Issa Rae Covers SELF Mag, Talks Marriage Announcement, Motherhood And More

Congrats to Issa Rae whose latest magazine cover is the new issue of SELF!

Source: Andy Jackson / SELF Magazine

In the interview with SELF’s editor-in-chief, Issa addresses her decision to post the news of her South of France nuptials to longtime love Louis Diame on Instagram with a caption that called it “a photoshoot,” saying,

“I still try to be private about my personal life, but that was something that I knew was going to be shared, and I just wanted to share it on my own terms.”

Source: Andy Jackson / SELF Magazine

Issa also speaks on her newlywed status, sharing, “I’m extremely happy,” but she also reveals that she isn’t sure she wants to have kids — adding:

“I like my life, I like this selfishness, and I know that I have a window. I’ve always felt that way, that women, Black women especially—unless you’re Viola Davis or Angela Bassett—you have a window when people are going to want to continue to see you and see what you can do. Then there are so many limitations placed upon you, and that does keep me up. I want to do as much as I can while I still can. I know it’s not the proper mentality to think that kids will slow you down, but I do feel that way.”

Do you agree? I also think it’s interesting that she raises Viola Davis and Angela Bassett as examples, they are both actresses and producers who chose to become mothers later in life — using alternative methods, adoption in Davis’ case and surrogacy in Bassett’s.

Source: Andy Jackson / SELF Magazine

Issa also addressed her reasons for keeping so quiet about her personal life, noting that she became guarded about sharing so much of herself on social media because she was uncomfortable of other people’s commentary about her.

“The more I started to seep out, the more I felt like people took ownership of me and my decisions and things that I did. That’s just not something that sat right with me, and I found that I don’t like to be the subject of conversations that I don’t initiate. There’s just something uncomfortable about that.”

Source: Andy Jackson / SELF Magazine

One of our favorite parts of the interview is Issa puts a lot of focus on her efforts to give back to the community and her efforts to support Black-owned businesses and community.

“Living here and even having my office in South L.A. and Inglewood and just seeing what we don’t have, and the only time that resources are put into our communities are when white people are moving in, that’s so frustrating,” she notes.

Source: Andy Jackson / SELF Magazine

Issa is actively investing her own money into the community as a co-owner of the Inglewood location of Hilltop Coffee + Kitchen, among other ventures. Read more about that and her thoughts on preserving Black resources in the full article HERE.

We gotta say we absolutely love the wardrobe styling by Jason Rembert! Issa keeps her squad tight. In addition to the shoot being styled by Rembert, the makeup is by Joanna Simkin at The Wall Group and her hair was styled by Felicia Leatherwood. Issa’s manicure is by Naomi Gonzalez-Longstaff at ABTP.

We can’t wait for the final season of “Insecure” and the pilot for “Rap Sh*t”! Have you guys watched “The Sweet Life,” the reality show Issa produced?