IT'S BEEN AWFULE

The Artist

Hailing from Chattanooga, Tennessee, rapper Isaiah Rashad has carved out a unique space in modern hip-hop as one of Top Dawg Entertainment’s most introspective voices. His signature style is defined by a hazy, laid-back southern soundscape that blends warm, jazz-inflected production with raw reflections on mental health and personal struggles. Rashad's identity is deeply rooted in this vulnerability—he acts as a candid narrator of his own self-reckonings. Across his career, his output has been sparse but highly celebrated, leaving fans hungry for any glimpse into his creative process. This collection of tracks, IT'S BEEN AWFUL, serves as a compelling look into his vault, capturing unvarnished moments of his ongoing artistic evolution.

The Album

Assembled from a series of highly anticipated vault sessions and unreleased recordings, IT'S BEEN AWFUL captures Isaiah Rashad in a raw, unfiltered state. The project relies on warm lo-fi textures, dusty drum loops, and hypnotic basslines that have become hallmarks of his beloved aesthetic. Lacking the polished sequencing of his studio albums, this compilation instead offers a loose, mixtape-style intimacy that highlights his raw songwriting instincts. Thematically, the tracks circle around the burdens of vice, the anxiety of public perception, and the search for peace amidst internal chaos. It represents an essential, behind-the-scenes artifact for listeners wanting to understand the full scope of his artistry.

Listen For

Atmospheric Production. The project is built on a foundation of warm synth pads and dusty, down-tempo drum patterns. On "THE NEW SUBLIME", this hazy instrumentation creates an immersive, dreamlike backdrop that perfectly matches Rashad's meditative delivery.

Vocal Cadences. Rashad showcases his incredible rhythmic versatility by shifting effortlessly between melodic slurs and sharp, rapid-fire flows. His performance on "719 FREESTYLE" highlights this dynamic range, closing the project with an impressive display of pure lyrical endurance.

Structural Contrast. Several tracks on the record abandon traditional verse-chorus-verse structures in favor of loose, continuous streams of consciousness. This open-ended songwriting is highly effective on "SCARED 2 LOOK DOWN", where the music feels like a direct, uninterrupted transcript of his thoughts.

Melodic Delivery. Rashad often blurs the line between rapping and singing to convey deep emotional weariness. Listen to his slurred, hypnotic hook on "DO I LOOK HIGH?" to hear how his vocal tone alone can communicate a sense of vulnerability and altered states.

Themes of Isolation. The lyrics frequently confront the emotional toll of coping mechanisms and the desire to escape from external pressures. This theme is explored deeply on "ACT NORMAL" and "NUTHIN 2 HIDE", where Rashad wrestles with the exhausting expectation of maintaining appearances when everything is falling apart.