Isaiah Rashad has struggled for a long time. The Chattanooga rapper has been open about his substance abuse and mental health issues. Many of his songs focus on these topics, which in turn are made more poignant because of his struggles. The Sun’s Tirade for example is specifically about overcoming these obstacles. 2021 was a good year for Rashad, who finally released his long-awaited album, The House is Burning. I guess somebody, somewhere, took offense to that. An anonymous individual leaked a sex tape of Rashad on the internet. We do not know who leaked it or why. Rather than giving the leakers attention for their misdeeds, this article is instead going to focus on the massive outpouring of love directed towards Rashad in response to this insane invasion of privacy.
The Tape in question
The tape was released by an unknown individual yesterday. It appears to have originated on Twitter. The video depicts Rashad both giving and receiving oral sex. To make matters worse, all participants in the video appear to be men. Somebody decided they had the right, not just to invade Rashad’s private life, but also to force him to come out of the closet. The rapper also has yet to respond to the tape being leaked.
Sending Love to Isaiah
The response to this invasion of privacy has been an overwhelming amount of support from Isaiah’s fans. People from all over the internet are reaching out and affirming their continued appreciation for Rashad’s work.
Some commenters also raised interesting points. If Rashad has been closeted this entire time, why has he remained quiet when other gay artists were receiving outrage for their work? Lil Nas X, who heavily incorporated his sexuality into Montero jumps to mind. But while these are valid questions, they are also questions that can wait. Right now, Rashad needs support. The best way to do that? Listen to his music, with a new appreciation and understanding, on your streaming service of choice.
by Chris Colasurdo
@cfcolasurdo on Twitter