Track Review: Lay Wit Ya by Isaiah Rashad ft. Duke Deuce

 

    5 years is a hell of a lot of time for an artist to disappear from the public eye, as Isaiah Rashad has been gone for what seems like a millennia. Dealing with personal demons and facing creative setbacks in the form of writer’s block, Zay has emerged from the shadows and has delivered a new single in the form of a Tennessee team-up with fellow southern artist Duke Deuce. Rashad usually exudes personal troubles and undiminished pain in his introspective and volatile thematic song writing, accompanied by sorrowful, neo-soul inspired rap instrumentals. This is further touched upon by an experimental southern-styled, rising groove and gorgeous, relaxing elements of trip-hop. This single ditches these atmospheric, cinematic soundscapes and aesthetic tropes he is known for and leans in the direction of the Crunk genre. This new cut engrosses the listener with a snarling, skeletal instrumental sample of Three 6 Mafia’s “Ridin’ N’ Da Chevy,” characterized by the amped up, mean-mugging bass and the subtle synths melding with Zay’s tranced-out, confident and relaxing flow.

    “Lay Wit Ya” is definitely something to nod your head to, but it is not akin to the loud, raucous club bangers that a majority of Crunk tracks are known for, even though I would still categorize it as such. With the tempo of the beat slower and a bit more refined, it allows Zay to deliver his signature raspy, enigmatic flow with a high degree of precision, sounding as if he is possessed and absolutely in his bag, while maintaining his calm demeanor. I know many will not enjoy the subtle, nuanced delivery he gives because it sounds as if there is little effort or energy behind it to fit this sonic style, but understanding that Zay is no longer in a state of utter emotional and mental turmoil as he was a few years ago allows him to experiment and evolve his sound to fit this mellow, Crunk inspired southern piece of sampled hip-hop. Lyrically this track isn’t hard to dissect at all, with it being a flavorful dose of braggadocio hip-hop aimed at talking trash and getting the girls. The feature from Duke Deuce fits perfectly, as he is riding the beat and murdering the sample with his high-velocity flow. It is interesting to have these two contrasting vocal performances on display because it allows multiple mindsets to flourish on this cut and is a refreshing taste of Zay’s brilliant new artistic headspace and a satisfying, established performance from Duke Deuce.

    Isaiah Rashad dropping of the face of the earth and returning with this ambitious, stylized, intoxicating Crunk banger is the exact dose of charisma and execution we desperately needed from him. This track is unlike anything he has put out before and offers a glimpse into what new delights could be on the horizon with the release of his long awaited album The House is Burning. “Lay Wit Ya” is an aspiring evolution for Isaiah Rashad and the perfect comeback track to lay the foundations for what is to come.

Score: 9/10