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Issa Rae’s visual projects contain strong musical ties that authentically elevate the story and introduce viewers to new artists. Following the debut of her new show, “Rap Sh!t,” the multi-hyphenate discusses the musical through lines of her work.

|GRAMMYs/25. July 2022 – at 8.30 p.m

Issa Rae is at the beginning of her self-proclaimed “mogul era.” The multihyphenate has a first-look deal with Warner Media, a budding audio production company, a media production company, co-owns a coffee shop in Inglewood, co-founded a management company and has three productions in development. The Emmy-nominated actor is producing “Rap Sh!t,” a new HBO Max series about a female rap duo that has garnered rave reviews and set social media on fire, much like “Insecure.”

Music has always played an integral role in Issa Rae’s work since she was a college student making parody music videos. From J’s freestyles in “Misadventures of Awkward Black Girl” to alternative R&B jams with “Insecure” to Miami bass and sexy freestyles in  “Rap Sh!t”, each of Rae’s projects contains strong musical bonds that support and elevate the story, and at the same time introduce viewers to new artists. Thanks to her elite musical curation and dedication to authenticity, Rae’s groundbreaking productions have become something of a musical zeitgeist, defining how to use music in visual media in the 2020s.

Music played a supporting role in Rae’s journey to fame. In the mid-aughts, when YouTube and Facebook were on the verge of hitting it big, Rae was a Stanford University student with a dream, a love of entertainment and a determination to make her own path. During her time there, she created and produced a few different projects, including a spoof reality show about black student life at Stanford called “Dorm Diaries.” The “Real World”-inspired series was shot on a micro-budget and released on Facebook.

“The first video got about 150,000 views before I made it private, but there were students from all over the country watching and engaging,” Rae said in an interview with News House.

Rae didn’t have the budget to hire a music supervisor for the miniseries, so she used songs like Busta Rhymes and Mariah Carey’s suggestive duet “I Know What You Want” and an instrumental by Dr. Dre’s “F— You” ” to heighten the drama or add liveliness to scenes. After graduation, Rae planned to pitch the series to MTV and BET, but her apartment was broken into and her camera equipment, laptop, and scripts were stolen, forcing her to turn in a different direction.

The ambitious star continued to attend networking events, which presented their own challenges for the self-proclaimed introvert. After braving it through a particularly awkward event, Rae had a eureka moment that would change her life: She wanted to do a show about a black woman who was awkward, much like herself, and “The Misadventures of Awkward Black Girl” was born. No stranger to small budgets, Rae set about finding a crew to shoot the web series and would put some major multitasking skills to work as the show’s lead actor, producer, and writer — the latter role requiring her to become a songwriter.

Staying true to his love of music, the pilot begins with J, played by Rae, driving while rapping to a song called “Booty Shawts,” by the fictional group Doublemint Twins. A few of the group’s raunchy tunes appear in the first season of ABG, including “I Love my Man” (feat. Lil’ Light Squin’) and “Take my Panties off” (feat. Bruce Illest).

The series similarly used licensed music to support the storytelling: Ice Cube’s “You Can Do It” plays as J daydreams about being a star dancer at a house party, while “Jungle Fever” by Chakachas sets the sassy tone for her first date with a white man named Jay. The series was an instant success and caught the attention of Pharrell, who offered Rae and co. an agreement. His company, iamOther, aired the second and final season of “Awkward Black Girl” on its YouTube channel in 2012.

With her star on the rise, Rae teamed up with Shonda Rhimes to develop a show for ABC called “I Hate LA Dudes,” but the network ultimately passed on the project because it didn’t fit well with their family-friendly slate. Rae went back to the drawing board in 2013 and began working on the “Insecure” pilot with Larry Wilmore, a prolific film and television writer, and two years later HBO greenlit the first season of the show.

The groundbreaking series showcased Inglewood and other parts of the Los Angeles area often overlooked by Hollywood while highlighting emerging local artists. Rae has been transparent about the use of music to aid her storytelling and fully understands how to wield its power – music can drive a narrative forward, convey the emotional intent of a scene and elicit an emotional response from the audience. Rae’s masterful fusion of music and storytelling has translated into success. During the show’s five-year run, “Insecure” was appreciated for its soundtrack as much as its writing, cinematography and social media discourse.

The show’s music supervisor, Kier Lehman, shares Rae’s point of view on the marriage of music and storytelling. “We associate [music] with this story that they’re already kind of really invested in this show or a movie,” he told Rolling Stone. “It really creates a deeper connection and helps people remember this music in a new way and have a new sense of memory for the scene or for the way it made them feel or the way it connects to their real life.”

