Isaiah Rashad: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isaiah_Rashad

THIB (Homies Begged Linktree): https://isaiahrashad.lnk.to/thibhomies

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https://preview.redd.it/0khkvmmeytg81.png?width=225&format=png&auto=webp&s=1fb0369847ab44b5234c17e3b3461e63e856ad19

(Original Version)

Apple Music : https://music.apple.com/us/album/the-house-is-burning/1577188639

Spotify : https://open.spotify.com/album/6TQ8nqw43uUOWu7Yqp58ko

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCBY8aDToI-OBq2fe7NbwoqA (top dawg youtube)

Previously On Isaiah Rashad….

I can’t honestly tell you my introduction to Isaiah Rashad. I honestly have no clue at what point and time I started listening to his music. I just know at some point, “AA” and “A Lot” were some of my favorite songs to drive and smoke to. Sooner or later I shuffled and found “Park” which is the song I play when I’m frustrated and just wanna repeat something dope. Or maybe I’m trying to show someone his lyrical range. Whichever reason, “Park” quickly became one of my favorites from the album “The Sun’s Tirade”. On that very same shuffle, I found “Stuck in the Mud”. I could honestly listen to him and Sza go back and forth with the hook all day long. One of those truly soul touching hooks, especially, and I say again, ESPECIALLY if you’re going through something. Which leads me to “Silkk Da Shocka”. Hands down my favorite song from the album that introduced me to Isaiah. As a person who has dealt with depression multiple times in my life, I cannot tell you how much the ending bridge alone means to me when he says “I don’t wanna be here if I don’t gotta/my weed habit so close to snorting powder”. It made me reflect on my own usage and avoidance of the things I felt like were wrong in my life. So no, I really can’t tell you when I got into Isaiah Rashad. What I can say, is when I found him, he quickly became one of my favorite artists and I looked forward to anything he was doing from there on. Enter “The House Is Burning”

Id like to start this album review a little different, with a quote from XXXtentacion. “So, ill offer this warning and set of instructions; if you are not open-minded, before you listen to this album, open your mind. If you don’t listen to the alternative sound and you’ve never been into the alternative sound and have not been open to trying new things; open your mind before you listen to this album”. This to me, says everything I would need to say to somebody who’s listening to Isiah Rashad for the first time, or even more specifically the people reading this alternative review

When “Darkseid” opens, it feels like a time machine back to when I was a kid with the sound of the cassette turning over. Im talking about nostalgia era, the time when mixtape where the place to find your favorite artist performing at their best. The feeling I get from this track is one of jubilation and introspection. I feel introspective because this album dropped in the summer of the second year of COVID-19. At this time I was running around buying and reselling things from stores constantly. So the words “what am I supposed to do outside but get rich” could not have felt more true to my life, because since the beginning of the pandemic I had either been door dashing or buying things from the store to sell, so it embodied exactly how I felt. There is also a feeling of jubilation because of the same pandemic, that made all of us adjust differently, made me wait on new music and new movies with even more anticipation. Regardless of how good TENET was, it was AMAZING to me because I had been in the house dreaming of the day I could trip acid and go to the movies again. Same concept here. This track gave me a feeling of hope that one day things could get back to some kind of normal, although my favorite lyrics from the first track would never truly fade and would give me a sense of new purpose and ambition. Truly, “what am I supposed to do outside but get rich??”

Imagine the shootout scene thats usually at the end of a lot of “gangster” movies at the beginning. Thats the feel I got when “From the Garden” starts. Like I’ve skipped to the last scene in scarface and all I see is bullets flying, famous sayings and property damage. As an artist myself I can’t help but think that this track was put in this order for that reason. To open up with one of the most action packed scenes of the album. Im not sure about others, but before I knew the lyrics I was bobbing my head to the beat because it just feels so great paired with the lyrics of the hook “came out bussin”. While lil uzi isn’t the artist I would generally pick in a lot of scenarios, his additions to this track are appreciated. Adding that extra layer of bragging makes this feel like the perfect track to open any fashion show with

Your roots are obvious. They may not be as obvious to you, but people can always tell once you begin to speak or show your creative side where you got influences from. For me, it would be hard to listen to my music and not find influences of Lupe. For Isaiah, its hard to listen to his southern drawl and musical tendencies and not think of an Outkast or a 3 6 Mafia, so the sample at the beginning of the song fits perfectly. As a person who was never cool in high school, the lyrics “they say I’m a cool cat, fuck that I’m a top dawg” felt like home for me. What I took from those words is fuck what they say that I am, I am whatever I say I am. This truly feels like the type of track that you would ride around after dark in Houston with, wearing sunglasses watching candy paint change colors in the passing lights.

