Everything We Know About Isaiah Rashad’s ‘It’s Been Awful’

Wishing everyone celebrating a happy release week for Isaiah Rashad’s new album, It’s Been Awful! Many of us have been eagerly anticipating this third studio album since we first heard it was in the works.

Rumors about a follow-up to Rashad’s The House Is Burning began circulating in February 2024. Top Dawg Entertainment revealed its 2024 album release schedule, and fans started speculating about the new project then.

Zay later revealed he had a nearly completed album ready to go, but it wouldn’t be released that year, or the next. However, in 2025, he hinted at a new song during his Lollapalooza set and confirmed he still had an album planned.

The rapper had been quiet for a while, but last month fans on Reddit started sharing photos of “It’s Been Awful” flyers they received with their orders from his label, Top Dawg Entertainment. Shortly after, the rapper confirmed he was behind the flyers and announced that It’s Been Awful is the name of his upcoming album – marking the official start of the album’s promotion.

https://open.spotify.com/watch?v=playlist/6C6OCR6Zy9AgkLztHIDaOR

The First Trailer

We got our first look at the world of It’s Been Awful with the album’s official trailer on April 7th. The 48-second video, directed by Omar Jones, introduces us to this new era and shows Zay – or his alter ego, DJ Sunny Roshi, who also appears – wandering through a quiet, countryside field with cows. While DJ Sunny Roshi narrates, we see Rashad with serious injuries – bleeding from his face and stomach, and his shirt torn and covered in blood.

At the video’s conclusion, two shadowy figures stand over the rapper, filmed from below to emphasize their dominance. The screen switches to black and white as the album title, “IT’S BEEN AWFUL,” appears in bold, capital letters. The title features the same distinctive devil ear and angel halo design seen earlier in the video.

The trailer generated a lot of buzz online, attracting comments from a wide range of people and organizations, including musicians like ScHoolboy Q, Jordan Ward, and Ab-Soul, as well as brands like Hidden.NY and even Apple Music.

The Cover Art (and Alternative Cover Art)

On April 14th, along with the song list, Rashad shared the album’s cover art, a striking orange image. The photo, taken by photographer Matt Miller, who is associated with TDE, features the rapper standing in front of a bright orange backdrop, but his head is intentionally cut off.

Along with the standard album cover, photographer Quil Harwood-Lemons created a series of alternative cover designs. These images will appear on the vinyl version of the album, both on the sleeve and the record itself. One photo shows Zay smiling broadly outside the trailer featured in the album’s artwork, and another depicts him relaxing in a beige chair, also smiling, while wearing a full denim outfit.

Omar Jones’ Curation of the Visual World

Omar Jones has been central to the overall look of It’s Been Awful, going beyond just the album cover. He’s known for working with top artists – especially in hip-hop – including Pusha T and Amaarae, and he has strong connections to the TDE label, having created visuals for Doechii, Ab-Soul, and ScHoolboy Q. Because of his impressive background, he was the perfect choice to lead the visual campaign for It’s Been Awful.

The first trailer for It’s Been Awful revealed a striking visual style centered around an airstream trailer situated in a grassy field. A billboard featuring the album’s logo stands beside the trailer, with a sign pointing to Chattanooga, Tennessee—Rashad’s hometown—just behind it. Satellite dishes from Top Dawg Entertainment are mounted on the trailer roof, and a clothesline hangs nearby. This scene serves as the primary backdrop for much of the album’s artwork.

The Lead Single: “SAME SH!T”

The first single from ‘It’s Been Awful,’ titled “SAME SH!T,” was released shortly after the album was announced. It came out on April 10th, accompanied by an energetic music video directed by Jones.

The Tracklist and Feature Lineup

Zay didn’t keep fans waiting – he released the full tracklist for his new album surprisingly early. Usually, this information comes out right before the release, but Zay shared it with a vibrant orange backdrop. The album will feature 16 songs, including the already released single, “SAME SH!T,” as well as tracks like “Scared 2 Look Down,” “Ain’t Givin’ Up,” and “Nuthin 2 Hide.”

The album features several exciting collaborations. SZA lends her talent to the fourth track, “Boy in Red,” while Julian Sintonia appears on “Do I Look High?” and Dominic Fike contributes to “Cameras.”

Sunny Roshi TV

In addition to the album artwork and official music videos, SZA’s It’s Been Awful now includes visual shorts. Last week, SZA released “EPISODE 1: HAPPY HOUR,” which features a guest appearance by fellow artist ScHoolboy Q and a preview of a new song. The short shows SZA inside and outside her Airstream trailer, and when it was first released, it wasn’t clear what the series would become.

We received the second episode, titled “EPISODE 2: NIGHT SHIFT,” earlier this week. In it, Zay further develops his persona as “DJ Sonny Roshi,” who may be the voice guiding us through the album, and SZA makes a guest appearance.

The rapper posted a short freestyle rap on Instagram yesterday instead of the new episode fans were expecting. He explained the delay, writing, “Sorry for the interruption! Episode 3 is postponed. Here’s a quick freestyle called ‘Dirty Words.'”

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The Merch Lineup

The album’s official merchandise lets fans experience the story and themes in real life, with a range of clothing and other items inspired by the album’s world.

The collection’s clothing features a bold graphic inspired by the D.A.R.E. campaign, but with a modern, slightly edgy twist reflecting the “It’s Been Awful” aesthetic. You’ll find hoodies and t-shirts decorated with the distinctive “It’s Been Awful” logo prominently displayed across the center.

Good news for music lovers! Zay went all out creating special physical copies of the album. Each CD and vinyl record features unique cover art, and a very small number of copies have been personally signed.