“Insecure” spotlighted established R&B singers like Jasmine Sullivan and Bryson Tiller alongside up-and-comers like Michael Snead, Kari Faux and TT the Artist. Alternative R&B often served as the backdrop for the show’s love scenes—a purposeful decision meant to move audiences. “We’re putting sex scenes and black love on the map in a new way,” Issa told the LA Times. “I love adding music to those scenes and deciding which ones will affect how the audience might feel. Episode 8 of last season I always say is my opus because I wanted each song to represent the romance.”

In October 2019 during the latter half of “Insecure’s” run, Rae took her passion for music one step further by partnering with Atlantic Records to launch her own label, Raedio. “Music has always been an essential part of any project I do, and working with new talent is a personal passion,” Rae said in the press release. “Raedio gives me the opportunity to continue that work in the music industry and the audio entertainment space.”

Music by singer-rapper TeaMarrr, Raedio’s flagship artist, was featured on “Insecure”. (Rae also appeared in the music video for “Kinda Love,” the singer’s debut single for the label.) The budding imprint has since added Baby Tate to its roster, overseeing the music for HBO Max’s “Black Lady Sketch Show” and co-created an emerging artists program with Google.

After spending five years in front of the camera on “Insecure,” Rae opted to step back and produce the next project in her overall deal with Warner Media. Set in Miami, “Rap Sh!t” follows two estranged friends (played by Aida Osman and KaMillion) who team up to create a female rap duo, much like the City Girls (where Yung Miami and JT are executive producers of the show, and one of their unreleased tracks will be featured in an upcoming episode).

“[City Girls] were so generous in lending us original music and helped consult on their own Miami influences as we got going,” Rae tells GRAMMY.com.

Authenticity was a priority for Rae and “Rap Sh!t” showrunner Syreeta Singleton, who recruited fellow Miamians to join the writers’ room, consult on filming locations and write original freestyles for the leads to perform. “We were really, really conscious of making sure the writers’ room reflected people who came from here,” Rae told Essence magazine. “The goal was to make sure people from Miami see it and recognize themselves and their city.”

In crafting the show’s musical direction, Rae took inspiration from the current crop of female emcees. “This era was inspired by every single female rapper making music right now,” Rae continues. “But my playlist while writing included Flo Milli, Latto, Meg Thee Stallion, Cardi, Nicki, Lightskinkeisha, Baby Tate… the list goes on and on.” Adds Sarah Bromberg, one of the show’s music supervisors and VP at Raedio: “Female rappers are generally all over this show. You’ll hear cues from Enchanting, Big Boss Vette, Asian Doll, Kali, KentheMan, Rubi Rose … too many to mention!”

Freestyle rapping, whether in front of a mirror or a group of onlookers, is a staple of Rae’s work, and “Rap Sh!t” maintains that tradition. Since the show’s main characters Shawna and Mia are budding music stars — and not amateurs like the characters in “Awkward Black Girl” and “Insecure” — Rae and the team decided to enlist the help of songwriters, producers and professional staff to craft the duo’s freestyles and bars.

“The music supervision team started the process with weekly meetings with Syreeta during the writing of the show. We discussed which songs to develop, what the plot points were, and what we wanted our sound to be,” says Bromberg. “Then Raedio put together a writing camp in L.A. with a limited and select group of songwriters and producers. We sent briefs to the camp for each of the show songs that were discussed in our weekly meetings. Most of the original songs you’ll hear this season, was written at that camp. Afterwards we continued to develop, shape and polish the songs with a few of the writers from the camp.”

Rae also expressed interest in bringing in one of her favorite female emcees, Dreezy, to do Shawna’s lyrics. “Benoni Tagoe [the show’s music consultant and president of Raedio] helped us get her a deal, and she did a lot of polishing and writing raps that were written in the later episodes,” explains Bromberg. “We also brought in Danja as a vocal producer for the season. He tracked and produced Aida and KaMillion and helped us shape their sound as Shawna and Mia.”

Rae credits the team at Raedio and “Rap Sh!t’s” executives for their roles in the development process. “I paid particular attention to the sound of the show, and Raedio was incredible in curating camps to create original music for the show and the soundtrack. It was generally very collaborative and we all understood that the music had to be great.” Rae continues, adding that Danja lent her studio to the production and worked extensively with the actresses to refine their sound. “We were lucky to have musically inclined actresses in Kamillion, who actually does this and does it well, and Aida, who is absolutely gifted and so clever with her bars and incredibly witty.”

A couple of Rae’s other favorite female emcees — NCognita and pineappleCITI — also helped create lyrics for the show’s freestyles and studio sessions. Osman and KaMillion, an emcee in his own right, deliver the lyrics throughout the season’s eight episodes with high energy, charm and panache.

