Isaiah Rashad

Reason Releases His ‘No More, No Less: Demo 1’ EP Featuring Benny The Butcher, Isaiah Rashad, And Wale

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Reason

Carson, California-bred TDE rapper Reason has returned with a new EP, No More, No Less: Demo 1, which features appearances from Adé, Benny the Butcher, Doe Boy, Reason’s TDE label-mate Isaiah Rashad, and Wale. Reason calls the EP “a small collection of thoughts and moments that I’ve been asked for repeatedly” and explained that he released it because it was “something I wanted to give to y’all in the meantime” while he’s finishing a proper follow-up to his 2020 album, New Beginnings.

The three-song effort opens with “Left Hand” featuring Benny, Isaiah, and Wale, a block thumper that finds the three rappers trading verses over a variety of different beats. That’s followed by the hypnotic “Not For Me,” which reunites Adé and Wale and includes Benny, then the set concludes with the woozy, downtempo “12am In ATL,” which features Benny, Isaiah, and Doe Boy. Clocking in at nine minutes and 53 seconds in total, No More, No Less showcases Reason’s impressive wordplay by setting it alongside some of the most prolific and clever rappers in the game today.

The EP also helps set up Reason as part of the vanguard of the post-Kendrick TDE roster the label will have to get behind after a “weird time” for TDE in 2020. Along with Isaiah, Ray Vaughn, and Doechii, Reason is carrying the torch for the West Coast rap label as it evolves in the wake of Kendrick Lamar’s departure.

Listen to the EP below.

Reason Announces New Project, ‘No More, No Less: Demo 1,’ With Wale, Isaiah Rashad, And More

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A little over a year after he released his debut album, New Beginnings, Reason is gearing up for a new release a new project. On Tuesday, the California-bred rapper revealed his next effort, No More, No Less: Demo 1, will arrive on October 29 and will feature appearances from Wale, Adé, Doe Boy, labelmates Isaiah Rashad and Zacari, as well as Griselda’s Benny The Butcher. Reason described the project as “a small collection of thoughts and moments that I’ve been asked for repeatedly,” adding that it’s “something I wanted to give to y’all in the meantime. Love y’all, and see you soon!”

After Reason announced the project, he apologized to fans on Twitter for making them wait for new music. “Apologize to y’all for taking so long,” he said. “Won’t happen again unless it’s purposeful.” Honestly, a year isn’t that long of a wait for a new project from artists. In fact, New Beginnings arrived two years after his previous project, There You Have It, which was released in late 2018.

Reason recently appeared in Isaiah Rashad’s music for “Chad” which features YGTUT and appears on Rashad’s album The House Is Burning.

Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

Isaiah Rashad Experiences Some Paranormal Activities In His Eerie ‘THIB’ Video

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TDE rapper Isaiah Rashad is currently on tour promoting his new album The House Is Burning, but that didn’t stop him from continuing the other part of promoting an album — releasing a new music video. This time, the eerie “THIB” video turns the title track into a darkly surreal thriller, as Rashad wakes to a spooky rumbling that turns into an explosion, leaving his house… well, burning. From there, Rashad wanders the nighttime neighborhood, hovering above the action like a ghost and taking in the odd, paranormal goings-on of his quiet cul-de-sac.

The release of The House Is Burning ended a nearly-five-year hiatus for the Chattanooga rapper during which he struggled with addiction, going broke, wrecking his boss’s car, and getting clean. When he did come back, he brought with him the rowdy Memphis rapper Duke Duece for the exuberant return single “Lay Wit Ya.” And while his new album naturally features appearances from his TDE cohorts like Schoolboy Q, who appeared in the reflective video for “Runnin’,” Rashad also helped introduce newcomer Doechii with “Wat U Sed” and linked up with a superstar in the form of Lil Uzi Vert on “From The Garden.”

Watch Isaiah Rashad’s “THIB” video above and read Uproxx’s full review of the album here.

