''The Sun's Tirade'' is the second

studio album An album is a collection of audio recordings issued on compact disc (CD), Phonograph record, vinyl, audio tape, or another medium such as Digital distribution#Music, digital distribution. Albums of recorded sound were developed in the early ...

by American rapper

Isaiah Rashad Isaiah Rashad Joel McClain (born May 16, 1991), is an American rapper. His first big break was performing on the 2012 Smoker's Club Tour with rappers Juicy J, Joey Badass and Smoke DZA among others. He is a founding member of the Chattanooga hip ...

. It was released on September 2, 2016, and is his second release with

Top Dawg Entertainment Top Dawg Entertainment (TDE) is an American independent record label founded in 2004, by CEO Anthony "Top Dawg" Tiffith. Terrence "Punch" Henderson is president of the label. There are currently eleven artists signed to the label: the label's f ...

, following 2014's acclaimed '' Cilvia Demo''. The album, recorded during a period in which Rashad experienced struggles with depression and

addiction Addiction is a neuropsychological disorder characterized by a persistent and intense urge to engage in certain behaviors, one of which is the usage of a drug, despite substantial harm and other negative consequences. Repetitive drug use o ...

, features a strongly reflective and conscious tone with production that takes influence from hip hop,

trap A trap is a mechanical device used to capture or restrain an animal for purposes such as hunting, pest control, or ecological research. Trap or TRAP may also refer to: Art and entertainment Films and television * ''Trap'' (2015 film), Fil ...

trip hop Trip hop (sometimes used synonymously with "downtempo") is a musical genre that originated in the early 1990s in the United Kingdom, especially Bristol. It has been described as a psychedelic music, psychedelic fusion of hip hop music, hip hop ...

soul In many religious and philosophical traditions, there is a belief that a soul is "the immaterial aspect or essence of a human being". Etymology The Modern English noun ''soul'' is derived from Old English ''sāwol, sāwel''. The earliest attes ...

, and

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a major ...

. It features

guest appearance In show business, a guest appearance is the participation of an outsider performer (such as a musician or actor) in an event such as a music record or concert, show, etc., when the performer does not belong to the regular band, cast, or other p ...

s from SiR,

Zacari Zacari Moses Pacaldo I, known mononymously as Zacari, is an American singer and songwriter. He is signed to Top Dawg Entertainment and released his EP ''Run Wild Run Free'' on March 15, 2019. Early life Zacari Moses Pacaldo was raised by a hig ...

Kendrick Lamar Kendrick Lamar Duckworth (born June 17, 1987) is an American rapper and songwriter. Known for his Progressive rap, progressive musical styles and Social consciousness, socially conscious songwriting, he is often considered one of the most infl ...

, Deacon Blues,

Kari Faux Kari Rose Johnson (born June 11, 1992) better known by her stage name Kari Faux, is an American rapper, singer-songwriter and record producer from Little Rock, Arkansas. She is best known for her flamboyant dress, and conversational style of rap. ...

Syd tha Kyd Sydney Loren Bennett (born April 23, 1992), known professionally as Syd (formerly Syd tha Kyd), is an American musician and singer from Los Angeles, California. She initially gained recognition as a member of the alternative hip hop collective O ...

, Hugh Augustine,

Jay Rock Johnny Reed McKinzie Jr. (born March 31, 1983), better known by his stage name Jay Rock, is an American rapper, singer and songwriter from Los Angeles. He signed to indie label Top Dawg Entertainment (TDE), in 2005. Under TDE, Rock secured a rec ...

and SZA. The album's production was handled by several producers, including Mike Will Made It, D. Sanders, Cam O'bi, J. LBS, The Antydote and Chris Calor. ''The Sun's Tirade'' was met with critical acclaim from music critics, and appeared on numerous end-of-year best album lists from various publications. The album debuted at number 17 on the US ''Billboard'' 200, selling 19,000 copies its first week. The album was supported by the critically acclaimed

lead single A lead single (also known as a debut single) is the first single to be released from a studio album by an artist or a band, usually before the album itself is released and also occasionally on the same day of the album's release date. Release s ...

, "Free Lunch".

Background and promotion

On August 26, 2016, Isaiah Rashad announced the album's title, release date and the reveal of the artwork. On August 30, he shared the album's track listing, which features

s from

, Syd and SiR, along with Top Dawg label-mates such as SZA,

and

. Rashad released ''The Sun's Tirade'' on September 2, 2016. During various interviews in promotion of the album, Rashad revealed that he was addicted to

Xanax Alprazolam, sold under the brand name Xanax, among others, is a fast-acting, potent tranquilizer of medium duration in the triazolobenzodiazepine (TBZD) class, which are benzodiazepines (BZDs) fused with a triazole ring. It is most commonly ...

and alcohol, and was suffering from depression, anxiety and isolation during the time between the release of ''Cilvia Demo'' and ''The Sun's Tirade''. He further stated that he "fucked up", and almost got dropped from

a total of three times during the recording of his album. "Free Lunch" was released as the album's lead

single Single may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * Single (music), a song release Songs * "Single" (Natasha Bedingfield song), 2004 * "Single" (New Kids on the Block and Ne-Yo song), 2008 * "Single" (William Wei song), 2016 * "Single", by ...

on August 7, 2016. The

music video A music video is a video of variable duration, that integrates a music song or a music album with imagery that is produced for promotion (marketing), promotional or musical artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a m ...

for the single, directed by APLUS Filmz, was uploaded to Top Dawg Entertainment's

YouTube YouTube is a global online video platform, online video sharing and social media, social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by ...

channel on August 10. On August 27, 2016, Rashad performed "Free Lunch" with Kendrick Lamar during Lamar's headlining set at

FYF Fest FYF Fest (short for "Fuck Yeah Fest Fest") was an annual three-day music festival held at the Los Angeles Exposition Park in Los Angeles, California. It was founded by Sean Carlson in 2004 and is now solely produced by Goldenvoice, a subsidiary o ...

