Isaiah Rashad uses the word "surreal" a lot. It's hard to blame him. Consider the trajectory of his life and career over the last decade: In 2013, Rashad was still a relatively unknown up-and-comer from Chattanooga, Tenn., before he signed to Top Dawg Entertainment, this century's most celebrated rap label. Twice he released critically acclaimed projects — 2014's Cilvia Demo and 2016's The Sun's Tirade — and twice he disappeared from public view, folding inward as he struggled with substance abuse and his mental health. After his longest absence yet, Rashad's second official full-length album, The House Is Burning, arrives today. For all the real catastrophes Rashad has survived, the house fire that forms the title and heart of the album is only a metaphor. It's a reference to the turbulent past five years during which he relapsed, hemorrhaged his savings, checked into rehab and started confronting his problems in earnest. With everything around him burning, Rashad got himself out alive and surveyed the damage.