Isaiah Rashad: Tiny Desk Concert

Bobby Carter | August 25, 2026
Isaiah Rashad put everything into this Tiny Desk. And in the weeks leading up to the show, we came together to define what “everything” meant for this occasion. So much has happened since The Sun’s Tirade in 2016, and through the music, Rashad wanted to talk about it all. As a result, the pride of Chattanooga crafts a performance that feels like a debut for longtime fans and newcomers alike.

Rashad’s music comprises just as much blues as hip-hop, and his strength lies in raw vulnerability, which he consistently expresses through honest songwriting. Album titles like The House is Burning and the latest, IT’S BEEN AWFUL, spell it out plainly: He’s going through it. Family, addiction, sexuality — no stone is unturned. Without studio effects, these Tiny Desk arrangements illuminate his melodic foundation and what he calls “rapping in hieroglyphics,” as he told NPR’s Rodney Carmichael. With bashful charm, the TDE veteran gives an ambitious, spiritually bookended 13-song set of his best work thus far.

SET LIST
“Heavenly Father”
“SAME SH!T”
“West Savannah”
“Headshots (4r Da Locals)”
“Wat’s Wrong”
“BOY IN RED”
“M.O.M.”
“SUPAFICIAL”
“RIP Young”
“SCARED 2 LOOK DOWN”
“GTKY”
“4r Da Squaw”
“Prayers Up”

MUSICIANS
Isaiah Rashad: vocals
Gonzo Mendes: guitar
Amaire Johnson: keys
Dammo Farmer: bass
Chris Panameno: alto sax
Frank Alowishus: trumpet
Diamond Johnson: drums
Norelle: background vocals
Moriah Wenzel: background vocals

TINY DESK TEAM
Producer: Bobby Carter
Director/Editor: Joshua Bryant
Audio Engineer/Mix: Josephine Nyounai
Videographers: Joshua Bryant, Maia Stern, Kara Frame
Audio Director: Josh Newell
Audio Engineer: Becky Brown
Production Assistant: Ashley Pointer
Series Editor: Lars Gotrich
Executive Producer: Suraya Mohamed
Executive Director: Sonali Mehta
Series Creators: Bob Boilen, Stephen Thompson, Robin Hilton

#nprmusic #tinydesk #isaiahrashadtypebeat

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NPR Music’s Tiny Desk Concerts is a popular video series featuring live, intimate music performances by diverse artists, from major stars to up-and-coming musicians, recorded in the small workspace of Bob Boilen’s NPR office in Washington, D.C.brought to you by SloppBoxx.Com.

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