A quick note before the show, this podcast contains explicit language.

If you ask for my list of the top five most fearless rappers alive, I would have to say the name, Isaiah Rashad, five times.

This is Rodney Carmichael with NPR Music, and this is a conversation four years in the making.

That's how long it's been since the TDE rapper experienced a rude awakening and started the heavy work of redefining masculinity in his own image.

The result is here, the album is It's Been Awful, and Isaiah's fourth studio LP is the most vulnerable, honest, and yeah, fearless confrontation with himself, with hip-hop, and with the patriarchy at large.

But warning to listeners and parents who might have younger children listening, there is some profanity, and we cover everything from depression to substance abuse to sex addiction.

But mostly, we talk about everything he recovered in the process.

His integrity, his community, and his creative superpowers.

So here's my conversation with Isaiah Rashad.

Oh, snap. Hello, Isaiah Rashad. How you doing, man? It's Rodney Carmichael on the other hand. Man, nice to speak to you, bro. No doubt. No doubt. Appreciate you being on the other hand. We've been really digging this album, bro. For real? Yeah, man. For real.

Okay.

So how's it feeling, man?

It's release day. I mean, it's cool, man. It's... I've been living with this stuff for so long, and I'm, you know, just excited for it to be off my shoulders. You know, I mean, out in the world. How long have you been living with it? I think I've wrapped it up around November.

Oh, wow.

Yeah.

Okay.

I feel like that's rare in hip-hop usually... long have you been living with it? I've wrapped it up around November. Oh, wow.

Yeah.

Okay.

I feel like that's rare in hip-hop.

Usually people say they go into the last, to the 11th hour.

Nah, no.

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