Isaiah Rashad returns to Chattanooga

Isaiah Rashad
Isaiah Rashad

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It has been a while since a Chattanooga rapper has garnered national attention in the hip-hop scene, and Isaiah Rashad may have already surpassed his predecessors, while still very early in his career.

Rashad locked onto his aspirations early on, in high school, and found himself on tour in his early 20s with artists like Juicy J and Joey Basda$$. California-based label Top Dawg Entertainment (Kendrick Lamar, Schoolboy Q) took notice and signed Rashad to their label in 2013. Since then, Rashad has juggled traveling back and forth from his hometown of Chattanooga to California, where he has put in a lot of time in the studio. After releasing an EP under TDE in 2014, he earned a spot on the 2014 Freshman Class for XXL magazine.

With all of that hype around him, he patiently crafted his first full-length LP, The Sun's Tirade, which was just recently released by TDE. The album represents the 25-year-old rapper's laid-back approach to hip-hop, and has received rave reviews for its lyrical style and production.

Similar to Southern pioneer rappers like Outkast or even Ludacris, Rashad delivers a style that obviously has Southern influence but is still sophisticated and exploratory enough to be accessible to the masses. He is carrying the torch for the Chattanooga hip-hop scene, and the light is already starting to shine on other great rappers here in our own backyard. So whether he wants to hold this responsibility or not, his success will more than likely pave the way for others in our local hip-hop scene to make waves throughout the industry.

When he returns to Chattanooga to perform, it will not just be a concert, but more like a homecoming party. He is bringing his "Lil Sunny Tour" to the Revelry Room Thursday, Feb. 16.

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