With The House Is Burning ... Isaiah Rashad has returned as sharp as ever, delivering an album that houses some of the best material that he's ever released.
The House Is Burning does exactly what it’s intended to do, it allows Rashad to dust off the cobwebs going back to the southern sound he so deeply admires, while also proving to listeners he hasn’t lost a step.
Ultimately the thoroughly satisfying maturation on display is enough to overcome any lyrical shortfalls.
It may demand time and focus, but for those interested in a hip hop album that seeks understanding rather than any immediate gratification, this is a quiet, restrained, and uniquely giving world.
While THIB is a back-to-front vibe and an intriguing experiment for Zay's mellowed-out sound, it's one that's still negotiating its own limits.
The House Is Burning, for the most part, is about as engaging as a lackadaisical buzz.
NO NUANCE REVIEW
Isaiah, you fool! How is this house supposed to burn if there isn’t any heat?!
Tired beats, lifeless vocal performances and messy structuring sadly mean that the newest Isaiah Rashad, 5 years in the waiting, is nothing but exceedingly forgettable.
This album heavily relies on its vibes, more than it does on the quality of its verses, production, or even effort going into it, making it a total snoozefest from start to finish
The production is fine, the hooks are fine, the rapping is mediocre, the writing is super vapid most of the time, and the record gets less and less interesting to listen as it goes along, even with the first few tracks not being some of the best Jazz Rap songs I've ever heard
I liked a few songs on here, especially ... read more
Emotionally this was important during the stage of my life when this came out. Bro I love Isaiah
1 | Darkseid 2:06 | 78 |
2 | From the Garden 3:09 feat. Lil Uzi Vert | 73 |
3 | RIP Young 2:38 | 84 |
4 | Lay Wit Ya 3:22 feat. Duke Deuce | 74 |
5 | Claymore 3:06 feat. Smino | 79 |
6 | Headshots (4r Da Locals) 3:13 | 88 |
7 | All Herb 3:44 feat. Amindi | 75 |
8 | Hey Mista 1:55 | 71 |
9 | True Story 3:46 feat. Jay Rock, Jay Worthy | 75 |
10 | Wat U Sed 2:56 | 74 |
11 | Don’t Shoot 2:21 | 77 |
12 | Chad 2:39 feat. YGTUT | 74 |
13 | 9-3 Freestyle 1:45 | 66 |
14 | Score 3:20 | 80 |
15 | THIB 2:34 | 76 |
16 | HB2U 5:45 | 85 |
#1 | / | Okayplayer |
#8 | / | A.V. Club |
#9 | / | Clash |
#14 | / | Passion of the Weiss |
#17 | / | Complex |
#21 | / | Billboard |
#21 | / | FLOOD |
#25 | / | The FADER |
#33 | / | Consequence of Sound |
#56 | / | RIFF |