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Issa Rae confirms she’s working on two new shows with HBO, despite the recent cancellation of Rap Sh!t.
In an exclusive interview with TIME, Issa Rae discussed her frustrations with Hollywood and disclosed two upcoming projects.
One of which will mark her return to creating, writing, and starring in a show since her hit series “Insecure” concluded in 2021.
Rae revealed that she will star in a comedy set in an “alternative present” in partnership with “South Side” creators Diallo Riddle and Bashir Salahuddin.
According to reports, Issa plans to establish a studio campus in South Los Angeles, possibly as HOORAE Media’s new base.
Additionally, Rae elaborated on her focus on promoting equity for entrepreneurs of color in the media industry.
“I recognize that I have to do well economically to be able to make change,” she told TIME. “That’s frustrating, that’s ugly. But I recognize that money moves things faster—and so much of what I do is with the intention to help make those moves.”
Rae emphasized that despite promises to invest in diverse narratives and representation during the 2020 Black Lives Matter movement, film and television executives have instead favored “universal” stories.
As a result, several Black shows, including HBO’s “A Black Lady Sketch Show” (produced by Rae) and “Lovecraft Country,” which ran for one season, have been canceled.
“There is a bitterness of just like, who suffers from you guys pulling back? People of color always do,” she told TIME.
