**
-You know somebody's successful in this business
when they've got a lot of job titles.
My guest today, well, they're one of them.
She's a writer, producer, actor,
business mentor, content creator,
and is on her way to becoming -- can I say it?
I feel like I should -- a mogul.
Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome Issa Rae.
Holy shit. -Wow. One take.
-Holy -- I mean... -You are a professional.
-Is it not amazing? -Wow. Hello.
-Hurry up and sit down 'cause you taller than me.
-Okay. -Hurry up and sit down.
Welcome. I'm excited about this one.
-I'm very excited.
Thank you so much for having me on.
-I'm, like, really excited about this one.
-This is an impressive set. I just got to say that.
-You like the set? -Yeah, I do.
-What do you like about it? -It just has so much depth.
-Yeah. Yeah. -It's just like...
-Yeah. -...wow.
I'm really in a wine cellar.
-Well, I'mma to take you there. -Okay.
-That's the thing about being on this show.
I'm gonna take you on a full experience, right?
-I'm here. -By the way,
your level of comfort has to come
from the environment that you're in.
That's what this is based off of.
-Okay. -You do know that?
-I'm always comfortable around bottles of wine.
-Okay. Well, then we're about to have a good time.
Issa, I want to welcome you to "Hart to Heart."
-Thank you.
-I hope you know what we do on this show.
If you do not, I'll give you a brief description.
We have real conversations, great conversations.
But these conversations happen over an amazing glass of wine.
Right? I think over a glass of wine,
amazing conversations happen.
And that's what I can only hope that'll happen today.
That being said, let me get my somm out here.
Look at this. -Hi!
-Hello, hello. -Oh, snap.
-Mm-hmm. -Mr. Hart, Mrs. Rae.
So from the cellar today --
Central Otago, South Island, New Zealand, Pinot Noir.
For Mrs. Rae, we've got a beautiful champagne,
Champagne France, rosé,
Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier, as well as Chardonnay.
-And it's Black-owned. -Yes it is.
-I love it. -Both. Both.
-Let's go. Come on. -Absolutely.
Mr. Hart, may I pour her first? -Absolutely. Absolutely.
-And would you care for some of the Pinot Noir, as well?
-You know what? Fuck it. Yeah.
Let's go bold. -Ain't nothing better
than somebody with a problem that's okay with it.
That's the best -- Somebody's that's got a problem
and looks you dead in the eye and says, "Fuck it.
It's gonna be what it's gonna be."
I'm gonna do -- I'm gonna do me."
-Okay. -Give me a chance.
-Please enjoy both -- once again, Pinot Chardonnay
and Pinot Meunier, but 100% Pinot Noir,
elegant, lifted, bright, floral. -Get in there.
-And look for a little bit of toasted brioche on this.
-Not toasted brioche. -Absolutely.
Please enjoy. -I will.
-Which one do you want?
Which one you want to go with first?
-I want to go with this first, a little bubbly.
He's so articulate.
That's what you have to do in sommelier school.
You have to be articulate.
-Well, you have to know not only the meaning
of all the things they're talking about,
but you got to be able to pronounce it.
-Well, I failed. -Cheers.
-To you being on the show.
Issa, I'm gonna take a sip, man, and then I'mma start.
I got a lot of questions for you, a lot of questions.
-Okay. -Alright?
That's good. I don't even drink champagne.
-It's very good. I'm sorry. I forgot to mention that.
I was already -- I love it.
-No, I don't even drink champagne, but that's good.
Alright, my biggest thing for you
is the understanding that I have of you.
And I feel like today I get to walk away
with a much different understanding,
because this is our first time having, like,
an in-depth conversation, right? -Yeah.
-From Los Angeles. -Yep.
-Inglewood? -From L.A.
I'm from View Park, but, you know,
I was born in Inglewood Hospital.
-Okay.
-And my grandparents live in Inglewood.
A lot of people think I'm from Inglewood,
but I'm from South L.A.
-Here's what I love the most about you
that I've seen from afar and I'm starting to see more of.
It's not just about where you're from,
it's about the changes that you are very adamant
about making from the places you grew up in.
You're very serious about your culture.
You're very serious about uplifting
and creating opportunities for your people,
especially in the places you come from, right?
"I want to see change here."
Was that a thing that was always there?
-The "I want to see change here"
was a thing that was always there.
For me initially, because I didn't know any better,
it came from in front of the camera.
It came from, like, the images that I wanted to see
just because I had -- I had seen them.
I had grown up on them, so I knew it was possible.
And so then when it was taken away when I was watching TV
in, like, high school and college, movies,
I was like, "Where's all this stuff that I grew up on?"
Like, you know, "Where are these stories,
and why is it just kind of
the same narrative that's being shown?
I know we're more than this."
And so, like, even creating was born out of a frustration.
And then when I did that online and started making the content,
I was like, "Oh, there are all these other jobs."
And initially it just came from my circle.
Like, these are the people I know,
and so they're helping me to make this.
They happened to be Black
because most of my friends are Black.
And then, you know, then by extension,
we're bringing on, you know, more diverse crew.
And then it wasn't until I would work on
smaller things, other sets,
and I'd be like, "Damn, this is like..."
I didn't realize how rare this is
to work with other people of color.
Like, Hollywood is very, very white behind the camera.
And so then it became like, "Well, if I get my own show,
like, I still want to replicate this,
'cause I see that it's a rarity.
And why not? 'Cause I can."
-How did you figure it out, though?
How did you figure out the development space
of "Awkward Black Girl"? Right?
Like you said, you came up, you wanted to act.
You knew that that's what you wanted to do.
But a lot of people struggle with the,
"Well, what's my entry?"
You were a hot commodity
just in the next version of a thing.
"This girl is a star.
Like, oh, my God, you got to watch this girl."
Like, creating that and then developing that,
like, where did that understanding come from?
Was that college that gave you that knowledge?
-Yeah, a little bit.
I mean, not for myself, in particular.
But, like, people don't know that "Awkward Black Girl"
was, like, the third web series that I made.
It was the third attempt.
And it's the only one that I was in.
The first two that I made, you know,
I wrote and directed them, edited them,
all those things, you know, that you're doing
when you're making online content yourself.
And, you know, the first one I did do in college,
and that was starring my friends,
and I loved the response
that that got just from college to college.
And, you know, it was about being Black at Stanford,
called "Dorm Diaries."
And that was like, "Oh, okay.
