Issa Rae on the music business: ‘It’s an abusive industry... it needs to start over’

Issa Rae in a scene from the show “Insecure.” The show, which is airing its final episode on Sunday, is known for a “modern, alternative R&B” soundtrack. “I’m not always confident in the story itself.” With “Insecure,” set to conclude Sunday night with a highly anticipated series finale, Rae, 36, wanted to channel the spirit of some of the classic soundtracks of the 1990s, “when music really, really mattered in movies and television shows,” as she puts it. As examples, she points to “Boomerang,” “Soul Food,” “Love Jones” and “Waiting to Exhale.” Now she’s leaving behind a classic of her own: For five seasons, “Insecure” has showcased what the series’ music supervisor, Kier Lehman, calls “modern alternative R&B,” long on breathy vocals and vibey production that lend valuable emotional detail to the show’s layered storylines. Yet the show has also served as a crucial incubator for emerging artists, including many from L.A. “I never get more texts than when my music is on ‘Insecure,’” says TeaMarrr, a singer and rapper with a jazzy, Billie Holiday-ish lilt. Rae recently spoke about “Insecure’s” musical legacy, her impressions of the record industry — and which song was robbed of a major nomination for next month’s Grammy Awards.