My Case for Isaiah Rashad’s “Cilvia Demo”

My Case for Isaiah Rashad’s “Cilvia Demo”

By Max M. Spencer

Isaiah Rashad, whose real name is Isaiah Rashad McClain, is a hip-hop artist hailing from Chattanooga, Tennessee. The hype surrounding McClain has been building steadily since it was announced that he signed to TDE (Top Dawg Entertainment) in September of last year. On January 28th, after a copy of his project “Cilvia Demo” leaked, the EP was officially released for online purchase. His TDE label-mates include Kendrick Lamar, Schoolboy Q, Ab-Soul, Jay Rock, and the lesser known SZA. The public’s expectations for a newly signed TDE artist are understandably high, given the caliber of projects released by the label’s roster thus far, with Kendrick Lamar’s “Good Kid, M.A.A.D City” going platinum and receiving plenty of mainstream attention over the past year.

The reception of McClain’s debut has been decidedly mixed. The Smoking Section[1] reviewed it as promising, but lacking direction in parts, where Spin.com[2] labeled it as strong through-out. Not surprisingly, a large portion of the attention given to the EP seems to center around McClain’s place in TDE. This type of pressure has strangled rising artists on big labels in the past, causing them to fail to live up to the lofty expectations of critics and the public. Even J. Cole, who joined Roc Nation with an established resume of acclaimed mixtapes seemed to falter at first, only reaching the level expected of him relatively recently. For a comparatively unknown artist, Isaiah Rashad had a monumental task in front of him when releasing his first piece of work on the back of his arrival at TDE.

Fielding comparisons that likened him to another Kendrick Lamar, McClain could either cater to this hype or establish himself as something more unique within his label. In a hip-hop landscape shaped by artists who have broken into the scene with a sound that is either shocking or exceptionally different, then eventually moving towards a more consistent and focused style, Isaiah Rashad took the opposite route in releasing a project that was thoroughly consistent throughout but lacked flash.

Many seemed to view this EP as mediocre, potentially verging on boring. What the audience of modern hip-hop may fail to acknowledge is that recently the best way for a new artist to garner attention has not been by releasing solid focused pieces, but rather something that is new and flashy. This has to some extent shaped expectations of releases, with an emphasis placed on unique subject matter or delivery. Some notable examples of artists who followed this path are Lil B, many of the acts related to Odd Future, and highly stylistic artists like Underachievers and Flatbush Zombies. There is nothing inherently wrong with this as it has led to an incredibly diverse range of artists cropping up in the past few years. It should not, however, be expected as the norm, since building a career off of flash and potentially gimmicky subjects has proven to be a dangerous prospect, both for the artist and the genre as a whole.

Many of the aforementioned artists never had the privilege afforded to Isaiah Rashad in that McClain has in many ways already “made it,” even alluding to it on his record “R.I.P. Kevin Miller,” with the lines “[…] if I die today, bitch my legacy is straight, I’m the best they never heard […].” Most artists have to break into the scene, whereas McClain has the liberty of airing his talents in a more deliberate manner, having already been signed to a successful label.

“Cilvia Demo” is mellow, based off of strong fundamentals rather than flashy antics. The songs fit cohesively together and the mood of the album remains relaxed even in the midst of songs with heightened energy like “R.I.P Kevin Miller” and “Banana.” Instead of feeling like a night at a loud party, the EP at its core feels more like smoking with friends and having conversations on a summer afternoon. McClain touches on some of the problems and intrigues in his life without drowning you in his emotions. In “West Savannah” he talks about his struggles with contemplating suicide while accompanied by the other dark horse of TDE, SZA. The vocal accompaniments of SZA and Jean Deaux are perfect fits and do not detract from McClain’s performance. Some complained that the lack of solid features hindered the album, but it is admirable that McClain chose to have so few features when he had so many available to him. This is especially notable when considering that he could have rode the coat tails of his more successful label mates easily through an album full of their features. The choices of production on the album mesh perfectly with McClain’s laid back style, allowing him to methodically deliver lines along with the strong bass that accompanies him. The deliberateness of his delivery perfectly fits with the idea that he would rather build a more general base as a first project than delve into a number of more specific subjects. This is something he touched on in a Complex magazine interview[3] stating,

“At first it was going to be like eight tracks for a one-and-a-half-minutes, just verses. Then it was going to be some alternative, black-power shit. Then it was going to be some eclectic-alien shit. Then it was going to be some Southern-banging shit. Now it’s kind of all of it.”

The sole complaint I have about the project is that the single that seems to be getting the most attention, “Soliloquy” seems to be placed awkwardly in terms of track order. Given its energy, I feel as though it might be better suited as either an opening song or an end cap.

I would encourage anybody who found that “Ciliva Demo” fell flat to give it another chance. Aside from mentally separating Isaiah Rashad from TDE for a second and judging the EP based on its own merits, critics would do well to remember that an artist deciding to build a strong base, then moving onto more stylistic work is not necessarily bad or boring. In a way Isaiah Rashad established himself in a completely unique manner by deciding not to release the type of flashy project that is so common in the hip-hop world today, this also confirms that he belongs on TDE despite not being a “Kendrick Jr.” He has created a space for himself in a highly competitive label, while not allowing himself to fold under the pressure of expectations placed upon him. His “Cilvia Demo” EP stands as one of the most solid, enjoyable releases in recent memory.

Score: 9.5/10

References:

[1] http://smokingsection.uproxx.com/TSS/2014/02/isaiah-rashad-cilvia-demo-album-review

[2] http://www.spin.com/reviews/isaiah-rashad-cilvia-demo/

[3] http://www.complex.com/music/2014/01/who-is-isaiah-rashad/cilvia