I made something that people like,
and it's spreading beyond my friend group.
This is dope."
And I just made it online,
and then I still wanted to sell it to TV.
So I was trying to, like, reach into my network to be like,
"Hey, I made this show.
People really like it online.
It's only like 500 to 1,000 people,
but, you know, it's something."
And they didn't want it.
So then I created my second show after that,
and it was starring my brother and his friend group.
And that was something I took more seriously online
where I was like, "I'm gonna release it every week
and build a following there."
And I started to learn the tools of, like, you know,
you can't make content that's too long online.
You have to catch people's attention.
You have to be consistent.
So I started developing those skills
so by the time I did "Awkward Black Girl"
and put myself in it,
even though I was scared as hell to put myself in it --
-Why? Why didn't you put yourself in the other ones?
-Well, by that time, I was just like,
"I like to write and direct." -Okay.
-'Cause I had gone to a school that --
You know, like, the plays and stuff where I had been --
I went to a predominantly Black and Latino high school,
so, like, the plays were for us.
I was in all of those.
Well, by the time I got to college,
it was a predominantly white college.
Like, there were no roles.
They weren't making stuff for us,
so I had no interest in the same way.
And so it came -- like, my directing and writing came from,
like, "Oh, I'm gonna make it.
I will create, like, a play that features us," or whatever it is.
And so by the time "Awkward Black Girl" came around,
I didn't want to feature myself
because I didn't have the same confidence anymore.
I'd been working with actors,
and also, you know, I had someone else in mind.
Like, I wrote it with somebody else in mind.
And then that person couldn't do it
'cause she was in law school.
I was in L.A. She was in D.C.
And so I just felt like I was running out of time,
so I was like, "Let me just be in it."
-"Fuck it. I'm gonna do it." -Yeah, exactly.
-That's crazy that you didn't have the want
for the in-front-of-the-camera success stuff.
Like, your -- your wishes were,
"I want to be a creative, write, direct.
And that's my wheelhouse. That's what I'm gonna be."
The discovery now comes in your talent in your own series.
When did that snap in, like -- when did you tap into
the understanding that you were good?
-I don't know that that's ever set in.
I know that I've had moments where I was like,
"Oh, I did that."
But there's never been, like, a --
as far as, like, the acting as the forefront, like,
even I don't identify as an actress first.
I identify as a writer, producer, creator,
and then the acting -- -But you are.
-I enjoy it. Yeah, sure, yes.
-It's not "sure." You are.
-I -- And I enjoy it.
-I just want you to know that you are.
You can't just bypass that and act as if you're not
when you have several things under your umbrella that --
-I am an actress and I act,
but that's not, like, what drives me.
What drives me is, like, creating.
And I have fun, for sure. -Got it.
-But, like, there's nothing more satisfying to me
than having an idea and then making that shit happen.
-Alright, on that note,
we are going to take a quick commercial break.
Guys, we'll be right back with more "Hart to Heart" after this.
**
-Welcome back to "Hart to Heart."
I'm sitting here with Issa Rae.
I think that's the dopest thing about what you're talking about.
It's like the not knowing how to do it and the figuring it out
and the completion of figuring it out
and then seeing it move on and grow to be something else.
So even though you're talking about
just the first couple of web series
and then the "Awkward Black Girl" came,
alright, shit, this comes and now progresses
and now has a following.
Wow. You're -- You're being sought after.
There's another conversation to be had now.
It looks as if this thing is going to propel you
to the next stage of entertainment.
-Yeah. -What was that moment?
-When I found out that I was gonna --
that I was gonna go to this next level?
Oh, my God. It came in --
You know, you have -- You know.
You have so many moments where it's like,
"Oh, this about to be it," and then it's not.
So I had a couple of those moments just by interactions.
Sometime -- You know, when I had the opportunity with Pharrell
and he picked up our second season,
I was like, "Oh, this is opening me up
to so many other people to watch the show,
to watch our little web series."
And then through that, because he funded the second season,
we got reviewed in "Rolling Stone."
And then "Rolling Stone" was seen by Shonda Rhimes.
And then, you know, they saw that --
her company, Shondaland, saw that review,
and then I got the opportunity to create, like,
one of their first comedy pilots.
And that was like, "Wow, this is my television hero."
There's no Black women -- -I was gonna say, like,
what is the Shonda Rhimes of it all for you at that moment?
Like, you are --
-She really --
In the same way that I didn't know that,
oh, like, when I shoot "Awkward Black Girl,"
there's hella people, there's so many jobs,
I didn't really know what a showrunner was.
I knew that people wrote for television.
I knew that there were writers' rooms to an extent.
But to see a successful Black woman running a show,
having a successful series like "Grey's Anatomy," then --
-But, like, really... -Like, really successful...
-...like, running the shit. -...running the shit.
And, like, I didn't know even what that entailed
until, you know, I did it.
And then I was like, "Oh, my God.
She is really killing it."
But that was just, like, sometimes you don't know
what you want to achieve until you see it.
And I felt like she was very much that for me.
And so by the time they called me in,
she had "Scandal" and "Grey's Anatomy" on the air.
And they were both hit shows.
And so for me seeing her,
immediately after our first meeting,
I did that thing where I was like,
"Can I get a picture with you?" Like...
And it was all the things you shouldn't do,
but, you know, that's how I felt about her.
-What's your relationship with Shonda now?
-She's, like, just a mentor, in a way.
And she's just -- she shows love, and I'm still a fan.
And she's always been supportive.
-Have you been able to sit down, pick her brain?
Like, I mean, after that stage, later on,
I mean, you get to where you are now,
have you ever tried to double back
and have the conversations, of course, and say,
"Wow, that moment was for me"?
-In group settings. But you know what I've realized?
And this is -- I forget who I have access to.
Even talking to you sometimes, I'm like...
-I've gotten mad at you before.
-I know, because I don't like to ask people for help.
And everybody's busy. You're doing 70 million things.
Ava's doing 70 million things.
Shonda's doing 70 million things.
Recently, like, just on some -- whatever stuff, like,
I hit up Diddy, like, 'cause I was going through something,
and it just popped in my head.
I was gonna hit him for something else,
something, like, social related.
And I was going through something business-wise,
and I was like, "This man literally does
so many of the things that I do and aspire to do.
I'm having this dilemma. Let me just ask him."
And then it, like -- And then the advice
that he gave me and the wheelhouse
was, like, exactly what I needed at the time.
