Chattanooga native Isaiah Rashad showed why he’s become one of hip hop’s most vulnerable voices when his “Lil Sunny’s Awful Road Trip” tour stopped at The Pageant on Sunday night.
Fans walked into a slideshow of spoofed movie posters and tongue‑in‑cheek ads for everything from veneers to cat adoption — all tied to Rashad’s latest album, It’s Been Awful. But once the show started, the mood shifted. The performance was serious, intentional and visually heavy.
With staging more in line with a theater production than a rap concert, Rashad delivered what his fans came for – an honest connection wrapped in a tightly executed live show. There were no hype men, dancers or band. Just Rashad, the full stage, and visuals that pushed the story behind the music.
Alt‑pop singer Alemeda opened the night. Together, the two artists showed the range of Black music from different lanes.
Alemeda’s sound sits somewhere between Alanis Morissette and SZA, with a touch of Gwen Stefani. Backed by a drummer and guitarist, she held the room from the moment she started “Losing Myself,” a song that nods to 1960s pop. Her look — a denim two‑piece, knee‑high socks, stilettos and long pink hair — contrasted with the softness in her voice for the selection. The contrast made her performance stand out even more, especially for audience members unfamiliar with her catalog.
Her lyrics read like diary entries after a breakup. Songs like “I Hate Your Face” and “The World Keeps Spinning,” her duet with Fousheé, paired tender vocals with sharp emotion. By the time she closed with “Gonna Bleach My Eyebrows,” she had earned a room full of new fans. The connection was sealed earlier when she asked the crowd to hold up photos of their cats before dedicating “Broken Record” to her own.
Rashad carried that momentum into his set.
He opened with a clip from his Sunny Roshi TV series, which ties into It’s Been Awful. He stepped onstage as if he had walked straight out of the scene — bloody, bruised and limping — before settling in to perform “The New Sublime.” It showed how Rashad uses visuals to extend the world of his albums.
The stage design and visuals gave the show a cinematic feel, but Rashad kept it intimate. He moved across the entire stage, switching between sitting and standing, posing for photos and even stepping toward the mosh pit to connect more directly with fans. The choices made the performance feel personal, even when the visuals were larger than life.
More than half of the 20‑plus songs came from It’s Been Awful.
Rashad’s rise has been slow and steady. He broke through during the 2012 Smoker’s Club Tour and later signed with Top Dawg Entertainment, joining a roster known for narrative‑driven hip hop – most famously Kendrick Lamar. His debut EP Cilvia Demo earned critical acclaim and landed him in the XXL Freshman Class of 2014.
Now, more than a decade later, he’s touring behind a critically acclaimed and commercially successful third album. His lyrics tackle topics that rarely make it to a rap stage: family dysfunction, childhood trauma, addiction, sobriety and early exposure to pornography. Thos
His vulnerability sets him apart. While many of his peers focus on nightlife, bravado and excess, Rashad uses his music to process what he’s lived through. His fan base connects with honesty rather than the flash.
Rashad’s authenticity was clear Sunday night through songs like “M.O.M.,” “Supaficial,” “Do I Look High,” “Ain’t Giving Up,” “Heavenly Father” and “Happy Hour.”
He also touched on politics — framed through childhood hunger. During “Free Lunch,” marquee‑style lighting flashed “Starving Is American.” Another display read “Feed The Kids” alongside an etching of President Donald Trump. Rashad didn’t speak directly on current events, but the imagery made his point without commentary.
Sunday’s show made it clear that Rashad doesn’t aim to be the loudest voice in his industry — he desires to be the realest.