Isaiah Rashad facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Isaiah Rashad
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Isaiah Rashad performing in 2014
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Isaiah Rashad Joel McClain |
| Born | May 16, 1991 Chattanooga, Tennessee, U.S. |
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| Years active | 2009–present |
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Isaiah Rashad Joel McClain (born May 16, 1991) is an American rapper. He first became known after performing on the 2012 Smoker's Club Tour with other rappers. He is also a founder of The House, a hip hop group from Chattanooga, Tennessee. He started this group with rappers YGTUT, Michael Da Vinci, Chris P, and Brian Brown.
Isaiah Rashad signed with Top Dawg Entertainment, a record label based in Carson, California. He released his first mixtape, Cilvia Demo, in 2014. This mixtape was very popular and was his first music to appear on the Billboard 200 chart. It also led to him being featured in XXL Magazine's 2014 Freshman Class issue, which highlights new artists. His first studio album, The Sun's Tirade (2016), also received great reviews and reached number 17 on the chart. Later, he signed with Warner Bros. Records and released his second album, The House Is Burning, in 2021.
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Early Life
Isaiah Rashad Joel McClain was born on May 16, 1991, in Chattanooga, Tennessee. His mother, who was a hairdresser, mostly raised him. When he was young, his father would let him stay up late to listen to music by artists like Too $hort and Scarface. His father left the family when Rashad was three years old.
For a short time, Rashad thought about becoming a preacher. But in junior high, his stepbrother gave him a copy of OutKast's album ATLiens. After that, Rashad spent most of his time rapping. When he was young, his mother and stepfather were part of the Five-Percent Nation, and he remembers going to a mosque with them.
Music Career
2009–2012: Starting Out
Rashad began rapping seriously in tenth grade. He and his friends would record songs using laptops. For a while, his first stage name was Zay Taylor. After high school, he attended Middle Tennessee State University. A friend who studied music production introduced Rashad to someone with a recording studio. It turned out this person was his cousin, who let Rashad record for free.
When his cousin moved to a different job, Rashad recorded at various local studios. He stopped going to school and lived wherever he could find a place to record. He started connecting with people in the music industry, like DJ Z from DJBooth.net and Jeff Weiss, a writer for Rolling Stone. This helped his music get noticed by different record labels. From July to August 2012, Isaiah Rashad went on the 2012 Smoker's Club Tour with artists like Juicy J and Smoke DZA. In December 2012, many record labels started showing interest in Rashad. He also released many free songs on SoundCloud, using beats from famous producers like MF Doom and Flying Lotus, which helped him become more popular.
2013–2014: Signing with a Label and Cilvia Demo
In March 2013, Rashad met Dave Free from the production team Digi+Phonics. Dave Free then introduced him to Anthony Tiffith, the CEO of Top Dawg Entertainment (TDE). TDE is an independent record label based in Carson, California. On June 3, 2013, news spread that Rashad might sign with TDE, which was home to rappers like Kendrick Lamar, ScHoolboy Q, Ab-Soul, and Jay Rock. However, the label did not make an official announcement right away. For several months, the label and Rashad kept the signing a secret.
Then, on September 20, 2013, Top Dawg Entertainment officially announced the signing on Twitter. Rashad later shared that he had been signed to the label since March. After signing, Rashad moved to Los Angeles, California. He began living and recording at the TDE Red Room Studio. To celebrate the signing, a music video for a new song called "Shot You Down" was released. This was his first new song in over a year. The video was filmed in his hometown of Chattanooga, Tennessee. On October 1, 2013, a video was released showing Rashad signing his contract with TDE.
On October 15, 2013, Isaiah Rashad appeared on national television for the first time. He took part in the TDE Cypher during the 2013 BET Hip Hop Awards. He performed alongside his label-mates Kendrick Lamar, Ab-Soul, ScHoolboy Q, and Jay Rock. XXL magazine praised his performance, noting how well he did under pressure. Entertainment Weekly also complimented his part in the cypher. On October 18, 2013, a remix of "Shot You Down" featuring ScHoolboy Q and Jay Rock was released on SoundCloud.
On November 7, 2013, Rashad told Revolt that he would release his first official project, Cilvia, in December 2013. At the end of 2013, HipHopDX named Rashad a runner-up for their "Rising Star of the Year" award. In early January 2014, Complex magazine listed him as one of the new rappers likely to become famous in 2014. In mid-January 2014, Rashad announced that Cilvia would be his first extended play (EP) and would not have many guest artists. On January 17, CEO Top Dawg revealed the cover art for the EP. He also announced that Cilvia Demo would be released digitally on January 28, 2014. The EP included guest appearances from TDE's SZA and Jay Rock, and ScHoolboy Q on the "Shot You Down" remix. The day before the EP's release, Rashad put out the music video for the Cilvia Demo song, "Soliloquy".