And I was like, "Why don't I do this more?"
So short answer, no, but I will, and I want to.
-"Long story short, Kevin, no, I haven't."
-No, I have not.
-That's like the most important thing
that I feel people don't tap into enough.
-But who do you tap into? -Everybody.
-No. No, I don't believe it.
-I'm 1,000% telling you the truth. Everybody.
-That you literally ask someone, "Hey, what do I do for advice?"
-Everybody.
-But not everybody.
For people who you know are very, very busy.
-Everybody.
-Alright, fine. I hear you.
-There is not one person
that will not take your call when you're looking for --
-That's not true. -No, it's not.
You think that, and that's what the problem is.
Like, people are in their own way because they're --
You have the assumption that you're gonna think,
and I don't want you to think.
It's all based off of a thought.
Like, you're creating a reaction
that hasn't even been had.
So 9 times out of 10, if you really do reach out,
you'll be surprised how many people will go, "Hey!
Oh, my God. Yo, it's crazy that you called me.
I'm a big fan, and I just want to say
I love the work that you're doing.
What's up? What's going on?"
Like, there's a synergy that's lost
because so many people stopped networking.
So many people stopped --
-Because you don't know if people are genuine, either.
I mean, you've extended that, like, credit to you.
Like, even in talking to you, you've just been like,
"Hit me, hit me," and I'm like, "This nigga busy. He lying."
-You told me one time, "No, Kev."
You told me one time, you said,
"I hit you, and you ain't hit me back."
I was like, "Alright, that's one time."
I was like, "Damn!"
I was like, "So it's over? What do you mean?"
I said, "It was one time.
I was shooting. I was out the country."
You were like "Alright, nah, Kev, you be saying that shit,
but I hit you one time."
I was like, "It was one time, Issa."
-That sounds like me.
I was saying, I respect these people so much, and that's why.
-But there's also in return a high level of respect.
I mean, I'm sitting here talking to you now.
I'm more of a fan.
I'm more of a guy that's like, "Yo, I want to talk to her
because I want to fucking know what's going on.
I want to hear her talk about her journey," et cetera.
But it's more of a fan.
You'd be surprised, like, how much --
how much people forget that that exists.
Right now, you're talking about "Awkward Black Girl."
I love the story. I like that it started here.
And that's how you got to "Insecure."
But I don't know what happened in between.
So I'm here as a fan, how the fuck --
How did you jump from "Awkward Black Girl" to "Insecure"?
I want to know.
This is me looking for information.
-It was a hobble. It wasn't a jump.
You know, it was like --
You know, even the Shonda stuff,
that was like a big embarrassment
when that didn't go through.
-Why was that an embarrassment?
-Because...
You know what it is. You --
First of all, the announcement is everything.
When people are like, "Oh!
'Awkward Black Girl' working with Shonda Rhimes!
Oh, shit!"
And that's on "Deadline." You're posting it.
And then -- then you have to do the work.
Then it has to be good. -Mm-hmm.
-And for that, I just -- I was so scared.
And there was so much pressure, and I wanted to get it right.
And I loved them so much, and it just --
You know, the show that I ended up making wasn't right.
And so then -- Thank God there's no announcement
that's like, "Ah, this bitch didn't do it."
You know, but you still know that.
And so...then even with the opportunity with HBO,
like, that was like another, "Oh, my God,
I get another shot?"
And then stuff comes out about that like,
"Oh, she's about to do a show with HBO."
And that was my, like, dream network.
And that took a long time to do.
And it was just like draft after draft, and it just --
it wasn't right for them, and so I was --
-What I'm hearing is something different, right?
-What are you hearing? -I'm hearing, like,
it didn't work because you needed the experience
of understanding what not to do.
-But you don't know that at the time.
-But that's the beauty of that moment.
That's the beauty of that stage in the business.
Like, we don't get a cheat sheet.
We don't get a handbook. We're thrown in it.
So, what I'm hearing is like, "Okay, at that moment, damn,
I now have to -- I got to fucking make it happen.
I've got to create the show
that they're looking for me to create."
But in doing that, the road to --
the road to victory there isn't an easy one,
and there's a lot of opinions.
Everybody's got a note and this and that.
"I got to get my draft, and it was right, wasn't.
And I ended up turning in something,
but we didn't make the show, and I look at it as I failed."
I look at it as like, "Damn. Fuck."
But that's not the fail because then you figure out,
"Well, I'mma do something else."
-Yeah, but, you know, that still fucks me up now.
But what fucked me up back then
was feeling like I had to do it in a certain time.
I don't know why --
-What do you mean when you say "a certain time"?
You're saying like a certain timeline?
-Yeah, a certain timeframe.
Like, for me, I've always been inhibited
or propelled by the fact that I feel like
I don't have many times or many chances.
Like, I don't have enough time and enough chances.
-I can relate to that. -So it feels like -- yeah --
I didn't get this done.
When you're inundated by images of,
"So-and-so did this by 19.
They got an Oscar by 23."
And you're like, "Damn, I'm 27,
and I have not done any of those things."
And that's intimidating.
-It's the window, right? -Yes.
-When does my window close?
-Yes, that is my frequent question.
-When does my window close, and is my window open,
and are the same opportunities
the ones that I'm watching others get?
And if so, you know, I don't feel like mine are here,
and that means that it could be over soon.
But, like, it's a learned trait to understand, like, that --
that isn't necessarily true.
-Mm. -It's what we think is true.
-Yeah, you don't believe -- You still operate that way.
I feel like I still operate that way.
-But you don't have to.
Like, it's a thing that we got to get out --
Okay, I'm gonna be honest with you.
We're talking and we're being transparent and authentic.
-Mm-hmm.
-It took probably over the course of the last two years
I got out of the stage of,
"Man, this shit could all go away today."
-Okay. -Right?
And the reason why I was rushing so much to,
like, build these companies, build all this other stuff,
because, like, "If y'all try to take this shit,
it's gonna go away.
Man, you motherfuckers.
I'm gonna have this other shit."
But my want for the other shit was out of panic.
Because y'all gonna come -- What?
I ain't gonna go -- Hey!
They're trying to say that if this movie don't goddamn hit,
these motherfu-- Hey, you ain't gonna goddamn do it to me!
It was a -- It was a panic, right?
It was a pure panic.
It was like the last two to three years,
I got to a place where I'm like, "Yo, man.
You're doing what you love."
