Isaiah Rashad - RIP Young (Live Session) | Vevo Ctrl

Isaiah Rashad - RIP Young - Live Session | Vevo Ctrl

Hand in the pocket. Eyes adrift behind a pair of academic frames. If you only knew Isaiah Rashad from these Ctrl performances of “Darkseid” and “RIP Young,” you could be fooled into thinking he has breezed through life. Public troubles with drugs and alcohol, however, have plagued the gifted Chattanooga rhymer’s career since inception. It’s the reason for the infamous TDE executive rant at the beginning of his acclaimed ‘The Sun’s Tirade,’ released five years ago. It’s also the reason his new album, ‘The House Is Burning,’ feels so triumphant. Rashad is a known curator and purveyor of OG southern rap; the ultra-smooth “RIP Young” samples Memphis legend Project Pat. On this TDE release, Zay’s fierce hush turns out to work well in another genre: R&B, a lane he successfully swerves into through the course of the record. “Darkseid" is the name of a powerful comic book bad guy. In it he sums up the struggles of post-rehab rap fame: “What am I supposed to do outside but get rich?/Work too hard, but boy, don’t floss too hard.” It's a great reminder: the best stories are when the villain becomes the good guy.

Isaiah Rashad
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Executive Producer: Micah Bickham
Director: Bram VanderMark
Producer: Averi Smith
Director of Photography: Skyler Brown
Editor: Andrew Ros
Music & Talent: Parul Chokshi + David McTiernan

#IsaiahRashad #RIPYoung #Ctrl