Issa Rae First To Receive A Key To Inglewood In The City's 114-Year History

Thug Yoda would be bhoked up right now!

Source: Karim Saafir / Getty

Nobody puts on for their city like Issa Rae! She literally made it an art form as the vibrant playground for the iconic HBO series Insecure. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the mayor gave Issa the key to the city on Saturday at the Taste of Inglewood festival.

Mayor James T. Butts named the media mogul “Queen of Inglewood” as she became the first to ever receive this honor. Issa, who also showcased her hometown as executive producer of HBO Max’s Sweet Life: Los Angeles, was understandably overwhelmed at the historic honor.

“I’m a little emotional. I’m trying to be a thug right now. The mayor really kind of flabbergasted me in that this is the first key in 114 years, so that’s a huge honor. I just want to thank you all so much for your support — thank you to the mayor, thank you to the city of Inglewood for making it so easy for us to film here, for helping us showcase this city that I love that so much.”

She went on to explain how her roots in the area go back for generations.

“I have to give love to my grandparents who have lived here, have lived in Briarwood for a long time and who established my first point of view of Inglewood and love the city themselves; my mom and my sister who live here actively and just for being here,” she said. “I have to give a shout-out to my collaborators and my company members at Hoorae who have come out here to support me. I’m truly honored to receive this. I will always put on for my city: Inglewood, South L.A., stand up.”

It seems like every day Issa is making another dream come true, but this time she did more than speak it into existence. We got to watch it unfold for her character in the final season of Insecure. On the “Choices, Okay?!” episode of the hit show, we see Issa Dee fast forward through the glow-ups on two potential career paths. One of them lead to Tyra Banks awarding the fictional Issa with a key to the city.

Tyra may not have been on stage for the real deal, but the Super Bowl taking place across the street from the festival at Inglewood’s SoFi Stadium brings even more stars to the community. In her new partnership with Airbnb, Issa’s using the high-profile weekend to help visitors fall in love with Black Los Angeles her way by offering a luxurious stay for only $56 a night.

In addition to the Inglewood honor, Issa received the 2022 Visionary Award from the Producers Guild for “inspiring, uplifting stories that add unique value to society and culture” in television, film, and new media.

“Issa makes us excited for the future of television! With her series ‘Insecure,’ she achieved the highest levels of comedy, perspective and performance possible, and her sharp wit and distinct voice will undoubtedly continue to drive quality entertainment featuring underrepresented voices,” said Producers Guild of America presidents Gail Berman and Lucy Fisher.

“Beyond Issa’s prolific work, she is a role model and inspiration to the next generation of creatives through her mentorship programs like ColorCreative, and more recently, Project Greenlight. We are thrilled to honor Issa this year.”

Sis is truly unstoppable! Congratulations, Issa!