The panic has to -- It has to settle down,
because if I'm panicking while doing what I love,
well, am I giving the best version
of the thing that I love, like,
if it's done with a shared, like,
reason and attachment to panic?
So to your point that you're making, you don't have a window,
because you're creating your window.
Like, you're the anomaly.
You're on this side, Issa.
You're writing, developing, creating,
and going, "This is what I want to do."
Whereas the other side is waiting
to be told what opportunities they have so they can do.
-But I'm still -- -You're the engine.
-Okay, I'm the engine, but I still need a car,
if I'm going with that.
I don't even know if that's the right analogy.
Because people still have to, like, buy my shit.
I still don't -- and that's kind of what I'm building towards.
I realize that. I'm like, "Okay.
Yeah, I make stuff all the time."
And sometimes I wish I could revert back to those online days
where it was like, "I'm just putting that shit out there.
I'm putting this out
for the audience that I want and that I want to claim."
And now, you know, I'm obviously within a system, in a way,
an entertainment system.
And I realize, to your point, like, part of me is just, like,
with seeing all these changes, like,
"Okay, I can make all I want, but what if they're not buying?
What if they're not buying what I'm selling?"
So then what? What am I left with?
-I think that this is a great moment to take a beat, right?
I mean, look the conversations on "Hart to Heart,"
they not only get deep, but they get real.
-Mm. -That's why we do this show.
Not only will we continue when we get back,
we're gonna get some more wine, 'cause I want some,
'cause I got more deep shit to say.
Don't go nowhere.
We got more "Hart to Heart" when we get back after this.
How do I do it?
-[ Laughs ]
**
-Welcome back to "Hart to Heart."
We are still here with the amazing Issa Rae.
You know, we're talking about
where's your big happy come from.
Does it come after you have created,
written what you deem to be an amazing story, front to back?
Is that your happy, or does your happy come
from people watching the amazing story and going,
"That was an amazing story"?
Which one makes you happier?
-It's periods of happy. It's both.
Both is the high of just, "Wow, we finished that.
Like, it was hard to make,
and, like, I don't care what people say.
We did it how we wanted to do it."
That's amazing in and of itself. -Okay.
-And then the second high is, like, "People saw what we saw.
They thought it was as good as we thought it."
-That's the bonus to me. -It is a bonus, for sure.
-That's the bonus. Like, I think the big happy comes --
I'm happy with putting my mind to something and finishing it.
-That's for sure. -That's the happy for me, right?
-It is, but I feel like I have that balance
because I'm very clear.
Like, I create for an audience since I have been young.
Like, do my parents like it? Do my siblings like it?
Does it make them laugh? Does it make my friends laugh?
Do they -- Like, I create with people in mind.
So, if they like it, I'm over the moon.
If they don't, then I'm like, "Okay, I got to come harder."
Like, it's devastating initially.
Like, "Oh, my God. Y'all didn't like that?
And I put so much energy and time into it,
and I actually thought it was good.
Is there something wrong?
Okay, you know what?"
And then it's just, like, living in that devastation
and allowing myself to live in that for a minute
and then the resolution that,
"Oh, I'm about to come so much harder next time."
But it's still for me, at the end of the day,
but I know that I'm still creating for an audience.
-Have you had that? -Oh, what are you talking about?
Yes, how I live.
-What gave you that? What gave you the "Oh, fuck"?
-Um... -What gave you that?
"You've got to be kidding me.
Did you read this shit? Did you see what they saying?"
What gave you that? -Man.
I mean, there was for sure some episodes --
I mean, it went back --
I remember the first time I cried.
[ Laughs ] I cried over some shit.
But that was like "Awkward Black Girl" days,
and I was like, "Oh, I know --"
We did this one episode that was like a Halloween special,
making fun of Greeks.
-Gamma, gamma ray, gamma ray.
Gamma, gamma ray, gamma ray. Gamma, gamma ray, gamma ray.
Gamma...
-And it was funny as fuck to me
because it was, like, very, you know, inside baseball.
And I remember people were not fucking with it online.
And they were like, "What the fuck?
This shit fell off. Unh-unh.
'Awkward Black Girl'? 'Awkward Whack Girl.'"
Like, probably nobody said that, but it was, like, in my head.
And so -- [ Laughs ]
"It was you. You wrote it. Okay.
Now I know who wrote it."
But, like, that was -- I remember --
'Cause I used to read everything.
Like, when you have access to it,
you're just like, "Oh, I'm reading everything."
Like, they fuck with it.
So, like, that was the first time
where I was, like, closing the computer.
-Close it. Fuck this shit! -Yeah.
What the fuck? Oh, yeah.
Y'all was just fucking with the last episode.
-Last week, you liked it.
-They don't know where we're going, that's why.
-@Kathy212, let me see. Where's she at?
Let me see her page.
You start searching them down.
-So, I remember that, and that shit hurt me to my core.
And I was like, "I'm crying over comments.
Like, girl, get it together." -Get it together.
-So by the time "Insecure" came around,
it was on a higher scale, but I was --
like, I wasn't as devastated.
But I remember there was one episode in the second season
where people, like, just turned on us.
And, like, that hurt in a way and that made me realize, like,
"Oh, people really care about this."
And now, we're -- It's not only that, but now --
now we're under a different scrutiny, and it --
I just became hyper aware in a new way of just, like, "Oh."
-Well, they became invested.
-They became invested, and then there was a tide of just, like,
"Oh, now people are kind of rooting for us to fail."
You see people coming out the woodwork where they're like,
"I told y'all that show wasn't shit."
And I was like, oh, my God, people were just --
people were waiting to hate. -Yeah.
-And that was, like, a new realization for me.
-I mean, I think now --
I would assume that you're in a place now
where you realize, like, that doesn't matter.
It doesn't matter.
Like, you went through your wave of, like,
"Oh, my God, this matters. This means something."
But now I think you clearly see that that doesn't mean anything.
-Over it. I know the cycles now.
Like, and I'm very familiar with it.
I'm part of the cycles in some ways.
-You were able to develop a relationship
with your casts, right?
I mean, you know, a lot of people talk about the families
that are developed on-screen and how those relationships
end up being some of the best friendships
to go on and on and on.
Um, you, the cast, the show, was it a bittersweet ending?
Do you guys still talk? Is there a group chat?
Like, what does the cast of "Insecure" now do
that the show is over?
-All of those things. There's a group chat.
It's single chat. We just support each other.
It's love.