Track order is important. I didn’t feel this way as a youth, and even as recent as a couple years ago I’ve had arguments with friends about how it doesn’t seem to impact my listening experience. This is an album that could easily prove me wrong. It may be just me, but at this point in the album I felt fully invested. Sure I had heard an album from him before, so true to my nature and trying to be a legit fan, I always listen all the way through at least once even if I don’t like the music. In this case, its the opposite. I knew at this point I would be replaying this album at least a few times. I already had a specific bop that I came up with just for all the times Ive bobbed my head this far in the album alone. “Lay Wit Ya” is placed perfectly. After the last song, this feeling of riding around yet again with a crazy baseline was the perfect song to play next. If I felt like I was watching candy paint drip from others cars on the last one, this legit made me feel like I had joined a group of car enthusiasts in the same town, and this music is the soundtrack to us showing off the modifications we’ve all made to our cars. To further push this point, I won’t chose any favorite lyrics for this song because I would have to list every word, every cadence and every adlib. Being a writer I usually chastise my friends for not being descriptive, but this track truly is just a VIBE

Have you ever had a significant other be on the way? I won’t even go that far. Just somebody who you knew was down for anything and everything. For me that was a girl I met in the pandemic that was down to take acid etc. For you that may be talking to the girl you love until 4am about the rapidly declining state of society. Whatever that feeling is, if you could take that feeling, bottle it in 3:05 seconds, it would be this song. It feels like the perfect interlude from whatever you have been dealing with, to whatever experience that comes next and has you excited. Maybe thats Horizon Zero Dawn for you or a new strand of medical. But the feeling is something we can all relate to. Filled to the brim with anticipation. So when you listen to “claymore”, just close your eyes and embrace the feeling of being on a hip hop elevator, taking you to the top floor

Something that Isaiah does well, is also a point of peoples critique about him. I recommended a friend his music, telling him my high opinion of this album and his work beforehand. For some context, me and this friend were arguing about Russ not really being that dope. He goes and listens to this album, and comes back with the opinion he didn’t like it because, and I quote, “he isn’t saying anything” on this album. If I wasn’t already exhausted that day, this would have been my answer. He doesn’t talk about “anything”, he talks about EVERYTHING. I have not met him, but the general feeling I get from his music is not that of an artist who is telling you about a specific event, or even trying to teach you something. With tracks like “Headshots(4 da locals)” especially, my view is that he is making music for YOU to live to. He’s not recanting the serendipitous terms under which he made it where he is now(Kendrick-Duckworth), he’s not detailing a beautifully tragic story that he feels like he must pass on to others (J.Cole- 4 Your Eyes Only), he’s giving you music thats just ambiguous enough that it could be about the guy you knew in high school, or your cousin Earn, or YOU. Thats what makes his music great to me, is that his greatness is used to get out of the way and let you be great. “You caught me by surprise, in my brand new whip/peep me in the scope, if I’m gone don’t trip/bringing back the strong, up the bat, all hits baby”

Im not sure that anybody really makes rolling p music. Well, at least when it comes to rap it seems most songs are geared to the act of smoking itself. While I could be wrong, this song feels like a much closer version of what you would want to hear when you’re rolling up. Whether its the tone and singing abilities of Amindi, or the almost brainwashed chanting sounds of Isaiahs words, but this is one of my favorite songs to roll up to

By the song “Hey Mista**”** I’m reminded of two things. One, he is one of the best at having an interesting opening line. “Bitch you a fever/bitch don’t sweat me when I’m hot you want some leisure?” It probably doesn’t even do it justice by just reading it, just like some of lil Wayne, Nicki or Kendrick’s lines, its about how he says it. The second thing I’m reminded of, and honestly I’m not even sure if this is a thing when it comes to people reviewing albums, is that one of his great strengths could also be considering a weakness. The last 2 songs by themselves aren’t bad by any means. But when you put these 2 one after another on an album, it sounds like 2 interludes back to back. While “All Herb” and “Hey Mista” are actual songs, they give off much more of an interlude feeling to me even for Isaiahs standards. So having them back to back make them a general area I skip when replaying the album as a whole