What We Learned From Isaiah Rashad’s Los Angeles Tour Stop At The Novo

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Monday night, TDE rapper Isaiah Rashad performed the second of two nights at The Novo in Downtown Los Angeles as part of his Lil’ Sunny’s Awesome Vacation tour promoting the new album, The House Is Burning. Uproxx attended and here’s what we learned. The TDE rapper brought the right guests, made the right moves, protected the fans, and laid down the blueprint for a perfect show.

Make A Good First Impression

The show starts with the openers. Bad ones can suck the energy right out of a room. Good ones can energize a crowd, making the headliner’s job ultimately easier. Mediocre ones — the ones we see most — can leave the audience feeling restless and impatient, making little to no impression.

The openers for Isaiah Rashad were pulled from his long list of like-minded industry pals, and they absolutely fell under the “good” category. Ray Vaughn, the new TDE signee who set the internet on fire with his LA Leakers freestyle, held the stage like a 10-year veteran. Childish Major, who has produced and rapped alongside some of TDE’s Dreamville cohorts, brought a relaxed vibe before turning all the way up to close out his set. This is the best you can hope for: Openers who know what they’re doing and do it well but don’t outshine the star player. There’s a lot of potential for both — especially Vaughn — but for now, they play the bench role well.

Presentation Matters

As much as fans attend concerts to see their favorite artists in person, they also want to see a show. That includes everything onstage that is not the artist, like backgrounds and stage dressing. Some artists like to use props or elaborate backdrops. Some like to keep it simple — which can put more pressure on the artists themselves to hold an audience’s attention.

Like many artists these days, Isaiah employs a video backdrop displaying various imagery throughout his set, but impressively, it tells a story as much as his setlist does. Rather than showing off some dazzling but disconnected graphic designs, the background connects to the theme of his album, The House Is Burning, giving a virtual tour throughout the burning house’s interior. As his set expands its scope to encompass classic Rashad tunes, the view shifts to beautiful aerial shots of Los Angeles’ various stadiums and landmarks before the burning begins again, slowly creeping in from the edges to recreate the paranoid, ominous mood from the album itself.

Show Love To The City

This one seems simple enough, but it can be overlooked or undersold as a result. More than simply shouting out the town where you happen to be at the moment, there are little flourishes that can make concertgoers at a tour stop feel like “their” show is special, even if you’re doing the same show at every single stop on the tour.

On Monday night, Isaiah made sure to use a few local events to his advantage. The Dodgers are in the playoffs; he wore a Clayton Kershaw jersey. (The Dodgers lost to the Giants, but what are you gonna do?) The first night of the Los Angeles stop sold so well, a second night was added. At that second night, Rashad and his guests prompted a lighthearted rivalry between attendees at both nights to spur greater heights of energy from the second crowd. Simple, clever, effective.

Give Your Guests Time To Shine

Just as important as what the headliner brings to the table is who they bring. In Isaiah’s case, he promised he had a “good chunk” of TDE’s roster in attendance and made good on that promise, bringing out Jay Rock, Doechii, and Zacari at points throughout the set. In addition, surprise appearances were made by Smino and YGTut. Smino by far got the biggest pop.

Zacari got to preview a new song and I may never be able to get Doechii’s holy ghost dance during her own snippet out of my head. In fact, I wouldn’t be surprised to see Doechii headlining this very venue by this time next year. She’s a star.

Bring Back Hype Men

Throughout his set, Isaiah’s energy never flagged. While much of that is due to the unique way he constructs songs (he has a long of breathing room between bars) and his set (always use the high-low pattern so you can catch your wind), much of his ability to conserve and distribute that energy throughout was due to the presence of his producer, Kal Banx.

Although Kal is a strong artist in his own right, his familiarity with Rashad’s material made him a perfect foil for the star to play off of. A lot of artists want to prove that they can maintain their stage presence throughout a show, but unless you’re exceptionally athletic, things like having support actually boost the performance.