Everybody's doing their own projects
and, you know,
actively on their paths for their next moves.
But I want to work with them again.
You know, I think it's that thing where it's just like,
"Okay, y'all do y'all thing, but know, like,
I'm still gonna call y'all for stuff."
But it's just -- it's so much love and support.
And I'm really just proud of all that.
-So, just in good faith,
giving flowers where flowers are due,
that's your Shonda Rhimes moment, right?
Like, you were operating, managing, and running,
you know, a project.
That's your project. That's your creative.
Your creative got to five goddamn seasons,
which is unheard of.
It's a big fucking deal in the business.
It's a massive deal
to get to five seasons of a television show.
And it's not just a show that was, like, good.
It's a show that is evergreen.
People are still gonna watch that show, discover that show.
The show will last. Right?
So whatever you decide to do
moving forward from that show, you can.
But the show's done.
Show gets done 'cause you made the decision,
but then you say, "Well, let me put on my creative hat."
And now Issa's developed and created more shows.
By the way, you're not in the shows.
These are from the mind of.
-Mm-hmm. -That's a bigger fucking deal.
I look at that, as I watch every move you make,
and I'm like, "She's working.
She's, like, really working."
Now, well, now you're in this -- you're in a conversation
of launching the next wave of talent.
-Man. -That's where you are now.
Do you understand that?
-It makes me the happiest. It makes me the most excited.
Now, like, you know, even with new show "Rap Sh!t,"
I'm, like, following their journeys and, like --
-Is it really based off of, like, City Girls --
-It's, like, inspired by, like, my fandom of them.
-Okay. -But, like, generally,
just this time in female rap.
Like it's all those things.
-It's so good. It's so good. -Thank you.
-It's one of those things that you get mad at
'cause it's simple to the idea.
-Yeah. -It's like, this --
this thing has been around, right?
This level of talent,
these women that have been in this space
and their journey and how,
to tell it through that lens, it's very smart.
-I appreciate it.
-Okay, guys, we're gonna take a quick break.
We'll be right back with more "Hart to Heart" after this.
**
-Welcome back to "Hart to Heart."
I'm sitting here with Issa Rae.
Television producing, writing, directing.
You dabbled in the world of movies.
-Mm-hmm. -Is that done?
Is that all over? -No, definitely not.
-What's your love for movies?
-[ Sighs ]
Right now, not high.
-Why? Tell me why.
-I used to go to the movies every week.
Like, and then every other week.
But now movies --
You know, I love the small movies.
I love that, and I love the communal experience of movies.
And I feel like we're losing that.
-Okay. You're talking about --
You're talking about, pretty much, in today's time...
-In today's time, yeah, yeah, yeah.
-...the theater or theatrical experience is now lessening.
You feel like that's gone. You feel like we've lost that.
-In a way, just because of what the focus
of theatrical movies are.
Like, they're just very similar,
and it feels like it caters to a very specific type
or it's, like, overly broad.
And so I miss, like, the movies that, you know, I grew up on.
So my love for movies is, you know,
I still want to continue to -- I want to create.
I haven't made a movie yet.
I haven't written one, and so that's a goal of mine.
But I can't even say that, like, you know,
I'll be able to create a pop-cultural staple.
I want to. -Why can't you say that?
Why do you do that? Why'd you just have to do that?
-Because I just want to make -- -You didn't have to do that.
-Why'd you just have to do that?
I can't even say it 'cause I can't say that that word.
-I just spent time talking about how that's not --
that's not a thing right now.
-What do you mean? It's not a thing.
Okay, so then you say, "I want to make it a thing."
And you make it a thing. -That's what I'm saying.
I want to make it a thing. -Well, no, you didn't say that.
You said, "I want to say it, but then I can't say that --"
You went high, and then you went low immediately.
"Listen, I would love to do it,
but at the same time I think that I can't.
-Oh, my gosh! It's hard.
-If that's what you want to do.
-You know what? I'm a realist.
That's it. -What do you mean?
-I have to acknowledge what is possible and what's not.
That doesn't mean in the back of my head I'm not like,
"I'm gonna kill this. I'm gonna make it."
But I'm saying, like, I have to acknowledge all the parts of it.
-I'm really seeing -- I'm getting it.
I'm seeing it right now. I'm getting it.
-You think I'm crazy. -And I'm starting to understand.
No, you're not crazy. -Mm-hmm.
-You're not crazy, but what I -- -Cheers.
-What I am getting -- [ Laughs ]
"I'm crazy. Cheers."
-Cheers. -Cheers.
No, you're not crazy,
but you are -- you're an overthinker.
-Am I? -Yeah.
-I think I'm an underthinker, to be honest.
-You just gave me seven different versions
of you overthinking.
-There are two versions.
It's either gonna happen or it's not.
-Yeah, but there's two versions to those two versions.
-But I think regardless of the overthinking,
I'm still gonna do it.
Like, nothing has stopped me.
Like, no matter how much I overthink,
I'm still gonna do it.
I think that's the difference.
Like, I will find the reasons that it can't work,
but still I think what makes me me is, like,
"Well, I could be the exception, so I'm gonna still try."
-Just looking through another lens,
will there be a high level of determination
to, if it's gonna work it's gonna work,
if it's not, it's not?
There's a level of ignorance. -Yeah, for sure.
-There's a level of ignorance attached.
-Blissful ignorance. Yeah.
-The downfall is the downfall,
but it ain't a downfall to me until it is.
-Yeah, and that comes from, I think, the underthinking part.
Like, I think that that's the strength of being --
-You think I'm stupid. -[ Laughs ]
-She just called me fucking stupid.
Did anybody see that? -No, I was talking about myself.
-Did anybody just see that?
She just hit me with a curveball like I've never --
Called me stupid right to my goddamn face.
Did anybody catch that?! -I was talking about myself.
-Let's play that back.
Let's play that back so you can see that delivery.
-I was gonna say that I'm impulsive,
and that's what helps.
-Yeah, after you called me fucking stupid.
You just looked me dead in my eye, you said,
"Yeah, that's underthinking."
You did this to me.
You said, "That's classic underthinking."
What? What does that mean?
-Did I do the motion? -Yeah, you did this right here.
"That's underthinking." It's fine.
I'll figure that out later. That's out of here.
That's not gonna make the cut.
I'm joking. I'm joking.
Uh, no. I definitely --
I definitely understand what you're saying.
But just staying in the world of entrepreneur, right,
and we're talking about the hustle
and the ideas that attach to that.
