Chattanooga rapper Isaiah Rashad has just announced his upcoming album, The House Is Burning, set to be released in June of 2021. The announcement comes alongside the reveal of a new single from the album, titled “Lay Wit Ya,” via Top Dawg Entertainment.
The track marks the artist’s first new music since his 2016 debut LP The Sun’s Tirade, as well as his collaboration with labelmate Kendrick Lamar in “Wat’s Wrong.” “Lay Wit Ya” features Rashad’s fellow rapper and Tennessean, Duke Deuce.
Rashad shares, “This album was difficult. I love music, but I don’t like to say shit.” He goes on to say, “Music is where I go to express myself. It’s what I do to close a chapter. You know what’s crazy? I’m not even ashamed to say it…I really think my albums aren’t different from each other. Eventually, one of my albums will become a classic. I just love this shit. It’s me.”
Watch the video for “Lay Wit Ya” here:
Rashad’s bars underline his “strictly business” attitude, as he discusses “Tough decisions in this rappin’ business” and seeing old friends “turned to enemies.” In the second verse, Deuce jumps in to rap about his “Cold ice and cold heart, bitch,” letting listeners know that he and Rashad are “strictly pimpin’.”
The fun, high-energy music video depicts the artists performing their verses and dancing along to bass-heavy syncopation. Inventive editing and vivid visual effects make the video the perfect accompaniment to the straightforward lyrics.
In late April, CEO of Top Dawg Entertainment, Anthony “Top Dawg” Tiffith, posted a cryptic tweet that read, “THE WAIT IS OVAH!!!! #TDE.” The ambiguous announcement led hopeful fans to speculate about upcoming music from SZA or Kendrick Lamar, who have both vaguely discussed recording recently.
It’s now safe to say that Tiffith’s tweet was intended to tease Rashad’s comeback with the drop of “Lay Wit Ya,” and the announcement of his upcoming album.
Rashad performed at Oakland’s Blurry Vision music festival in 2018, which also featured artists like SZA, Clairo and Migos. The rapper also opened for Schoolboy Q and Kendrick Lamar at the iTunes Festival during SXSW 2014.
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