Tennessee rapper Isaiah Rashad broke out in the mid-2010s as part of the famed Top Dawg Entertainment (TDE) stable.
• Rashad grew up in Chattanooga. His stepfather and uncle were members of the local ’90s rap group Vibe Tribe. • As a communications major at Tennessee State University, Rashad recorded songs in his dormitory closet. • In 2013, Rashad signed with TDE, home of Kendrick Lamar, ScHoolboy Q, Ab-Soul, and others. • His 2014 TDE debut, Cilvia Demo, features labelmates ScHoolboy Q, Jay Rock, and SZA. The EP cracked the Top 40 of the Billboard 200. • Rashad made XXL’s 2014’s Freshman Class list alongside Chance the Rapper and Ty Dolla $ign. • In a 2016 interview with Juan Epstein, Rashad revealed that he’d overcome addictions to Xanax and alcohol. The rapper said his habits nearly cost him his TDE spot three times. • Rashad guested on SZA’s Grammy-nominated 2017 album Ctrl, appearing on “Pretty Little Birds.”