I want to get into what I started off with.
I started off talking about you, the community,
you know, where you come from,
the businesses that you have stayed true to,
the things that you are now developing.
You have a coffee shop, right? -I sure do, Hilltop.
-Hilltop coffee shop. -Mm-hmm.
-And your reason behind the coffee shop was what?
-I love to write in coffee shops.
You know, I live, like I said, in South L.A.,
and I would always have to leave South L.A.
to, like, write in coffee shops.
And there's just something
about being around other people working that inspires me
that I need to be around.
And so I was just like,
"I really want one in my own neighborhood."
And it's a dream that I've had for awhile.
And, you know, I told -- when I got a business manager,
I was like, "Hey, this is -- this is my goal."
And that was, like, before I got "Insecure."
And so he was just like, "Okay, yeah.
I hear you. I hear you."
And so then when "Insecure" popped up, I was like,
"So, yeah, I really want this coffee shop."
And he was like, "Okay. Well, I have to ask you.
Are you gonna grind the beans yourself?"
And I was like, "Oh, no."
And he was like, "Well, let me, like, find you a partner."
And so I partnered with these guys Ajay and Yonnie.
And they had started one in my neighborhood initially.
So then we started one in Inglewood
and then in Eagle Rock, and we're expanding.
And it's just been about fostering community
in our neighborhoods.
-I love that it's having success.
What else, though?
You have something else in the community.
-Well, I have a hair-care line called Sienna Naturals.
And that comes from, you know, just loving my natural hair
and wanting to be able to protect it.
And so I partnered with the founder of that, Hannah Diop.
And that is -- That's like a start-up from the ground up.
And, yeah, then just the various businesses
that, you know, like you were talking about,
the ecosystem in the HOORAE umbrella
where radio is concerned, like, our music label,
our talent management company.
-Yeah, you have a full-fledged,
like, infrastructure at this point.
The business of you and around you
is not just in television and producing, which is what I love.
Like, you have tentacles. -Tentacles, I like that.
-You got a tree, and you got a bunch of branches on this tree.
Right now, sitting in the space of success, right?
Where's your mind-set at now
with what you want and where you want to go?
-There's many.
One is ownership. -Mm-hmm.
-Like, I want -- Like you,
I don't want to be able to be in a position where I'm like,
"Oh, they can take this away from me."
Like, I want those -- I want that distribution.
I want those platforms. I want to own my shit.
And I want to be international.
You know, I think especially where we're concerned,
like, the idea that we don't travel,
the idea that we're not,
you know, marketable in these specific areas.
Like, Black people are so international.
I want to be in the U.K. I want to be in France.
I want to create.
I want to be an arms dealer for multiple countries.
-Well, now hold on. Now, wait a second.
-Yeah, yeah. I'm talking about guns.
-Well, hold on. Now that sh-- -I'm talking about violence.
-Okay. Alright. "I'm talking about violence."
"I want to go." -Yeah.
-"I want to do --"
-I want to do bad things across the world.
But I want that. I want to be a global company.
And then I can feel good,
like, "Okay, I've done my job here."
-I think you're more than in position to do that.
And I don't know if you know that or not.
But you are, right?
Like, it's -- it's more about the hustle
of putting your feet on the ground internationally.
-Yeah. I mean, and I'm more than happy to go over there.
And I've seen, like, just even Black people in other countries
wanting that representation for themselves and not getting it,
wanting to see themselves in a why
that they just haven't been shown before.
And if I could help in a way,
whether it's empowering, like, other people,
the next you, the next Ava out their, whoever it is,
like, then that would make me the happiest in the world.
But do you know when you're gonna stop?
-Do I know when I'm gonna stop working?
-Mm-hmm. -I'm back and forth.
I've told some people --
-Have you ever said, like -- -I've said a lot.
-You've said that you're gonna stop?
-I've said -- I've given at the age 50 is my goal to --
-Oh, that classic age thing. -Yeah, like that classic.
And then I was like, "Ah, that's probably bullshit."
And then I was like, "Well, no, when I do said things."
But the idea of what can keeps changing
based off things that keep on, like, unfolding.
So it's not about me no more.
If you're now on the side of talent, talent management,
creative, opportunities,
this door is now open for you to come in.
And when you come in this door, guess what.
You're leaving with the possibility
of becoming much more than what you came in at.
That's what we do here at my company.
That's significant. Like, that's --
-Yeah.
-And if you really want to be even more specific,
you're not talking about the problems in the business.
You're solving them.
You're now on the other side of the conversation, Issa.
You're solving them.
Like, you were like, "Yeah, well,
I did these acting gigs and created these things,
but I didn't see enough of us behind the camera.
I didn't see enough of us in front of the camera,
so, alright, well, I created it."
Well, go look at "Insecure."
Go look at that cast.
Go look at the goddamn "Rap" --
What is it? "Rap"... -"Rap Sh!t."
-"Rap Sh!t," rap, uh, show, shit.
-You sound like my mom.
"What is it, 'Rap Silly'? 'Rap Show'?"
-"Rap City." Go look at it.
What does it look like?
So when you're talking about change,
I'm just saying, I'm not telling you to celebrate,
but I'm telling you to realize that you are now in a position
where your actions match your words.
-Thank you, -Everybody can't say that.
Everybody can't say that.
So when you sit here with all these goddamn questions
of what -- "But I think," well, hold on.
-[ Laughs ] It's my process.
-Your process. I want you to have a second.
I want you to have a second where you just acknowledge,
and while she takes a second to acknowledge, guys,
I'm gonna give you guys a second to get up
and go to the bathroom.
We got more "Hart to Heart" when we get back after this.
How do I do it? -Shut up!
-How do I do it? Did anybody see that toss?
**
-Welcome back to "Hart to Heart."
The conversation is only getting bigger.
It's only getting better. Why?
Well, because we're still drinking.
Guys, I'm here with the legend Issa Rae,
and I'm having a blast.
Issa, we've talked about the business.
We've talked about your success.
We've talked about your evolvement.
More importantly, we've talked about the change that you wanted
and the change that you're now seeing in real time.
Let's get personal. You got married, right?
I'm gonna be honest with you.
I thought that it was, like, a joke.
Like, when you posted a picture that was like --
-You thought it was a joke? Oh, okay.
-In the picture, like, your caption,
it was like, "Yeah, I met a guy, and we did like a photo shoot."
And I was like, "Oh, she's such a genius."
