‘The Sun’s Tirade’ by Isaiah Rashad: Retrospective Review

Looking back on Isaiah Rashad

It’s been almost 6 years since The Sun’s Tirade by Isaiah Rashad dropped, his second full-length project with Top Dawg Entertainment. The 2016 album was met with plenty of critical acclaim and has stuck around as important hip-hop album. The album comes complete with features from the likes of Kendrick Lamar, SZA, and Syd alongside production from Steve Lacy, Mike WiLL Made-It, and more.

With his third project, The House is Burning, releasing this week, it’s worth revisiting The Sun’s Tirade‘s intro skit by TDE co-president Dave Free:

Ayy, bro. You know what March, April, May, June, July, and about to be August, have in common, bro? The fact that I still don’t have your goddamn album.
Why is it? I don’t understand this process, dog, like, how you got…
Yo, everybody was bumpin’ your last shit. You don’t want to get your next shit out?

The skit came after a 2-and-a-half-year gap between that album and Cilvia Demo. That wait seems like child’s play now. However, there’s something that makes it all okay: the fact that The Sun’s Tirade is so damn good.

Why is that?

At the risk of sounding corny, this is an essential album for just chillin’. The album feels like a day at home. Its laidback sound and content persists throughout its hour-plus runtime. That’s not to say it’s a boring project by any means, though. As proven with tracks like “Park” and “Tity and Dolla,” Rashad has the rare ability to make a relaxing track while still being exciting.

The Sun’s Tirade certainly has a signature sound, but every track is distinct. “Stuck in the Mud” and “A lot” appearing back-to-back on the tracklist should feel jarring, but it isn’t. You can tell “Free Lunch” belongs on the same project as those two, yet each is a great song on their own. It’s one of the beautiful things about creating a truly cohesive album.

Aside from obviously being sonically solid, the album is lyrically touching. It feels something like Rashad’s personal diary, while he pours his heart out on family matters, depression, and other personal matters. “Dressed Like Rappers” particularly stands out in this matter.

Regarding that factor, one of the most charming thing about Rashad’s music is the fact that it doesn’t feel like you’re listening to some famous rapper. It feels like you’re listening to your homie. He’s not making music to appeal to the club scene. It’s obvious that Rashad has slightly distanced himself from the hip-hop industry — you can hear it in his lyrics and attitude.

From The Sun to The House

In the end, The Sun’s Tirade finds Isaiah Rashad mastering the art of making a great album without doing too much. It’s not groundbreaking, but it doesn’t have to be. With his hiatus finally over, we’ll see on Friday is The House is Burning matches up.

By the way, Rashad just dropped a new loosie featuring ScHoolboy Q called “Runnin’” today.

The Sun’s Tirade Rating: Platinum

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Andrew “Jetlag” Preisig | IG @ThankYouJetlag | Twitter @ThankYouJetlag