that we’re not all Christians or believe in God, some of us are questioning our faith. So I think we have a really, really honest conversation.

UrbanBridgez.com: Overall, what do you want people to get out of Exhale?
Issa Rae: I want them to see that there is just not one type of black woman. We come from all different walks of life. At the same time it’s universal elements that make us all. So I hope when people watch they feel like they’re talking to their friends and get excited about what we have to say, that’s essentially it.

UrbanBridgez.com: When did you first start Issa Rae Productions and what was your goal when you started your business?
Issa Rae: I started my production company right when I started my second web series. I realized I really wanted to start taking web content seriously. I wanted it to be a platform for my work and I wanted to be seen to Television and Film executives. So I felt in order to legitimize what I was doing online that I needed to have a legitimate production company. I made it official in 2011 when I did Black Girl. But I was doing web videos since 2007.

UrbanBridgez.com: What inspired your web series The Misadventures of Awkward Black Girl & did you expect the success of it?
Issa Rae: I didn’t expect the success. I thought my family and friends would like it. I felt like I was exhibiting a sense of humor that we all share. It was inspired by my sense of humor with shows of color. And shows that I really liked like Seinfeld and getting featured characters of color. So I was like let me create a show that gives the best of both worlds. Where the leading character was someone I could relate to, have a sense of humor and my sense of humor. I’m really selfish, but I did it.

UrbanBridgez.com: Tell us about some of your other projects to be looking out for?
Issa Rae: I’m working on a new series called The Choir, with Tracey Edmonds and Alright TV that’s set to premiere in July. I’m also working on a book that’s coming out in 2014, it’s a collection of essays. I’m just focused on producing and web content as well as digital content.