Roast Your Fans A Little

When Rashad brought a trio of exuberant fans onstage to recite Lil Uzi Vert’s verse from “Front The Garden,” it rapidly became clear that none of the three actually knew the words. Rather than simply kicking them offstage, Zay spent a little time interacting with them, teasing them for just wanting to be seen rather than actually learning the lyrics.

But Protect Them Too

However, as some fans in the crowd tried to boo the kids for their epic fail, Rashad kept things positive, admonishing the audience that he’d already instructed them of the rules at the beginning of the set. Among those rules, he took care to instruct the men to keep their hands to themselves where the women were concerned. I appreciated that.

Hit ‘Em With The Hits

Although the Lil’ Sunny tour was ostensibly to promote The House Is Burning, Isaiah wisely sprinkled in fan faves from Cilvia Demo and The Sun’s Tirade like “Shot You Down” and “Free Lunch.” The fans appreciated it, losing it when those songs played because of both the surprise factor and their familiarity.

Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

The Most Anticipated Hip-Hop Tours Of Fall 2021

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Now that the music industry shutdown of 2020 is over and live entertainment is back underway, it’s once again time to line up some of the tours we’re looking forward to for the rest of the year.

While the past year was understandably quiet for live shows, venues have begun to reopen, festivals have returned, and many of the artists who spent much of 2020 indoors working on new material finally have the opportunity to show it off for an appreciative audience. Artists like J. Cole have spent weeks shaking off the rust and getting ready to head back out on the road, and hopefully, the extra time will have everyone feeling refreshed and energized after using that time to polish up their performances.

The upcoming fall tour season has no shortage of big names but with the likes of Doja Cat, Drake, and Tyler The Creator pushing to 2022, now’s your chance to see the hottest new and rising acts before they blow up.

AG Club — F*ck Your Expectations Tour

These Bay Area ragers bring a loose-limbed party vibe to their music, so it’s almost certain that their live show will follow suit. Serving up a similar vibe to early Odd Future and their offspring like Brockhampton, AG Club’s raucous energy bounces off the walls of any venue, as you can see in their videos for songs like “Memphis” and “NoHo.” This tour runs from September 26 in Brooklyn to the weekend of Day N Vegas in November.

Check out AG Club’s tour dates here.

Bino Rideaux — On My Soul Tour

It’s almost a shame Bino and Blxst aren’t touring their new joint mixtape because that tour would have the potential to be epic. As it is, the two veteran crowd controllers are more than enough to satisfy individually. Bino, of course, is the more straightforward rapper of the two, although he still mixes in his fair share of melody. However, while Blxst populates his groovy West Coast anthems with pure R&B on the choruses and hooks, Bino prefers to take a more rhythmic, gangster approach that still holds enough appeal for fans of all tastes.

Check out Bino Rideaux’s tour dates here.

Blxst

Bring a date, thank me later. Blxst’s warm, soulful grooves and laid-back nighttime vibes make his shows feel more like house parties. The smooth appeal of tracks like “Gang Slide,” “Chosen,” and “Overrated” lend themselves to slow-dance euphoria while still remaining boisterous enough to keep the whole crowd moving all night long.

Check out Blxst’s tour dates here.

Don Toliver

Toliver made waves last year when he declined to appear on XXL’s Freshman cover, so it’ll probably be worth checking out his live show to see why. The Houston crooner has rapidly become a fan favorite, getting a tremendous boost from his Cactus Jack label head Travis Scott, but showing over the last two years that he’s more than capable of standing on his own. Meanwhile, with “Whole Lotta Money” hitmaker BIA in tow, this tour should be at the top of your “can’t miss” list.

Check out Don Toliver’s tour dates here.

Fugees — The Score Reunion Tour

A late addition to the list, the iconic Jersey trio is reuniting for the first time in 15 years to celebrate the 25th anniversary of their classic 1996 album The Score. Consider this tour at your own risk; group member Ms. Lauryn Hill is notoriously prone to showing up late and refusing to perform unless the vibe is right, while the band’s personal relationships have been strained over the years. However, given how rare a reunion is, that risk may end up well worth it, especially since The Score is considered one of the best hip-hop albums of all time.

