Issa Rae at the 57th NAACP Image Awards held at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium on February 28, 2026 in Los Angeles, California.
US singer and actress Brandy attends the Recording Academy Honors Black Music Collective at the Fairmont Century Plaza in Los Angeles on January 29, 2026.
Key Takeaways
- Issa Rae delivered a tribute at Brandy’s Hollywood Walk of Fame ceremony, crediting “Moesha” for influencing her writing career.
- Rae said that without Brandy’s portrayal of Moesha, shows like “Girlfriends,” “The Parkers” and “Insecure” would not exist in the same way.
- Brandy received the 2,839th star on the Walk of Fame in the recording category and reflected on the honor during the ceremony.
Issa Rae made sure her words carried both gratitude and intention as she stepped up to honor Brandy at her Hollywood Walk of Fame ceremony on Monday (March 30). With a crowd that included Babyface, Kehlani, Monica and the cast of “Moesha,” Rae used her moment at the podium to draw a direct line between Brandy’s legacy and her own path as a storyteller.
“I’m so so honored to be here. I’ve never said yes faster to a text from my publicist,” the Emmy-nominated actress, writer and producer began. “I talk about Brandy in all of my interviews… The first time I saw Brandy, I had no idea how much I needed to see Brandy.”
From there, Rae walked the audience through her personal connection, recalling buying “I Wanna Be Down” as a kid and the early imprint the singer left on her life. But it was television, specifically “Moesha,” that shaped her vision. “Brandy is a star for so many reasons, but her transition to acting was a game-changer… It was really ‘Moesha’ that made me understand what was possible,” she continued. “It was the first show that I’d ever seen told from an ordinary Black teenage girl’s point of view, set in LA, the same city I was born in… Brandy made Moesha someone I wanted to befriend, the girl I wanted to be. At a time when beauty standards on television looked nothing like us, Brandy was the standard.”
Rae leaned into the cultural weight of the Grammy Award-winning artist’s presence, describing how effortless it all felt to watch growing up. “The smile, the eyes, the braids, the way she carried herself. She was cool without trying and beautiful without apology. Moesha gave me confidence,” she added. “And she made it all look effortless because she was putting in so much work, honestly. You didn’t know that from behind the scenes. The most inspirational part of her career is just how she had no lanes. As her career progressed, so did her ambitions. Movies, the first Black Cinderella... Broadway, producing — she didn’t need to stay in one lane.”
Then came the full-circle moment. “To me, Brandy was and is the blueprint,” the 41-year-old said. “Without Brandy as Moesha, there’s no ‘[The] Parkers’, there’s no ‘Girlfriends.’ There’s no ‘Insecure,’ and honestly, without ‘Moesha’ there’s no me as a writer because at 11 years old, that show gave me the confidence to write my very first TV sitcom, which was so so so bad, but thank God I got better. Brandy, I just want to thank you so much for your impact. Thank you for showing a little girl from LA that her story was worth telling, and this star has always been yours.”
Brandy’s Hollywood Walk of Fame moment cements a lasting legacy
Brandy received the 2,839th star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in the recording category, a milestone that reflects more than three decades of influence across music, television and film. The ceremony marked another major moment in a year already filled with recognition — including her Black Music Icon Award from the Recording Academy’s Black Music Collective.
When it was her turn to speak, the Mississippi native framed the honor as something deeper than celebration. “A star on the Walk of Fame is a definition of legacy,” she said. “It doesn’t just celebrate your success; it cements your story. It doesn’t just honor your work; it immortalizes your light. It is a symbol that says you didn’t just arrive, you endured. You didn’t just dream, you became… It means you made it in a way that stands the test of time. Not just in popularity, not just in the moment, but in a way that leaves fingerprints on culture, on art, and on history. That humbles me deeply. I know where I started, y’all.”
As her star was unveiled, it became clear that Rae’s words weren’t just tribute — they were testimony. For a generation of creatives, Brandy didn’t just open doors. She showed them they belonged in the room.