Rae’s dedication to authenticity and layering music into her storytelling has paid off. The soundtracks for the various seasons of “Insecure” have amassed millions of streams and ushered alternative R&B into the mainstream, and the music from “Rap Sh!t” is already receiving rave reviews. By highlighting emerging artists in her work, Rae’s productions have become a platform for music discovery, introducing audiences to up-and-coming artists who are pushing the culture forward with their innovative works.

How Issa Rae created a platform where black music and art could thrive

February may be Black History Month, but you can support Black creators year-round. From donating time and resources to boosting an artist’s signal, here are some simple—yet impactful—ways to support black music every day.

At almost any moment in Black history, you will find music at the center of it. From Mahalia Jackson to N.W.A to Mickey Guyton, black musicians have contributed a lot to this thing we call life. After all they have given us, why not give back?

When it comes to showing your love for the black music community, your next step can be something simple, yet consistent.

The music industry has rightly shifted course to encourage others to support black music and the artists who make the world sing. Milestone events like #TheShowMustBePaused and its impact on the music community are just the beginning—where you, your mom, and your cousin can also help support Black record labels and its musicians during Black History Month and all year long.

Take a look at some impactful ways to contribute below.

Where to stream their music

There are many ways to digest music these days. On the same subject : Jacqueline Nickelberry builds community on the golf course. All kinds of DSPs promise listeners a mix of experiences, but since royalties are still a big problem for artists, streaming their music is an important part of keeping them active.

While there are plenty of services to choose from, here are a few championing black music: Deepr, an Atlanta-based startup and music discovery app; Trac, a black-owned music technology platform that empowers indie artists to share their music without signing a contract; and Polaris, the first Black-owned streaming service dedicated to sharing authentic culture and music.

For the enthusiastic audiophile, delve into the catalogs of Black-owned labels such as Awful Records, Mahogani Music, and Top Dawg Entertainment.

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How to support live experiences + side hustles

At a time when 360 deals – which entitle record labels to a percentage of earnings from all artists’ revenue streams – are plentiful, bundling has become a game-changer. See the article : How to join one of Charlotte’s most exclusive clubs for music lovers. Artists who have become imaginative entrepreneurs themselves (think Curren$y’s Bandcamp bundle or Nipsey Hussle’s $100 mixtape) have paved the way for others to have side projects such as podcasts, Patreons or NFTs.

Issa Rae’s Hoorae Patreon gives members a chance for early access to exclusive playlists and editions of her Issa’s Raedio Show on Apple Music. On the NFT front, community brands like Black NFT Art, run by creative agency Umba Daima, and Black Artist Database host a host of musicians, producers and bands.

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Post your faves on social media (and tell your pals to join in)

Think of three friends, and then think of three black musicians you love who have yet to “hit it big.” Share and play their songs that you enjoy and watch the magic happen. See the article : Your Weekly Guide to the Arts. Follow meetup groups like Black Everywhere to swap MP3s and in Slack groups or IRL, or just have a listening session with friends and family the next time you get together.

By talking about new music discoveries, you share why you love this music, and your words can help spread the message of their tunes.

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How and where to donate, whether it’s an artist or an organization

Those interested in financially supporting change in the music world should also consider places like the Black Artist Fund, the Women’s Center for Creative Work, or the Art Hole Collective, an online group that provides a safe space for creatives of color, as places to donate your resources to.

If you want to help specific artists you love directly, you can always use places like Patreon, CashApp, or Venmo to help keep an artist afloat. (Note: It may be in good taste to first ask artists if it’s OK to send them money directly.)

How to book Black artists for your next event or live experience

With your local venues most likely on hiatus or severely lacking in attendance, you can book your favorite up and coming artists using the Black Agents Network and BYBS, which were started by two Hollywood veterans. If you’re philanthropic, you can donate to one of GoFundMe’s #SaveOurVenues campaigns.

Whichever way you choose, you will allow many black musicians and record companies to remain full-time and keep their livelihoods active.

Subscribe to local music newsletters, podcasts, and publications

There is a niche growth market for local and indie musicians who have (or are building) a following for their art. Platforms like Substack and Medium allow musicians and others to share what they’re working on, powered by your subscription dollars. Add a few Patreons to donate directly to black musicians you like who will help promote new history-making sounds.

Non-profit organizations you can support

There are advocacy organizations going back generations that all want to preserve and encourage music made by black artists. An added benefit can be your donations to places like Music by Black Composers, which promotes diversity in classical music; The Coalition for African Americans in the Performing Arts; and The National Association of Negro Musicians, which, according to its website, “has been a champion of African and African-American music and musicians” for over a century.

Read the work of Black music and culture journalists

It is important to listen to black writers, as they are undoubtedly as ingrained in the black music scene as the artists themselves. There are plenty of black voices and sockets that you can support with something as simple as a click of the mouse.

