Capitalizing on the success of his long awaited third album The House Is Burning, Isaiah Rashad released the deluxe version, The House Is Burning [homies begged].

It only brought along four new songs, but they are some of the most diverse tracks on the entire album. Breaking away from the laid-back sound, Rashad delivers his most high energy verses yet. 

The first song, “RIP Young Remix” featuring Project Pat and Juicy J was already one of the most infectious songs on the album, and it translates perfectly into the cypher like adaptation. Kal Banx consistently shines on the production throughout the album, picking up credits on the majority of the tracks, but this has to be one of my favorite beats from him. Project Pat fits perfectly onto it, somehow always delivering amazing verses even thirty years after his debut. Juicy J brings a few different flows on his verse over a much mellower version of the beat, allowing his rapping ability to really stand out. 

Another Kal Banx produced song, “Deep Blue” featuring Young Nudy, is an homage to the New Orleans rap scene, as Rashad references Master P and Soulja Slim among others. The chorus, as pointed out on Genius, is an interpolation of DJ Jubilee’s hit “Get It Ready, Ready.” Although most of the beat on the song is relaxed, the end of each line features a few guitar notes, a very nice touch that leads to perfect transitions. Rashad’s verse isn’t my favorite from him as it feels a bit blocky, opening the door for Young Nudy to carry. I’ve never listened to Young Nudy that much, however his change of pace verse is something I would’ve liked to experience more of throughout the album.

For the third song, Rashad taps up and coming rapper Deante’ Hitchcock to join him in absolutely destroying a bouncy, higher energy beat. It’s one of the few Rashad songs that truly just make you want to dance, rivaling the likes of “Wat’s Wrong.” Rashad’s repetition throughout his verse and alternating hooks adds to this environment - I have listened many times since the release and it has not gotten old. Deante’ Hitchcock has such a distinct voice and utilizes diverse flows on his verse alongside clever bars, such as “Got the 30 on me, he got the 32 / All my n-words look like Magic Johnson.” Hitchcock has  a .30 gun, while others have a .32  - 32 was Magic Johnson’s number on the Lakers. However, as good as any of these songs may be, they are all completely blown out of the water by the final track.

Umi is going to cause inflation in the value of gold because everything she touches quite literally turns into it. She released her amazing debut album, Introspection Reimagined, earlier this year, while also staying busy through killing it on Tkay Maidza’s “Onto Me” and Joyce Wrice’s “That’s On You - Japanese Remix.” While on “Donuts” she has no solo part, she adds an element through her vocals and combined chorus with Rashad that is unparalleled. Subtleness does not equate to insignificant - if you listen you will quickly realize the impact of Umi’s vocals. The energized chorus followed by the mellow verses by Rashad creates a contrast that works magnificently. It is no exaggeration when I say I’ve listened to the song 50 times since the release - it’s addictive to the highest degree. Rashad also hinted on his Instagram story that he wants a video for “Donuts” and if his previous videos showed us anything, this will certainly be in contention for video of the year.

You’ll not want to miss these four additions to an already top album, listen to them below:

‍

‍

‍