Issa Rae

Is there anything Issa Rae can’t do? The Insecure creator has expanded her creative horizons over the last decade, but she was in her bag in 2022. She started the year strong with her hit HBO series Rap Sh!t alongside showrunner Syreeta Singleton. She graced the digital cover of Today, was selected as ambassador for the American Black Film Festival and became the first person to receive the keys to the city of Englewood. She also received the 2022 Visionary Award from the Producers Guild. Her impact is so seismic that she managed to snag an exclusive, multi-project development deal between her audio company Raedio and Audible. As part of the arrangement, Rae is set to produce Audible Original podcasts "from a variety of audio genres, including scripted comedy, audio extensions of existing content, and entertainment-based nonfiction projects.” In an interview with Meghan Markle for her Archetypes podcast, Rae bravely opened up about the expectations that are placed on her in the entertainment industry as a Black woman. “I can’t lose my cool, I can’t do that, especially as a Black woman, but also just even as a public figure now. Because people are looking for ways to justify their perception of you,” she stated. On top of these tremendous successes, did we neglect to mention that Rae was serenaded by Usher at one of his shows during his Las Vegas residency? Icing on the cake.