. On September 17, 2016, he performed "Tity and Dolla" at the

BET Hip Hop Awards The BET Hip Hop Awards are an annual awards show, airing on BET, showcasing hip hop performers, producers and music video directors. The awards ceremony began in 2006; it was held on November 12, 2006 at the Fox Theatre in Atlanta, Georgia, and w ...

, which aired in the next month. Rashad also released music videos for the songs "4r da Squaw" and "Park", which have not been released as singles.

Music and lyrics

''The Sun's Tirade'', much like its predecessor, is a loose

concept album A concept album is an album whose tracks hold a larger purpose or meaning collectively than they do individually. This is typically achieved through a single central narrative or theme, which can be instrumental, compositional, or lyrical. Som ...

. The project is characterized by its personal themes, such as

substance abuse Substance abuse, also known as drug abuse, is the use of a drug in amounts or by methods which are harmful to the individual or others. It is a form of substance-related disorder. Differing definitions of drug abuse are used in public health, ...

, depression, and Rashad's personal struggles with

alcohol Alcohol most commonly refers to: * Alcohol (chemistry), an organic compound in which a hydroxyl group is bound to a carbon atom * Alcohol (drug), an intoxicant found in alcoholic drinks Alcohol may also refer to: Chemicals * Ethanol, one of sev ...

and

. The album incorporates stylistic and production elements of southern hip hop,

neo soul Neo soul (sometimes called progressive soul) is a genre of popular music. As a term, it was coined by music industry entrepreneur Kedar Massenburg during the late 1990s to market and describe a style of music that emerged from soul and contempo ...

trap music Trap is a subgenre of hip hop music that originated in the Southern United States during the 1990s. The genre gets its name from the Atlanta slang word "trap", a house used exclusively to sell drugs. Trap music uses synthesized drums and is ch ...

, and progressive hip hop. Musically, the project has been noted by publications for its diversity and unique sonic palate, and for being "much more jazzy and upbeat" than ''Cilvia Demo''. Rashad's vocals are layered and textured. His voice throughout the record displays a "heavy rasp" and "sing-songy flow".

Critical reception

''The Sun's Tirade'' received positive reviews from

music critics Music journalism (or music criticism) is media criticism and reporting about music topics, including popular music, classical music, and traditional music. Journalists began writing about music in the eighteenth century, providing commentary on w ...

upon its release. At

Metacritic Metacritic is a website that review aggregator, aggregates reviews of films, TV shows, music albums, video games and formerly, books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted arithmetic mean, weighted average). M ...

, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from critics, the album received an

average In ordinary language, an average is a single number taken as representative of a list of numbers, usually the sum of the numbers divided by how many numbers are in the list (the arithmetic mean). For example, the average of the numbers 2, 3, 4, 7, ...

score of 80, which indicates "generally positive reviews," based on 11 reviews. Sheldon Pearce of ''

Pitchfork Media ''Pitchfork'' (formerly ''Pitchfork Media'') is an American online music publication (currently owned by Condé Nast) that was launched in 1995 by writer Ryan Schreiber as an independent music blog. Schreiber started Pitchfork while working ...

'' praised ''The Sun's Tirade'', dubbing the album "a complex portrait of a man in transition", and further applauded Rashad for "wear nghis anxieties" on his sleeve. Ryan Lunn of ''The Line of Best Fit'' lauded the album, saying "while the album may have been crafted during a two-year tsunami of struggle, Isaiah Rashad still manages to sound as calm as an ocean’s gentle waves; sounding so effortless has never taken so much effort." Andy Kellman of

Allmusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...

similarly praised the album, citing its creativity and production as a highlight, while also directing praise at Rashad's rapping, stating "Rashad's voice is dispirited, on the brink of disintegration". Stephen Kearse of ''

Consequence of Sound ''Consequence'' (previously ''Consequence of Sound'') is an independently owned New York-based online magazine featuring news, editorials, and reviews of music, movies, and television. In addition, the website also features the Festival Outlook ...

'' reviewed the album favorably, noting the album's "experimental aesthetic" as more refined than on Rashad's previous efforts. In a less positive review, Michael G. Barilleaux of ''No Ripcord'' found the album to be boring, stating "Each song on this album makes its own point, but does it in exactly the same tone as the last. The end result is 17 tracks of one sound in a row, all bleeding into each other."

Accolades

''The Sun's Tirade'' appeared on numerous end-of-year best album lists from various publications.

Commercial performance

The album debuted at number 17 on the US ''Billboard'' 200, selling 19,000 copies its first week.

Track listing

All tracks written by Isaiah McClain, unless otherwise denoted

Charts

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Suns Tirade 2016 debut albums Isaiah Rashad albums Top Dawg Entertainment albums Albums produced by Mike Will Made It Albums produced by Steve Lacy Albums produced by Dave Free Albums produced by Frank Dukes