Experience the power of the prose of people like Mankaprr Conteh, Timmhotep Aku, Naima Cochrane, Craig Jenkins, among many others, to give a boost to the work that creates discussion around black music and musicians.

Get up, get out, and show up for racial justice in your daily life

While February honors the achievements and contributions made by black artists, black history is something that happens every day. By showing up at concerts, sharing new discoveries on social media, and streaming music, you add value to these voices and perspectives.

Also show your support outside of the music industry and call out racism wherever or whenever you see it. Remember that even the smallest gesture can lead to the biggest impact – and in return, you can help preserve the arts and the people who have long contributed to music, culture and more.

Dyana Williams on why Black Music Month is not just a celebration, but a call for respect

After teasing new music last week, the “Nice For What” video arrives over the weekend and it’s loaded with celebrities.

Last week, Drake made history when “God’s Plan” became his third single to spend 10 weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100. Over the weekend, the GRAMMY-winning Canadian rapper made good on a promise of more new music, dropping a catchy song with a dazzling video on April 6 called “Nice For What.”

Directed by Karena Evans, the video travels through a series of visually stunning and surreal settings and features performances from a host of female superstars, including Issa Rae, Rashida Jones, Tiffany Haddish, Olivia Wilde, Michelle Rodriguez, Tracee Ellis Ross, Zoe Saldana, Syd and Misty Copeland.

The song was produced by Murda Beatz and incorporates a sample of Lauryn Hill’s “Ex-Factor” from her 1999 solo smash, The Miseducation Of Lauryn Hill, which won Album Of The Year at the 41st GRAMMY Awards. “Ex-Factor” has been getting a lot of love lately, as Cardi B also quoted the song in her latest single, “Be Careful.”

While it may still be too early to throw out Song of the Summer contenders, “Nice For What” certainly has all the right elements. “Everybody get your motherf*ing roll on/ I know shorty and she wants don’t want no slow song,” raps Drake, coming right out of the gate to layer uplifting carpe diem lyrics over Murda’s infectious bounce to come up in the air with a silence before “see the breakdown” brings the beat back.

With his Midas touch producing a string of hit singles and the promise of a new album on the way, Drake continues to be the one to watch in 2018.

Keeping up with music news powered by the Recording Academy just got easier. Do you have a Google Home device? “Talk to GRAMMYs”

We caught up with the South Los Angeles artist ahead of the August release of his debut studio album, ‘SuperGood’, to talk new music, dreams of collaborations, celebrating black music and artists and more

Los Angeles-born leftfield rapper/singer Duckwrth (born Jared Lee) has been making waves since releasing his debut solo mixtape, I’M UUGLY, in 2016. Showcasing his expansive musical tastes, playful lyrics, and his mailable vocals and flow , the successful project led to a record deal with Republic Records, an opening slot for Anderson .Paak and a loyal, ever-growing fan base. An XTRA UGGLY mixtape followed in 2017, with several tracks receiving TV and film placement, including the ecstatic “MICHUUL.,” which was featured on “Insecure” and “All American.”

In May 2019, the “Bernal Heights” artist dropped THE FALLING MAN EP and now, this month, he releases his long-awaited debut studio album, SuperGood. As he recently told us, the album has been a long time coming and now the timing is just right.

“I’ve actually had the name of this album since 2013 and just the feeling of it, I’ve had it since 2013, but I’ve never been in the right space with myself mentally and energetically to be able to present an album that felt like a party.”

Related: GRAMMY Museum Launches Spotlight Saturdays Featuring Up-and-coming Artists

GRAMMY.com continues its Up Close & Personal interview series (from home, via Zoom) with Duckwrth. Watch the full conversation above to hear him talk more about SuperGood and its lead singles “Coming Closer” and “Find A Way,” as well as his love for Issa Rae and “Insecure” and some of his dream collaborators (Rosalía is on the list!).

The “Crush” artist also talks about his vision to create more black animation (watch the music video for “Find A Way” below) and how the entertainment industry can better support black artists.

Read: Yvonne Orji on her first-ever HBO comedy special, Faith & Celebrating Black Joy

“I think musically, [what’s needed] is just respect for black artistry and being able to be placed in different places, like more black artists in pop. That would be great. For me, I’m not heavy on pop, and I listen to pop all the time, but I understand the importance of seeing a Lizzo in pop.

“It’s important, and so is seeing more black faces in pop music because it opens the door for other artists to come after them and it becomes the norm. It doesn’t have to be this conversation about, ‘Oh, you can’t put them there because they’re black.’ That’s the plus side of just circulating dollars in the black community and helping them grow,” Duckwrth added.

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