Meet Issa Rae’s Family: Exploring Her Senegalese Roots, Parents, and Siblings

The Breakdown: Issa Rae's parents helped shape her into the woman she is today. They raised the actor and her siblings in multiple locations, including time spent in Senegal.

Since bursting onto the scene with Insecure, Issa Rae has been that girl. Her journey from the web series The Misadventures of Awkward Black Girl to creating and starring in her own HBO show proves she was destined for greatness. The Los Angeles native has become a prominent figure in Hollywood, yet she stays close to her roots. Issa’s parents have supported her career from the beginning — and they’re accomplished in their own right. Here is a look at Issa’s parents and her LA upbringing.

Issa’s father, Dr. Abdoulaye Diop, is a pediatrician from Senegal, and her mother, Delyna Diop (née Hayward), is an educator from Louisiana. They met while studying in France and went on to have five children. The actor spent parts of her childhood in Senegal, until her dad fell victim to scammers.

“Life was great, for two years. Until my father attempted to build a hospital in Senegal and instead got ripped off by the government, losing most of his money in the process,” she wrote in her memoir, The Misadventures of Awkward Black Girl (per Vanity Fair). “That’s when, to my sadness and my older brothers’ relief, we packed our bags to return to the States.”

The family later moved to Potomac, Md., before settling in Los Angeles. Issa went on to attend King/Drew Magnet High School of Medicine and Science, where she began acting. Her parents divorced during her high school years, which strained her relationship with her dad.

Issa has spoken about the cultural differences that contributed to her parents' separation, noting the challenges of blending their backgrounds. Despite the difficulties, Issa is a self-proclaimed "Halfrican," a term she uses to describe her heritage.

Issa is not the only creative in her family. Lamine, Issa's younger brother, is a rapper and producer who goes by the stage name ENIMAL. He’s 6'6", bearded, and has the internet swooning. He even inspired one of Issa’s early web series, Fly Guys Present: The 'F' Word, and starred in it too. Issa’s other siblings — Amadou, Malick, and Elize — keep a lower profile.

Issa has opened up about the bond she shares with her brothers, thanks to their shared love of basketball. “It's just about being able to sit there with them, and then to also have my own gatherings and watch the game,” she told People, adding, “I think there's just nothing more special than being in a room and everybody's rooting for the same team. Everybody's emotional about whatever the plays are and just getting excited about rooting for people."

The Diop siblings have been through it all together — from living in a multilevel house in Dakar with maids and a security guard to moving back to the States after their father’s business venture in Senegal fell through.