One of the standouts, or maybe one of the songs that Isaiah got the formula exactly right is “True Story”. With lines like “can’t make it to Atlantis on a jet ski mane” its easy to see Isaiah is in his purest form. Lines that hit like its just another dope phrase over the beat but when analyzed proves that truthfully he does have something to say, its just that you may not hear it. Its evident here that if every rapper has a superpower, his would be the music that incorporates his lyrics. Like a steak burrito with handmade wrappings and extra accouterments, its just as much about the presentation and whats around it. Any fans of Jay Rock would definitely feel appreciative of the bop he brings to this track, chopping up his flow to match the bass, and Jay Worthy opens his verse to some of my favorite albeit direct lyrics, “Bailing through the hood the other day/I ran into my older brother Dre/he told me keep that toolie on your waist/you know I do it, do it for the gang”. While these lyrics may not make the most dedicated Griselda fan feel anything on paper, I encourage you to hear these words over the aforementioned beat and not nod your head.

“What You Sed” just feels like the perfect track to drive down the Las Vegas strip with your windows up and the music blaring, while all the bright lights pass by and reflect off your windows. It reminds me of the feeling that i got from Saint Jhns Ghetto Lennys Love Songs album because it truly feels like something you wouldn’t enjoy nearly as much without money in your pocket. Without some feeling of freedom or ability to just go out and get into some shit. Not one to hide his influences, when Isaiah says “All the hoes with the shorts in ya ass/and you got the D’USSÉ falling out your glass/oh man, I don’t want ya in the club/cause your pussy popping start fights in the club/come through in your new rental car/bitches all in your face ’cause you a star/and you come with ’bout four-five hoes/down to fight anything straight out the door” its makes me feel like this is the type of bridge Pimp C would be proud of. While he does sound directly like him, you can tell its in an unconscious and paying homage way versus ripping off a dead man just for the love he got to be yours

“Southside said you aint got nothing to live for, so you aint got nothing to lose (DONT SHOOT)” have to be some of my favorite lyrics by far. I feel there are many ways you can take this. From face value with everything that had went on this year and the year before, it felt like a cry out to stop police violence against minorities. I felt so at home watching cops roll by and reciting these lyrics as if they could somehow get them to understand I’m human just like them. But you could also take it as a cry out against the violence inflicted by your own people. The kind of violence that makes me think of the kendrick lyrics from “Blacker the Berry”, “So why did I weep when Trayvon Martin was in the street/when gang banging make me kill a n***** blacker than me?? Hypocrite”. Whichever way you take this song, its equally important because this is Isaiah’s anthem to whichever cause you believe in, be it one or both. This is what makes him great, his ability to make a great song that you can fill in the blanks. Good superheroes make you feel safe. Great ones make you feel like you can be one too

“Chad” has got to be not only one of my favorites, but one of the main highlights from the album. Its undeniable that he has a certain bop when it comes to his flow and the beats he picks to bend corners and phrases on. So, with anything so unique, there are going to be times when everything hits just perfectly. I argue that this song is one of those examples. When I first heard this song I was excited for the literal meaning. The confidence it would take to say, even if I wasn’t doing the thing I’m known for, the thing that most people would argue I’m the best at, I would still be living well. While everybody might not see Mercedes as a symbol of success, the idea of wanting to be successful no matter what situation we are placed in is something everybody can relate to. I would imagine thats why there have been characters like McGyver or Inspector Gadget over the years, because the of the idea of being able to handle anything thrown at you. Part of this track’s strength is that he always chooses the right person for the job, but in this scenario the perfect pick even wrote a perfect verse for the song in the idea that it didn’t take away or distract from what Isaiah did, but it added to it.

“The way you suck a dick you get a B plus/the way you suck a dick you get a Prius” are also some of my favorite lyrics, even being on a track I don’t generally find myself listening to much since the original play through. Nothing is exactly wrong with this songs, he even has one of the more interesting flows on the song, but something about it doesn’t connect for me. When you master the ability to bend your flows and do music the way he does, you end up competing with yourself because there will be songs you will be able to do that better on, and songs that it won’t hit as hard on. So in that regard, id rather hear “Headshots (4 da locals)” or another similar track instead of this one.

