I suppose I could talk about his outlandish and numerous flows, or the absolutely perfect use of his features.
I could talk about the sound of this album and how he's got beats that mix A Tribe Called Quest with Outkast and Kendrick Lamar. Help yourself or hang yourself, it's up to you. When he says "Thank god I found this rope / I love you" on "Rope // rosegold" is he referring to the rope he was going to use to kill himself or is it the lifeline saving him? This album is whatever you want it to be, a Rorschach test for the listener to view and decide the results. No solutions are given, yet that's part of the joy of The Sun's Tirade. But still, "You're everything I love" he croons to his twenties, "Hoes and weed, and I can testify." And the listener looks in the mirror, too. Deep in the album, "Dressed Like Rappers" represents one of his few truly lucid moments as he examines "real life / what does it feel like?" He finally looks in the mirror and sees himself. Throughout all his drugged out misadventures Zaywop constantly wavers between wanting to clean up, live with his lover, and be a good father, but at the same time trying to be "rich as a bitch in a drop." These aren't even goals that conflict for most, but it's all Isaiah can think about while he's wasted. Songs like "Bday" and "A lot" are hazy, xan'd out stream of conscious raps that perfectly illustrate his total inability to concentrate on one idea when faded. Isaiah pours out his soul on this project and he's not scared to show the highest highs of hedonistic living nor the burnt out lows of the aftermath. Cilvia Demo proved his lyrical ability and The Sun's Tirade proves his mastery of one of the hardest but most important elements of hip hop: putting your life on wax. "I'm not no mother***ing maybe / I'm for mother***ing real, dog" he says on "4r da Squaw." He's not wrong. When TDE considers dropping you twice for not having music ready something is majorly wrong considering TDE's horrible release schedule, but they pick their artists for a reason after all. Flooded with new money and fame it's easy to see why Zaywop went off on a rampage fueled by weed, xanax, and alcohol, his family and the music be damned. To pen down one solid concept is impossible as this album soars all over, exploring within the bounds of Isaiah's life since dropping Cilvia Demo.
How do you write about something you absolutely love but where there is no topic except the lack of topic? Well, that's a lie. I've tried to write a review for this album numerous times since it came out and I've decided that I could never do it justice. Listen.Review Summary: "Doing what they can't and want" He acknowledges the wait, and the pressure it put on him, but it didn’t break him. For a rapper firmly rooted in the South, his fluidity moving through the different eras and regions of rap is impressive. Yet the Chattanooga rapper is just as comfy rhyming over some A Tribe Called Quest-esque 6/4-metered jazz riffs, classic DJ scratches, or celestial underground grittiness. I haven’t heard anyone come close to getting the best of Kendrick Lamar on a track, but Rashad goes bar for bar with him on “Wat’s Wrong.” He recalls the sounds of “B.O.B.”-era Outkast, prime UGK, the pinnacle of Cash Money, and other Southern gems excellently and effortlessly. Within the melancholy are frequent flashes of brilliance. Tracks like “Stuck In The Mud,” “AA,” and “Don’t Matter” take you all the way to the edge, and the only solace afforded you is knowing Rashad is doing better now. His sadness is palpable all over the album, but he expresses it beautifully.
Rashad is more comfortable in the shadows, and he doesn’t offer much in the form of redemption or hope, only allowing brief glimpses of light and hope into his space. He’s nestled even deeper into the dark, somber mood of Cilvia Demo. Retro jazzy vibes meet Dirty South sensibilities as he flexes his malleability by singing, sing-song rapping, and spitting slick, introspective, skillful bars.
Rashad could function as the sole Southern rep of Native Tongues just as easily as he fills the role for TDE. Though the excellent one-offs “ Smile” and “ i mean” didn’t make the cut, there is plenty of heat to go around on the 17-track behemoth.
#ISAIAH RASHAD THE SUNS TIRADE ALBUM ZIP FREE#
We’ve already heard “ Free Lunch” and “ Park,” and Rashad revealed a struggle with Xanax and alcohol as the reason for the two-year wait after his promising Cilvia Demo. The wait is finally over for The Sun’s Tirade, the proper full-length debut from TDE’s Southern delegate Isaiah Rashad.