Later this year, Tennessee native Isaiah Rashad will release his debut EP, Cilvia, via Top Dawg Entertainment (a.k.a. the homebase of Kendrick Lamar and the entire Black Hippy collective). In anticipation, he’s already unveiled several new tracks, including the SZA-aided “Ronnie Drake”, a remix of “Shot You Down” featuring ScHoolboy Q and Jay Rock, and the hazy “Brad Jordan”. Today, he returns with “RIP Kevin Miller”, produced by Atlanta’s own Black Metaphor (Jeezy, French Montana).
The brother of rapper Master P, Kevin Miller was shot and killed in a robbery in 1995. With both hailing from the South and rising out indigent circumstances, Rashad finds a lot of commonality with the late Miller. On one level, he commemorates him by utilizing the same hook (“Y’all live for bitches and blunts/We live for weed and money”) from the Miller-penned Master P track “Weed and Money”. But much deeper, Rashad recognizes the same tragedy could’ve befallen him (“I’m the best they never heard, I’m your brother, just relate”) and now works to avoid becoming just another statistic (“Alright, now if I die today, bitch, my legacy is straight”). Equal parts banger and mournful ballad, it’s a fitting tribute and a profound parable for other young MCs. Listen in below.
