Leaving home is hard, but Isaiah Rashad is doing it — or at least he’s in the process of it. After his inaugural release, Cilvia Demo, on TDE in Winter 2014, Tennessee’s scrip-popping poet has laid low in a state of limbo much to the chagrin of his following. The Volunteer’s freshman effort showcased a well-versed repertoire mature for his age, and while Cilvia’s replay value rings true, Zay’s catalogue has suffered through the same waiting game as the rest of the Top Dawg breed. Marinating back and forth between Tennessee and his California rendezvous, Spottie’s withstood quite the quasi-exile from the TDE soundwaves aside from some buzz-worthy cuts over the past two years. Gripes and groans should subside, however, with Rashad’s shining new release, The Sun’s Tirade. Soaking up the pedigree of Top Dawg Entertainment’s culture is an opportunity any rapper would envy, and just as TDE has proven time and again, their latest release soothes the torment of its purgatory.
With Cilvia Demo as its prologue, Tirade divulges Zay’s conflicted tale to an even further degree. A vacillating narrative twisted by self-medication, California sunshine, and the nostalgia of home, Zay juxtaposes these shifting worlds with stories both bleak and redeeming. Prescribing Xanax and liquor to combat “two tears on the inside” and small city woes on “Stuck in the Mud (featuring SZA),” he speaks not only of himself but of so many others clawing to escape their swamp of troubles. But even stationed in the California glam, Rashad seemingly can’t escape his scarred memories of Chattanooga. “Rope (feat. SiR) // rosegold” strategically adds insult to the injury of Zay’s absent father, and after admitting that he’s burnt out on “AA,” Spottie goes on to reminisce on “havin’ nothin’ but my momma and some Starter on my muthafuckin’ birthday,” a recollection among a host of others calling him to the opportunities of a bigger world.
A spawn of this hyper-aware generation, Shad meets fire with fire on his own tirade, acknowledging the noise of the streets and interwebs through a series of satirical skits with Top Dawg co-president, Dave Free. “I don’t understand this process, dog,” Free laments over the album’s intro “where u at?” “Everybody was bumpin’ yo last shit, you don’t wanna get your next shit out? You don’t care? You got until Friday, bro,” he says, mocking the grievances of TDE faithful. Later on he goes as far to demand Zay to “Find a motherfuckin’ topic,” chalking him up as just another one of those “complicated ass young motherfuckers” that populate Hip Hop’s burgeoning future. Surely, both Rashad’s path and his music are marred by complication but quips from the peanut gallery present little significance in comparison to the dichotomic tug of war inside his mental.
Luckily for Rashad, it’s the bigger world this TDE dreadhead was bred for. He swears to his mother over the piano of “Park” that “I knew I was ‘bout it, way before venue was crowded,” subsequently proving his worth with performances like “Free Lunch,” “Tity and Dolla (with Hugh Augustine and Jay Rock),” and by going bar for bar with K. Dot on their souled out collab, “What’s Wrong.” And if it feels like he’s “running in circles,” that’s because he is. Of all the drugs Zay partakes in, stardom and money are his strongest vices and they occur at the expense of his loved ones. He confesses to his girl on the kickback poetry of “Silk Da Shocka” that he “chose the world in the end,” and admits on “Dress Like Rappers” that he didn’t have enough time to visit his daughter while he was home before having to head back to Cali. Still scaling to new heights, Zay’s greatest conflict at this point isn’t his sporadic release cycle, it’s finding his equilibrium between fame and fam.
This balancing act unfurls seamlessly across the album’s duration, and even through enduring obstacles, Tirade is a refined exercise in Spottie’s advancement as an artist. Back and better than ever are the spaced-out blues he demonstrated on Cilvia Demo, and even if Shad’s slurred bars suffer from hints of attention deficit, he scales scat-riddled verses more smoother than any TDE artist not named Cornrow Kenny. “I used to could’ve, would’ve, should’ve,” he says on the album’s outro “by george (outro),” keywords being “used to.” With Tirade, it’s irrefutable that Rashad is all aboard his fated train to rap relevance. He’s saddled with baggage from back home, but he’s also supplied with a pen and a set of blueprints left behind by Hip Hop forefathers. So while the sun’s criticism beats down on him at the station, Zay knows his odyssey will be one of pain but equally fruitful returns.
Fire
Album is Sick Been Playing this since it leaked a couple hours before the release. Each Listen gets better. Homies Be playing it all of sudden at first they was like its ok. A day later they be like take a zany make dem problems go away..805 Calilife. Dis album was much needed. Been looking 4 a physical copy in stores cant find 1 Thanks man 4 a sick ass album its knockin album worth my $.
Mood that he set on the album is so dope and chill..
Vibes are incredible
Killed it
I shit my pants after hearing this! No lie.