I didn't know it was real. I fell for it.
By the way, I want to say I'm guilty.
I fell for it. I was like, "Oh."
People always in people's business.
Damn. It's just a photo shoot.
It was real. You really got married?
-I did.
-I love the idea of keeping your business to yourself.
I love the idea of you going and having a moment to yourself,
and doing that, was there like a decision between you and him,
like, "Alright, fuck it. Let's just tell people."
Like, if you kept it that much of a secret,
why did you just decide to tell people at that point?
-Oh, 'cause I was told that -- that it was gonna get out.
-Okay. -Yeah, I was told that it was --
that there was a possibility
that this outlet had discovered it.
And, you know, I was weighing like,
"Oh, this is a happy time in my life.
Like, do I want to post it?
Do I want to put it on the Gram?"
And, you know, when I found out that information,
I was just like, "Oh, okay.
Well, then I definitely want to get ahead of it first
in my own terms and just the way that I would."
So, you know, that's why I ended up
putting it out there like that.
-You know, is there the thought of, like, kids soon, not soon?
What? What are we thinking about?
-Man, that's, like, the struggle.
-You're a workaholic. That's why I asked you.
-Huh? -'Cause you're a workaholic.
-Yeah, but, I mean, like,
even what you were talking about earlier, like, the legacy of it,
like, to me, sometimes the legacy is through kids.
I'm like, "What are you talking about legacy?
You got kids."
Like, they're gonna live on
and they're gonna, you know, tout your accomplishments.
Like, you are gonna live forever just by them alone.
-They can also take you down.
-[ Laughs ] -Let's just be honest.
-Yes, but they still will take you down with your last name.
-My last name will be attached to them, but I got four of them,
and I'll be honest with you, one of them is a gamble.
One of them could --
-You don't ever wonder, like,
"Oh, are they gonna see this and they gonna be offended"?
-I'm talking about the youngest one, Ori.
The other ones, I'm safe.
The youngest?
-Might surprise you.
I remember you talking about, you know --
-But they overcame that.
They had my trust.
The younger one -- -I was worried.
-I don't know. I don't know.
-The youngest one is gonna surprise you
on some "Succession" shit. -Well, let's just hope.
-But for me, yeah, like, I'm thinking about it.
But I'm also thinking about not.
And, you know, it's a constant conversation.
For me, like, it does come from, like, the workaholic-ness
and feeling like those window opportunities --
-Stop talk-- Stop. -You telling me, "Be honest."
-I know. Let's be honest, but stop.
But I don't want you to keep talking
about the window of opportunity.
-But you're also not a woman.
And, like, it takes me out the game.
Like, if I'm pregnant right now, and I know that there are --
-What do you mean, takes you out?
-It takes me out the game for a minute.
It takes me out the game for, like, certain things.
Like, if I'm six months pregnant and I get to be the next --
not that I want this -- the next superhero, I can't do that.
It takes me out until it's available.
Like, there's just those things that I have to think about
that I actively care about.
Don't play me. -Wait. I'm not gonna play.
I'm not gonna play you,
but I'm gonna say something to you very, like, direct.
-What?
-You have made decisions that show that you can operate
and navigate how you choose in your career.
Have you not? -Yeah,
but there's still, like --
there's still the acknowledgment that --
There is -- To be 100%, like, clear,
there is a window for certain women for,
like, to have kids, to have this moment,
and also to be successful in the industry
without being looked at as, like, old or over the window.
Like, that's just something that's clear to me.
That's something that I've watched growing up of just,
like, "Oh, damn, I watched her career transition from this,
like, the hot girl, to now, like, oh, she's only the mom."
-Well, I can't speak on that, like you said,
because I'm not a woman, so, you know,
I'm not going to have
a firm stake in the ground as to what I think.
Like, that's something that only a woman
can understand and operate in.
But what I do know, and I know to be a fact,
the world of creative has no time stamp.
-The world of creative, yes.
Behind the scenes, I have the confidence that,
yeah, like, I'm gonna make shit for sure.
-So if you do choose -- That's what I'm going --
-So, I'm saying, like, right now, this is --
The in-front-of-the-camera time, to me, does have a window,
like, as far as where kids are concerned.
So to me, I want to take advantage of that.
-I want you to know that you are not only a beautiful woman.
-Thank you. -You are a great representation
and example of what our beautiful women
look like on-screen, right?
Like, that's real. That's factual.
There's not a time stamp on that.
Like, when I look at Angela Bassett,
when I look at Halle Berry -- -If you ran Hollywood,
then I would feel completely -- I would be like, "Oh, cool.
Let's have a baby tomorrow.
We good." -I'm just saying.
I'm saying, like, I get you saying like, "If I ran."
You're positioning yourself to run.
Like, here's our different mental.
You're saying, "If I ran."
I don't run Hollywood, but I run my business.
And my business is very valuable to Hollywood.
Hollywood needs business. They need content.
We create content. -Yes.
-We are a part of the small percentage of people
that are talent in front and behind the camera.
That does not exist.
So the percentile of 0.4% that you're in,
it allows you to move and operate differently.
I don't want to change your mind-set.
I'm just trying to make you aware.
You are a part of a very small piece,
and this piece navigates through hallways, back doors,
fucking hills, peaks, valleys.
-So, are you saying get pregnant tomorrow?
-I'm saying that you -- I can't say it.
I got to be careful how I say this because, once again,
I cannot speak for a woman because I'm not a woman.
I'm saying that your happiness is your happiness.
-I accept that. -That's it.
Well, you have no choice to accept it
because it's actually right.
-Okay, well, calm down. -Okay?
-Now you Hollywood. Okay.
"I'm correct." -Okay.
Okay, guys, we're gonna take a quick break.
We'll be right back with more "Hart to Heart" after this.
**
-Welcome back to "Hart to Heart."
I'm sitting here with Issa Rae.
Family aside, do you come from a big family?
-I do. I'm the middle of five.
-Five?! -Yeah.
-God damn.
Same mom, same dad?
Wow!
-Yes. -Wow!
-They made me want to have a big family.
I wanted four kids. -Dad -- good for him.
-Okay. -That's what I'm talking about.
-No. Yeah. -Yeah.
-Alright. -Hell, yeah.
-Sure. But he came from a big-ass family, too.
He had a lot of siblings.
I don't even know the number. -I know what that mean.
-Yeah, I know, right? -Yeah, I know what that mean.