“Score” is the last track I felt somewhat uninterested in. As a fan of all 3 artists (Isaiah, SZA, and 6Lack), this song also didn’t really hit for me. While on paper I thought this might be as enjoyable as “Stuck in the Mud”, it turned out to just be an okay track from 3 artists I really like. Nothing truly worthy of a quote here, but it doesn’t make this a bad song. I think of a great movie that had a slow beginning or odd scene here and there. It doesn’t take away from what the album meant as a whole, but when I’m excitedly brining up the movie to my friends, this isn’t a scene I would recant for them

“THIB” is either my favorite or my second favorite because I can never narrow down my picks. “Who’s that creeping in my window/whos that fucking with my conscious” felt like the perfect anthem to ride around smoking to. “My niggas know I loco/dont tell Rashad he’s a star on the low-low/and raising bars like Lamar on the pogo/im selling art, selling souls by the BOGO, at the dojo” alone made me excited to hear this song again and again just for the way he delivers those lyrics. As I’ve said before, these aren’t the lyrics of a Black Thought or a Conway that make you feel like every punchline comes with a gut punch. But these are the perfect slices of the finest steak accompanied with the best ingredients which in this case, is the hook and everything said in the verses before this line. I can’t say that I’ve ever soul searched to Isaiahs music the same way that I have to Ghostface Killah’s “All That I Got is You”, but isn’t that the point? I can’t imagine how boring life would be if we were all philosophers and mathematicians looking for exact measurements.

“HB2U” is my favorite track. Until I move “THIB” above this briefly because of the feeling I get sitting at the light to that song. Almost as if he’s aware he gave you the most action packed scenes earlier on, instead of reaching for something to send you out of the theaters in awe of the carnage, he delivers this song. The opening sample says “Is there a heaven?///Yes////How do you know that??//You don’t”. I couldn’t imagine a better opening that would show you within a couple seconds, he has something specific to say on this song. This won’t be one of the songs he makes thats a soundtrack to your daily life, whether thats excitement or monotony. On this song, he displays some of his more deep thought ideas such as “if not these n****s, bet your senses betray ya”, and honestly in 31 years I’ve only recently truly understood what this means. Some type of downfall is inevitable, even if its brief. It will almost certainly be caused by someone you trust, or something you trust like your own judgement. “I hope it all makes sense to ball like this, the large address” is a line I think of constantly as I grow in my career. Hoping that I’m doing the right thing by going after more money and more status in spite of the years that have taught me money isn’t everything. “Ay baby, I have no reason to stay baby, my dreams too big for this city and Myrtle Beach aint vacation” drills home that sometimes you have to leave where you are comfortable. Outgrowing where you know and the cage you’re accustomed to can definitely be a good thing, as long as you find new ways to elevate your freedom and remove the ceiling to your growth. The final lyrics I want to quote are a different kind of lyric. Maybe not something you would generally think and deep dive on, but something that caught my ear immediately when I heard it “I pray for many thanksgivings, I pray that tifa don’t cook/you know her momma put, sugar in her greens thats that shit I never seen befo’” Honestly, I think these are the only important lyrics. Why? Because they are so unique to Isaiah Rashad that you couldn’t really imagine anyone else saying them. Because they show the comfort that he has to be who he is instead of dying to be as lyrical as Jay Z or as street as a Pooh Shiesty. Because they aren’t something you can really describe or put into words in any way that would come close to hearing and experiencing yourself. In a way, they are exactly like this album. Love it or hate it, you have to at least respect that he doesn’t seem to care one way or the other because his bottom line is doing what he loves.

Thank you for reading! I did not review the bonus version, I heard it once and didn’t really like what it changed the album into personally. Also a different type of review for me, as I did the Off Season review the normal way I enjoy with a heavy inclusion of lyrics, I felt this time it would be cool to do a review almost solely based off my feelings from the music, the feeling the music itself carries, or using analogies to connect how I felt with a description without describing the sounds of the music itself. I hope you enjoyed and I look forward to writing you again!

Question 1. How did this album make you feel?

Question 2. Is this type of music something you are interested in? Why or why not?

Question 3. (For people who enjoyed this album) What are your favorite lyrics and why?

Edit : please excuse any spelling errors I was tripping acid yesterday and was supposed to write this but didn’t so I woke up, wrote this and posted without proof reading 🙂