After two years of battling addiction, falling into depression and facing disputes that almost cost him his spot on the Top Dawg Entertainment label, Tennessee rapper Isaiah Rashad manages to conquer his demons and live to tell the story on his debut album, “The Sun’s Tirade.”
On this new project, Rashad captures his listeners through emotion, cadence, flow and delivery. Even though he may have taken a step back from the complexities in his lyricism this time around, there are still a few songs showing he can still throw down the bars. An example of this is “Wat’s Wrong,” where we find Rashad going toe-to-toe lyrically with TDE label mate Kendrick Lamar. To many, this track may seem overdue since fans have been craving to hear two of the best lyricists in hip-hop today working together on the same track.
“4r Da Squaw” kicks the album off with a ’90s-inspired boom-bap beat. Rashad discusses the current state of his family and friends. Even though this topic was brought up on his previous work, “Cilvia Demo,” we got a sense that, during those times, Rashad was uncertain of the future due to issues with his father and the mother of his child. Now it seems Rashad has found common ground while also feeling that it is his responsibility to take care of the ones who helped him become the person he is today.
“Free Lunch” offers some feel-good vibes with a smooth beat complimented by Rashad’s smokey flow. “Park,” on the other hand, showcases the aggressiveness of Rashad’s passionate delivery as he spits some of the bluntest and most abrasive lyrics on the entire album.
“Rope” is easily one of the standouts on the project. Here, it seems Rashad may have taken inspiration from the blues music of his home state. This sound and the emotions driven from the cadence in Rashad’s voice clearly paints a picture of how a fallen figure climbs their way back to the top. The rope in the song serves as a metaphor for helping Rashad reach the top while simultaneously being the noose that could’ve been used if the depression got the best of him.
One of the biggest shortcomings of this project is “Don’t Matter,” an experimental cut with a dance-pop sound. Here Rashad has a hard time keeping up with the fast-paced tempo, and while him stepping out of his comfort zone is admirable, it doesn’t really work out. Other tracks such as “A lot” and “AA” suffer from sloppy delivery and mumbling vocals that seem like they could come from an artist like Future.
Closing off the LP, we are treated with one of my favorite tracks, “Find a Topic,” which is a direct response to a skit from an earlier song, “Silkk Da Shocka.” During the skit, co-president of TDE Dave Free jokes with Rashad about why his album hasn’t come out and that it’s not hard to find a concept for his material. Instead, he wants Rashad to stop trying to overthink everything and just be himself.
“The Sun’s Tirade” is the victory lap of someone who has finally conquered their demons. We see Rashad grow as an individual, spilling out society’s vices in a manner similar to other artists like Kendrick Lamar and Earl Sweatshirt. As a result, the biggest virtue is a transparent project that hopefully can help someone who is in dire need of optimism.
8/10
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