Damn!
this is going down in my book as one of the best albums in the past 5 years (top 100 in 5 years)
Trash. TDE stay dropping trash albums
Do you even know what music is
Huge fan but album was a let down
Couldnt agree more. Love Zay, album was NOT what i wanted / expected, maybe both Zay and myself have just changed in opposite directions since Cilvia, still will crank that tho for sure, and Smile . . . Thas bout it
If you hate on Rashad, you garbage. Givin it a 5 to counter the corny ass 1 and 2 below me. This album is a 3 MINIMUM.
Great album review, enjoy how y’all take your time to sit with the album before review. On another note I thought that was Schoolboy on those skits, which are so dope
It is a great album. TDE is becoming the predominant label putting out quality albums after albums. Good review, was worried y’all might come back with some bullshit lol.
Nothing is 5 but its up there and definitely notletdown. On another note it looks like someone didnt take the final mixing of the production very seriously with skips in the tempo(wats wrong or example). Still a great album.
Great album. I’ve been bumping this consistently for the past two weeks. This is a project that really grows on me. The background story of addiction, abandonment, setbacks and the false allure of being a professional rapper makes the suns tirade a gem of an album. This is indeed not cilvia demo. Zaywop is growing into his potential. TDE keeps the bar high. 4.5
glad to see that he is not going unnoticed. This is better than 99 percent of rap albums in the last 5 years including tpab and gkmc btw.
one thing though. TDE needs to put in some more work on gettin artists names out there. they sittin on gold and not not that many people know.
Also. The mix and mastering are terrible. It ain’t rashads fault though. TDE skimpin on production. I love the minimalist beats and that is not the problem. The highs are crunchy and faint through the whole album. I love lo fi production and all but damn it still has to sound good. I know what kind of production value you guys can pull off. I heard that Q and dot shit. Come on wit it. This cat deserves better. Cilvia sounded better than this sonically come to think of it. sounds like they cut cost and had some intern mix this shit. My little deaf cousin could make better sounds with garage band on his i pad man. I aint holdin against him though. still a 4 at least. Hit me up if you need to though. I got a degree in recording. Shit
This album and that new ezale & dj fresh tonite show joint are dope as hell,salute to them brothas
Album is ok, but Cilvia was more cohesive and much better executed project as far as production and engineering.
I agree Cilvia Demo was more raw and had broad substance. It would be nice to have some cleaner vocals and maybe better direction, however maybe the lack of direction is what defines this album too.
took a minute but it grew on me like a muthafucka. Loving it more each listen and needs to be played as a whole to get the most out of it and get what Isiah be aiming for here. Easily in the top 5 releases this year, so far anyways
spell check my ass, apologies
Album was okay. Great production, and Isaiah definitely has potential. But for me he mumbles over the beats far too much, and relies on the vibe to carry the songs rather than spitting some nice bars, giving us a story to follow. Also album was a little too long, really started to drag towards the end.
Great work. Keep it up Zay. I love the way TDE doesn’t saturate the market with its artist on half baked projects. They take their time and it shows.
Album was really good. It’s an easy listen with a nice mellow vibe. Perfect for blazing something and just chillin. I hear the currency influence more than ever now. There’s at least two songs/verses where he’s giving you Spitta’s flow. Good vibes!
fuckin snooze fest… TDE is all about the hype no delivery.
Finally a really well written review from DX. You guys had been falling off pretty badly with your reviews considering you were known for it once.
The album sounds really promising and I am going to definitely listen to it. Waiting for the Ab-Soul album though!
Great album, very reminiscent of 8 Ball & MJG Comimg Out Hard Album. Just relatable in all aspects of everyday life. Isaiah Rashard definitely has a Classic in the making.
Took all of the amazing aspects of Cilvia Demo and none of the bad ones and mixed them with phenomenal beats. Very mellow, very good.
Overrated in my opinion. Not bad but nothing special. Cilvia Demo way better, and this album is nowhere near being better than De La Souls new one.
dope record
This album put me to sleep. I really enjoyed Cilvia Demo so this was a disappointment for me.
so fucking sick. Isaiah killed it
In my top 3 of the year.
Really dope album. Could do without about three tracks and for me thats what makes Cilvia Demo better than this. The beats snap tho. He elevated that soulful, kwaito jazz sound. Nice one Zay.
Find a topic.
#stoned and the album driving me into high world…
Bumping this everyday!
Impressive. Easily in my top 5.
5/5
love this album i wished he put out more music
Pretty good
this album is still on rotation and will be for a looooong time 5/5 rashad’s scored a classic imo
Honestly one of my favorite albums of all time. Perfect mix of smooth songs with a few bangers. Great lyricism, flow, and instrumentals throughout. On top of all of this; this album has multiple songs that are emotional that many people can relate too. 5 out of 5, 100 out of 100.