-Yeah, you do. -My dad had that.
-Your dad had that? -Yeah, my dad passed away,
and I saw three niggas at a funeral
that said they was my other brothers.
"I have no idea who you is." Yeah.
-Did they look like you?
-Hey, I don't know what they looked like.
"I'm Stanley."
"You better get the fuck out of my face, man."
-[ Laughs ]
-"I don't know who you is. Jack, get out of here."
"Yeah, I don't know if your dad told you about me.
I'm Stanley." -[ Laughs ]
Why are their voices so deep?
-I don't know who they were, but they all talked like that.
They all talked like Batman.
"Yeah, I just wanted to let you know --"
Yeah, I know exactly what you talking about.
Yeah, when you said, "My dad,"
I know exactly what you're talking about.
Okay. But yours is different?
-My dad's dad, but my dad, you know, there's only five of us.
I'm pretty positive of that.
And then my mom had a smaller family.
She only had a sister. -Okay. So all close?
Brothers, sisters? -Yeah, my brothers and sisters.
Yeah. -Really?
And the reaction to your success from your family?
-So positive.
Yeah, just pride.
My dad was always like, you know,
in terms of me wanting to pursue this, was just like,
"This should be the backup plan.
You should always have, you know, education,
whether it's law or business degree.
Like, you just have to have that."
-Do you have one? Do you have a backup plan?
-Not anymore. No. -You did at one point?
-Yeah, for sure. -What was the backup plan?
-I mean, I was listening to him
'cause, you know, I felt like I had to,
but I was gonna go to law school.
I took the LSAT, and then I was just like,
"I really don't want to do this,"
'cause I had a friend who was just like --
she wanted to be a lawyer.
And I was like, "I don't feel that."
So I was like, "Well, I love business,
so let me go to business school."
That falls within his, like, mandates.
And so just when I was about to take the GMAT,
"Awkward Black Girl" popped off,
and I was like, "Oh, never mind, Dad."
And then even still after, like --
up until, like, the Shonda deal,
up until "Insecure," he was asking about,
like, "Well, what's up with grad school?
What's up with grad school?"
-When did it click and become a reality,
like, okay, "My daughter is successful"?
-When I was on "NPR."
Then he was like, "Oh, wow, you're doing okay.
NPR. I listen to this every morning.
Okay, this is a thing."
And so that to him was like, "Okay, she's on the right path
and, you know, she doesn't need me."
And that's all parents care about, like, "Are you good?
Because I just want you to be good at the end of the day."
But everybody else is, like, super positive.
And for a while, like, my older brothers, the top two --
I'm right in the middle -- my older brothers
were just very successful in, like, the corporate world,
and the three of us, the bottom three --
that's what we call ourselves -- we were kind of the losers
'cause we were just -- -Well, that's aggressive.
-Because we were, like, you know,
we didn't have traditional jobs and we were pursuing the arts,
which is just like -- that's not --
-Losers. -[ Laughs ]
Yeah, my younger brothers, you already know.
You know if your kids came to you and were just like,
"I want to be..."
-That's why that big-family shit,
that's not what people think it is.
You get some kids early that pop off
and do what they're supposed to.
You young, you come out as the rebel and you're more creative.
"Get your stupid ass upstairs and read a book."
Yeah, that's exactly what it becomes.
-But we're all good now, like, and we're all, you know...
-What does your mom and dad do?
-My mom is a teacher. My dad is a doctor.
-Wow. I love it.
-Yeah. -I love the foundation.
It was like a solid foundation, solid home growing up.
-Mm-hmm. Yeah, he was...
he was from Senegal and built a practice in Inglewood.
I only realized, like, the parallels between us, like,
and how me watching him from a distance,
like, build this practice, this clinic in Inglewood
and have, you know, the respect of the neighborhood,
'cause when I was growing up and I was going to school,
people would be like, "Oh, your dad is my doctor."
They'd see my last name and they'd be like, "Oh, Dr. Diop."
Actually, it's "jope."
"Oh, Dr. Diop, that's my doctor."
And I'd be like -- You know, I'd feel proud of that.
-You knew everybody's business.
Mm-hmm. Yeah.
"I know what you got, Stan. Mm-hmm.
You burning, ain't you?
Dad told me."
"Shut up, Issa!"
"I just wanted to let you know I know.
Get your dirty dick ass up out of here.
I know exactly what..."
-First of all, he's a pediatrician.
So...
-Oh, I chose wrong. [ Both laugh ]
-So, no, I didn't know about the kids' pee-pees.
-Got it, got it, got it.
-And then she was a French teacher at, like,
you know, some hood high schools.
-You know, Issa, talking to people is one thing.
Respecting them is completely another, right?
Like, it's a much bigger deal
when you have a high level of respect.
Not only do I respect you, I love your hustle.
I love that you're not done.
Coming on this show, giving me an opportunity to talk to you,
that's one thing, but giving me more of an opportunity
to respect you more than I did, that's another, and I really do.
I love the fact that I now have this,
because now you got to talk to me differently when I call you.
-[ Laughs ]
-You can't think I'm full of shit,
and you got to get out your head
when it comes to what we can do and how we can do it.
And if we don't do something together,
then we've done ourselves a disservice.
-Facts. -Can we agree on that?
-Yes. -Whatever that thing is,
there's no reason why my world
and your world can't collide in some way, shape, or form.
You're doing too much, and so am I.
I don't want to watch you do it by yourself.
Don't fucking feel like you're gonna bother me,
because you're not.
-You guys heard it live.
I want to -- -This is not live.
-I want everybody to hold him -- -Okay.
-No, it's live. -It's not live.
-Right now, it's 3:52. -Don't do that.
You just messed up the opportunity to go live, okay?
You just messed it up. Issa, it's not live.
-It's 3:52 right now.
And that's an accurate time
because this is coming to an end.
-Okay. -So hold him accountable.
-Okay. You get what I'm saying.
Don't fucking do us a disservice.
Let's figure it out. -Okay.
-Congrats on all your success. Cheers to you.
-Thank you so much. Hustle, man. Appreciate you.
-I appreciate you.
This is "Hart to Heart." It doesn't get better than that.
The conversations are conversations
that should be had. Why?
Well, because nobody else is having them.
Why? Well, because nobody else can.
'Cause they don't have this host.
My name is Kevin Hart, and this is Issa Rae.
Come on, guys. Give it to her how we always do.
That's right. -Thank you so much.
[ Applause ]
**