Experiencing the Making of 'Cilvia Demo' with Isaiah Rashad

Isaiah Rashad performing at The Novo, LA by Jacob Alvarez

TDE RAPPER ENDED ANNIVERSARY TOUR IN LA

On Grammys Sunday, with musicians gathering for the somewhat prestigious event happening in downtown Los Angeles, just across the street held another celebration of a well-respected artist. TDE rapper Isaiah Rashad performed to a sold out crowd at The Novo, playing his debut record Cilvia Demo in full.

Fellow rappers Yak and Ray Vaughn hyped up the audience, diving into the mosh pit while Rashad filmed from the stage with his iPhone. The overall feeling inside the venue was familial, with fans encouraging the openers; the theme continued once Rashad came on stage to perform. Due to the excessive rain that caused fans to have to seek shelter while waiting to get into the venue, most of the audience were dedicated and definitely looking forward to this show. Rashad knew this and even commented, “Thank you for being here, fuck this rain,” which led to rapturous applause.

Isaiah Rashad performing at The Novo, LA by Jacob Alvarez

Isaiah Rashad performing at The Novo, LA by Jacob Alvarez

Rashad began with “Hereditary,” playing the album front to back as the fans sang along, but the crowd multiplied in loudness when the tracks featuring fellow TDE artist SZA were played. While most artists performing an album in its entirety prefer to play the songs and end the show, Rashad shared inside knowledge on how most of the tracks were conceived. He would pause before a song and kneel down at the edge of the stage saying, “you came for the album so I’m gonna share some stories about it.” As the songs and chats went on, the energy increased that found Rashad losing his ‘Cilvia Demo’ hoodie and removing the top half of his jumpsuit before coming into the mosh pit himself. After finishing the titular record, Isaiah Rashad decided to give the audiences a little more, playing several popular tracks off his other beloved projects such as “Free Lunch” and “Wat’s Wrong.” Once concluded, the audience dispersed into the continuing rainfall, some catching the train and others sharing cover from buildings with Grammys attenders while waiting for Ubers. The level of dedication from fans and the understanding from Rashad led to an incredible night of music appreciation.

PS: Check out our gallery of photos from the performance!

PS: Check out our gallery of photos from the performance!