One thing (out of many) you have to appreciate about Issa Rae is she’s unapologetically confident. However, confidence wasn’t a quality she acquired overnight. Rae tells EDITION, "The one insecurity that I'm proud to overcome is approval of others. I've grown to a place where I'm making stuff for me, and I always was, but with me in mind. ‘Am I happy? Is this what I want to see? Is this going to be my favorite show? Am I happy that I made this?’"

And her word of advice for anyone trying to reach a Rae-style level of success is this: If she can do it, then anyone with the right drive and passion can too. Rae adds, “The legacy that I want to leave behind for people who look like me is for them to feel seen, for them to honestly look at me and what I've been able to do so far and look at the kind of person I am - impulsive, procrastinator, idealistic - and say: 'Oh, if that b*tch can do it, then I can do it too.'"

Check out our exclusive BTS video interview with Rae post-photoshoot above. See the amazing photos below.