From feature films to television, Issa Rae now ventures into the music industry after HBO's Insecure come to a halt after five seasons.
Aside from launching her own record label, Raedio, Issa Rae is also launching a new show about aspiring rappers, leveraging her existing popularity to assist in launching their music careers.
Rae, however, does not sound thrilled about entering the music industry.
In an interview with Los Angeles Times, Rae said that "it's probably the worst industry" she has ever come across. She straightforwardly answered "Absolutely not" when asked if the business is "a place where good ideas flourish".
Despite the fact that Rae did not go into detail about her dissatisfaction with the music industry, she suggested that her feelings were formed as a result of a combination of her personal experiences setting up soundtracks and hearing from artists about the issues they face on a daily basis.
The Emmy nominated artist thought "Hollywood was crazy," and suggested that the music industry should "start all over again".
Issa highlights that there were a lot of conflicts of interests and "archaic mentalities". She even described that there were "villains and criminals" in the biz.
The 36-year old activist artist felt the need to reform the industry, saying that she has to be "so intricate" even with making appointments with labels or artists.
Issa and the Grammys
Rae also took a shot at the Grammys during the interview, singling out one record in particular that she felt had been unfairly passed up for the award. She mentions that Wizkid's Essence, who she says is a "powerhouse", was not even "properly acknowledged by the institution that is supposed to celebrate the best in music".
The artist took a swipe on the award-giving body saying that she sees the black community and their contributions to music were "not celebrated in the way they should be".
"These aren't institutions for us," she continues.
Despite being nominated for a Grammy for best global music performance, Wizkid's "Essence" was not nominated for record of the year.
Harvey Mason Jr., CEO of the Recording Academy, was asked about the omission in a recent interview with Billboard. He responded, "It is a great record. He's a very talented artist. I can't speak to why it didn't make it, but I do really love the record."
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