Isaiah Rashad Is So Southern & Smooth On ‘The Sun’s Tirade’

TDE’s Southern envoy, Isaiah Rashad has finally dropped his long awaited album, ‘The Sun’s Tirade’. And at seventeen tracks in length, the album has plenty of heat and smooth Southern soul to go around.

‘The Sun’s Tirade’ has been a long time coming. After a two and a half year wait, the follow up from Isaiah Rashad’s highly rated, 2014 ‘Cilvia Demo’ project is finally complete. Lined with smooth jazzy production and immaculate signature Rashad delivery, ‘The Sun’s Tirade’ doesn’t disappoint. With guest appearances from the likes of Skywalker, Kendrick Lamar, Jay Rock, Syd and other TDE family members, ‘The Sun’s Tirade’ is dusted with moments of hip-hop perfection and introspection.

From start to finish Isaiah is fearless, he lays every anxiety, every fear, every thought out on the table. Hailing from Chattanooga, Tennessee, Isaiah is a quintessentially Southern rapper, and while his signing to a West Coast label may seem like a bit of a curve ball, Rashad perfectly fits in with the TDE fam. Rashad doesn’t fit into the gangster rap persona of Jay Rock, nor does he reflect the Oxycontin dealing vibe of ScHoolboy Q – he embodies the early 90’s born child who’s battling their demons. The 90’s born child who’s locking themselves in a room and writing lyrics about their fucked up family, suicidal thoughts and substance abuse. But that’s why Rashad fits in with the TDE clique perfectly – they’ve got the full spectrum of rappers.

Standout moments on the album include the Kendrick Lamar aided track ‘Wat’s Wrong’, which sees Isaiah filter between melodic sing-along raps and gritty introspective lyricism (and Kendrick’s verse is absolute fire too). ‘Silkk Da Shocka’ which features Syd from The Internet, pays homage to the titular New Orleans rap veteran, while Syd and Rashad melodically mediate on how much his lover means to him. It’s these smooth, hazy, slow-jams where Rashad shines; on the SZA assisted ‘Stuck In The Mud’ the newest TDE signee’s eloquently delve into Rashad’s addiction and psychological battles. Having revealed the reason for his prolonged hiatus, down to an alcohol and Xanax addition, the skits on the album, including the opening skit ‘where you at’ – make a bit more sense.

Earlier last week Isaiah dropped the Dave Free and Christian Sutton directed video for his single ‘4r Da Squaw’. The video features Isaiah and his son on the boardwalk, and even though they haven’t got much money, they’ve got each other. Prepare yourself for a cuteness OD, check out the video above.

‘The Sun’s Tirade’ is available to buy via Apple Music, or stream via Spotify below.