Critic's Pick: Isaiah Rashad

Memphis hip-hop should need no introduction; it’s one of the genre’s stalwart cities. Nashville hip-hop meanwhile has seen a steady if not always nationally recognized output since Young Buck showed up 20-plus years ago. But did you know Chattanooga has a vibrant underground hip-hop scene? The Scenic City’s best-known hip-hop product is undoubtedly Top Dawg Entertainment signee Isaiah Rashad. In May, Rashad released his third album, It’s Been Awful, to another round of critical acclaim. The introspective storyteller delves deep on the new record with a raw look at the past five years since his previous album, The House Is Burning. Tracks like lead single “Same Shit” and “Nuthin 2 Hide” are confessional and precise without losing any of his trademark wooziness on the mic. Rashad brings his Lil Sunny’s Awful Road Trip tour to Nashville on Thursday. Alt-pop artist Alemeda opens.

8 p.m. at Marathon Music Works

1402 Clinton St.