The Sun's Tirade

The Kendrick Lamar associate sprawls out on his poetic, contemplative second album. Making good on 2014’s enormously promising *Cilvia Demo*, *The Sun’s Tirade* echoes late-night ‘70s soul and its ‘90s counterparts (Erykah Badu, Outkast) rendered in booming, contemporary colors—a fitting backdrop for Rashad’s unsparing reflections on race (“BDay”), youth (“Free Lunch”), depression (“Dressed Like Rappers”), and ambition (“Park”).

The Tennessee rapper and TDE associate really finds his voice on his second album, one filled with the tensions caused by a cycle of self-loathing and self-discovery.

25-year-old Isaiah Rashad returns with The Sun's Tirade, an accomplished and personal follow-up to 2014's Clivia Demo.

Years from now, when Isaiah Rashad's catalogue is more expansive, The Sun's Tirade will not stand out as his best. But after nearly three ye...