Check out Fugees’ tour dates here.

IDK — The USee4Yourself Tour

As eclectic and experimental as his latest albums have been, the DMV rebel knows exactly how to deliver onstage, as he’s proved on previous tours and at countless festival appearances. A true rapper’s rapper, IDK also brings a sharp, unique sensibility to the stage, using his magnetic presence to control the energy level like a seasoned veteran. He really cares about how things look and sound and his personality is as electrifying when he performs as it is in his records.

Check out IDK’s tour dates here.

Isaiah Rashad — The Lil’ Sunny’s Awesome Vacation Tour

The Lil’ Sunny Tour is already in progress, but if it hasn’t hit your city yet, make a plan to check it out because this stage veteran really knows how to move a crowd. In addition, he’s bringing along his newest TDE labelmate Ray Vaughn, who has proven to be a capable MC himself. Watching them, it’s obvious how much they love to perform and they reciprocate every jolt of energy the crowd sends their way.

Check out Isaiah Rashad’s tour dates here.

J. Cole — The Off-Season Tour

Likewise, J. Cole’s tour has already launched and he’s already making waves for his choice of attire: Sweatpants and Crocs. It looks like at least one person is bringing quarantine cozy fashion with him. But don’t think that means he’s a slouch onstage. If anything, the year he spent sharpening his craft has also honed his stage show and his lazy wardrobe is a sign of his confidence in the stagecraft and presence he brings night after night. His Queens brethren Bas is also along for the ride, and when these two link up, good things happen.

Check out J. Cole’s tour dates here.

Lil Baby & Lil Durk — Back Outside Tour

Lil Baby is currently one of, if not the hottest hip-hop act on the scene today. He’s also bringing the rapidly rising Coi Leray and his Voice Of The Heroes partner Lil Durk along, so buckle up. The hype levels for Lil Baby’s performance are always off the charts and while this will be our first time to see how he and Durk share the stage, if their on-record chemistry translates live, it’ll be a sight to behold.

Check out Lil Baby & Lil Durk’s tour dates here.

Lil Tjay — Destined 2 Win Tour

Tjay has proven to be a can’t-miss performer at festivals. It’ll be interesting to see how he condenses that energy for an indoor show after a year off. While that would worry me with some artists considering the lost year of practice and development, the precocious Tjay has already shown a natural gift for projecting his cocky persona to the back of the house. While he’s likely never experienced the sometimes grueling tour life, he seems like someone who can thrive in that environment.

Check out Lil Tjay’s tour dates here.

Playboi Carti — Narcissist Tour

Say what you want about Carti’s last album, but Whole Lotta Red probably sounds a whole lot better in a sweaty mosh pit — the way it was intended to be heard. Add in the possibility that he could very well debut an entirely new project while he’s on the road — we call that “rock star sh*t” in the biz — tapping in will at least net you a great show and at best give you a chance to say you heard the new sh*t first.

Check out Playboi Carti’s tour dates here.

Rod Wave — Soulfly Tour

The Florida crooner has made tour life a huge part of his visual presentation — nearly all his videos feature at least some footage. Anyone who prides himself on his performance that much must put on a good one. His packed schedule has taken him from Houston to Minneapolis, but you can catch the latter half of his tour anywhere from Chicago this week to his final show in Seattle in late October.

Check out Rod Wave’s tour dates here.

Snot

Snot first rose to prominence behind the intense, punk-like energy of his youth-packed live shows. His return to the road is more than welcome. He’s also one of those young rappers for whom presentation is every bit as important as his presence, so I have every confidence he’ll be one of the top artists on this list when it comes to making it a night to remember.

Check out Snot’s tour dates here.

Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

Isaiah Rashad Asserts His Stardom In The Mellow ‘Chad’ Video

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In the video for “Chad,” the latest single from Isaiah Rashad’s long-awaited comeback album The House Is Burning, the Chattanooga rapper asserts his stardom alongside fellow Chat-town native YGTUT. Employing the “video shoot at a gas station” trope that has become so popular over the past year, Rashad fills the video with cameos from his friends in the music business. The cameos include Aminé, who appears as a delivery man, Denzel Curry, who maintains the gas station sign, and Dominic Fike, who appears to be assisting Rashad’s TDE cohort Jay Rock in some shady business. In addition, many members of the TDE posse show up, including new signee Ray Vaughn and Reason.

The video arrived just in time to highlight TDE’s next generation of stars as Kendrick Lamar departs the label after over a decade of partnership. Rashad recently had to clear up a fan misconception that one of his recent tweets dissed Kendrick for leaving; after a subtweet to his ex was interpreted as a shot at Kendrick, Isaiah deleted the tweet and explained the context on The Breakfast Club. It appears there isn’t really any bad blood between them, and Top Dawg himself wished the Compton rapper well in his future endeavors.

Isaiah, meanwhile, has been hard at work promoting his new album, releasing videos for “Runnin,” “Wat U Sed,” “From The Garden,” and now, “Chad” in relatively rapid succession while preparing to head out on Lil Sunny’s Awesome Vacation tour this month.

Watch the video for “Chad” above.

Isaiah Rashad is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

Isaiah Rashad Clarifies A Recent Tweet That Some Thought Was About Kendrick Lamar

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Last week, Kendrick Lamar made a rare return to social media to announce that his upcoming fifth album would be his last with Top Dawg Entertainment. The Compton-born rapper has been on the label, which was founded by Anthony “Top Dawg” Tiffith, since 2005, but now he’s looking to switch things up. Moments after the rapper shared the news, Isaiah Rashad sent out a tweet that some believed was an indirect message to him. “Everybody emotional. u not that special. quit embarrassing us,” his now-deleted tweet read. Despite their assumptions, Rashad clarified that this was not the case.

“I found that out after n****s said I was dissing him,” Rashad said about Kendrick’s announcement during an interview with The Breakfast Club. “I was on the way to my kid’s birthday party on Saturday, and me and her mom had had a little verbal whatever, and I knew that I couldn’t really say anything that I wanted to say, so I said it on Twitter for a second, and I’m forgetting that n****s are watching me, so I deleted it.” He added, “Not about him but I’m like damn, she’s actually going to see this and it’s kinda mean.”

This comes after Rashad offered a quick explainer after deleting the initial tweet. “N**** can’t eem subtweet his ex in peace,” the rapper wrote afterward.

You can watch a portion of his interview with The Breakfast Club above.

Isaiah Rashad is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

Isaiah Rashad Brings A Vivid Performance Of The Low-Key ‘HB2U’ To ‘A COLORS Show’

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A COLORS Show is well-known for breaking new and international artists, mostly focusing on rising stars or favorites from places like Britain, France, and various African countries. Every so often, though, the show secures a performance from a big-name American star like Alicia Keys, Black Thought, or Smino. Today, Colors Studio shared an eye-popping performance from Isaiah Rashad, who played a relaxed rendition of his low-key The House Is Burning song, “HB2U.”

Decked out in a Fuschia ensemble, Rashad pops out against the electric yellow background as he croons and spits his surprisingly complex verses with well-practiced ease, barely even seeming to take a breath despite the densely packed, syllable-stacking lyrics. “HB2U” — an acronym for “Happy Birthday to You” — is one of the cornerstone pieces of his new album The House Is Burning, finding him conversing with himself to unpack his self-destructive behaviors as he reflects on getting older and hopes to grow wiser in proportion.

Isaiah was a recent guest on Uproxx’s People’s Party podcast, discussing his favorite rappers and recalling studying Outkast to master his flow.

Watch Isaiah Rashad’s vivid performance of “HB2U” at Colors Studios above.

Isaiah Rashad is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.