Isaiah Rashad: The House Is Burning | 4ZZZ Brisbane 102.1FM

- With so many movements that have come and gone since 2016, it is amazing that a rapper like Isaiah Rashad can drop a solid record in The Sun’s Tirade, then virtually wipe himself off the map, but still maintain a level of hype for whatever comes next. It's hardly striking while the iron is hot, but the much-delayed follow-up The House is Burning has finally arrived.

Darkseid sets the mood with the sound of a tape entering the deck as the smooth production floods through. Rashad’s style, throughout the record, is immediately established as he brings forth a muddled melodic flow accompanied with accented pitched backing vocals. The song by itself isn’t more than a short welcome back for the rapper but in the broader context of the record, it draws attention to the clear, laid-back tone you'll hear throughout.

When La Wit Ya dropped as a single, I had slightly negative feelings towards its heavy reliance on a sample of Three Six Mafia’s Ridin ‘N’ Da Chevy, does this even count as new work? While I still prefer the original, I can recognise that Rashad has found untapped energy, by speeding the sample up and adding a heavier, intoxicating bass. Rashad’s verse and chorus is short and sharp with every line accented in just the right way to make the head bop. It’s the simple lines that work for me: like Rashad calling himself Gucci Mane while his enemy is Captain Kirk.

Headshots (4r Da Locals) is -far and away- the standout track here and proof that laid back, funk-inspired rap is Rashad’s strong-point. The instrumentals shine with a soft but noteworthy bass guitar section leading through rattling drums and sultry female vocals. Rashad’s lyrics remain purposefully cryptic with a chorus that hints at being caught off guard and shot. While the first verse is very braggadocios in its attitude towards women and money, the second verse explores the rapper’s departure from music, as well as ongoing drug addiction, in a plain but very effective manner.

Chad is a prime example of the record’s repetitive song structure: consisting of low-key, hard-hitting production and vocal-heavy sections, but I really think it works. Once again Rashad isn’t rapping like that but his flow and simple lyrics glide over buttery production that just soars. The majority of the track is spent listening to Rashad recite sections of Pimp C’s classic verse from Big Pimpin’ but I can’t help but love a choice like that.

Closing cut HB2U sees Rashad focus on straight rapping for the first half as he relates the pitfalls of fame, culminating in what is the most rudimental hip-hop cut of the record. The second half is a truly gorgeous highlight as Rashad practically breaks down about his drug addiction, over a slow, marching drum-heavy instrumental that would fit nicely at the end of a mid-'70’s classic rock record.

The House is Burning may not be what some rap fans want from Isaiah Rashad. Nearly every track follows the formula: Rashad sing-rapping short sections over laid-back drum and sample heavy instrumentals. Still, I can’t help but be quite enthused throughout the entirety of it. What works for me could be monotonously repetitive for others, but fans will be sure to find meaning in what is quite a solid and different vision for a hip-hop record. It sure as hell works for me.

- James Chadwick.