Cilvia Demo was released on January 28, 2014, through digital stores. It was also available on CD only from Top Dawg Entertainment's website. Cilvia Demo received great reviews and debuted at number 40 on the US Billboard 200 chart. It sold 8,500 copies in the United States during its first week.
2014–2016: The Sun's Tirade and More Recognition
From March to June 2014, Rashad toured with ScHoolboy Q on his international tour. This tour supported ScHoolboy Q's third studio album, Oxymoron. On May 5, 2014, XXL announced that Rashad was part of their annual freshman class. This class also included other rising artists like Chance the Rapper, Ty Dolla $ign, Rich Homie Quan, Vic Mensa, August Alsina, Troy Ave, Kevin Gates, Lil Bibby, Jon Connor, Lil Durk, and Jarren Benton. On July 18, 2014, Rashad performed at the Pitchfork Music Festival. The next year, it was announced that Rashad would be featured in a docu-series by Sprite. This series supported the brand's "Obey Your Verse" Lyrical Collection.
On August 30, 2015, Rashad tweeted that he had finished his next project after Cilvia Demo. He said it would be released soon. On September 20, 2015, Anthony "Top Dawg" Tiffith stated that new music from Rashad would come out by the end of 2015. On September 23, 2015, Rashad released a new song called "Nelly," which was highly praised. Rashad later confirmed that his upcoming project would be his first studio album. On January 14, 2016, the album's second song, "Smile," was released online and received positive feedback.
In August 2016, he released the song "Free Lunch" to great acclaim. He later confirmed the release date for his first studio album. After releasing two new songs, "I Mean" and "Park," Rashad released his debut studio album, The Sun's Tirade, on September 2, 2016. The album received widespread critical acclaim. It debuted at number 17 on the US Billboard 200, selling 19,000 copies in its first week.
On October 24, 2016, Rashad announced his first U.S. headlining tour, the Lil Sunny Tour, on Twitter. The tour included 22 cities and began in January 2017. Because many shows sold out, Rashad announced that his tour would extend to 24 more cities. He also added second shows in Chicago, Boston, and New York.
2017–present: The House Is Burning
On October 23, 2017, Rashad sent out several tweets hinting that a new album was coming. This album would be his second studio album and third full-length project from Rashad and Top Dawg Entertainment. It would follow successful releases by fellow TDE artists SZA and Kendrick Lamar. In May 2019, Rashad played parts of several unreleased songs. During an Instagram live video on June 20, 2019, he played a new part of a song produced by Kenny Beats. He also announced the title of his upcoming studio album would be The House Is Burning. On April 22, 2020, Rashad released the song "Why Worry" as part of TDE's Fan Appreciation Week.
In an interview for The Fader, Rashad announced that The House Is Burning was planned for release in June 2021. On May 7, 2021, Rashad released the album's first song, "Lay wit Ya," featuring Duke Deuce. A music video directed by Omar Jones was released with it. It was also announced that Rashad had signed a joint deal with Warner Bros. Records. On June 17, 2021, Rashad released the album's second song, "Headshots (4r da Locals)." A music video for the song was released six days later. It was directed by Jack Begert and Mez Heirs. On July 7, 2021, Rashad showed the album's cover art and a July 30 release date on his social media. Pitchfork gave this album a rating of 7.6 out of 10.
Artistry and Influences
Isaiah Rashad's music often has a dreamy, old-school feel. His lyrics are thoughtful and discuss topics like feelings of sadness and family. Jason Moore from Complex said that Rashad "raps carefully, smartly, and with accuracy." He changes his rapping style to fit different music and makes every line important.
Rashad's first EP, Cilvia Demo, is a concept album. This means it tells a story or explores a specific idea. According to Rashad, it summarizes his teenage life and thoughts during a short time. His album The Sun's Tirade talks about his experiences overcoming sadness.
Rashad has said that OutKast, especially Big Boi, Scarface, and Jay-Z, have greatly influenced his music. He also names Erykah Badu, Gnarls Barkley, ScHoolboy Q, T.I., and Lil Wayne as major influences. Other artists he grew up listening to or still enjoys include Nas, Snoop Dogg, No Limit Records, Cash Money Records, The Fugees, KRS-One, Dead Prez, Kanye West, Little Brother, Three 6 Mafia, 8Ball & MJG, UGK, George Clinton, James Brown, The Temptations, Smokey Robinson, Gorillaz, and Danger Mouse.
Personal Life
Isaiah Rashad has three children. When he signed with Top Dawg Entertainment, he got a tattoo of the label's logo to remember the partnership.
Discography
- The Sun's Tirade (2016)
- The House Is Burning (2021)
