Isaiah Rashad
"Riverfront Rapper"
Preacher v. Rapper
Isaiah Rashad McClain hails from Chattanooga. He had thoughts of becoming a preacher until his stepbrother's copy of OutKast's ATLiens turned his head around. Shortly after, Rashad started spending most of his time rapping.
Rashad first began rapping seriously in tenth grade, while he and his friends would record on laptops. At one point, the first stage name he used was Zay Taylor. After high school, he went to Middle Tennessee State University. Then his friend who went to school for music production introduced Rashad to a friend who had a recording studio. He stopped going to school and lived wherever he could record.
Isaiah performing in 2017
Making it Big
Rashad's big break came in 2012 when he joined Juicy J on the Smoker's Club Tour, then in 2013, he signed with Top Dawg Entertainment, joining a roster that boasted Kendrick Lamar, ScHoolboy Q, Jay Rock, and Ab-Soul. In January 2014, the label released his debut effort, Cilvia Demo, which entered the Billboard 200 at number 40 and assured Rashad's inclusion in XXL magazine's annual Freshman Class feature. The Sun's Tirade, Rashad's first proper album, was created throughout a period in which the rapper dealt with numerous personal and professional struggles.
Contributions in Music
Having contributed to tracks headlined by TDE labelmates such as SZA and Jay Rock, along with the likes of Benny Cassette and Childish Major, Rashad continued to rack up featured appearances while he was between LPs. Still, with TDE in 2020, he issued "Why Worry," his first single in four years. Rashad's second full-length, The House Is Burning, arrived in July 2021 and included a guest spot by Duke Deuce on the lead single "Lay wit Ya."
