Isaiah Rashad Speaks to Joe Budden About Alleged Sex Tape Leak
Written by SOURCE on May 26, 2022
Isaiah Rashad is speaking his truth.
During an extensive sit-down with Joe Budden TV, the TDE artist opened up about an alleged leaked sex tape in which he was seen performing sexual acts with other men. The footage, which began circulating on social media in February, was met with a wide range of reactions. Some users responded with hateful, homophobic comments; while many showed their support for the 31-year-old rapper, who had yet to confirm his sexuality.
“When all of the chaos broke, and I saw the news and the headlines, my first thing as a journalist was, I’m gonna watch that interview when it happens,” Budden told Rashad. “I wonder who the hell’s gonna have to go with that … And it’s me.”
Budden went on to press the Tennessee native about his sexual orientation, directly asking: “How do you identify.”
“I’d say I’m sexually fluid,” Rashad responded. “I’m still learning about it myself. I’m putting my head in the books to find out the basics of it, but basically … I’m more attracted to a personality. I’m more attracted, sometimes, to the intellect.”
The artist explained that his attraction is constantly changing, so much so that he no longer has expectations for himself. He also told Budden that being sexually fluid doesn’t necessarily mean he’s “going out and doing whatever.” He confirmed he’s in a supportive, monogamous relationship.
Rashad said he began exploring his sexuality in recent years, describing it as a “gradual” process.
“Last couple of years, I’ve had a couple of experiences; like, dating and hanging out and, honestly, trying different thing—things I didn’t expect,” he continued, before Budden asked if the experiences occurred while he was “sober.”
“Yeah,” Rashad said. “Luckily, I date someone who has a similar understanding of themselves in that way … She’s putting me on to a lot of stuff I didn’t even understand.”
Budden then asked how the sex tape has affected his family, specifically asking Rashad if he’s had to explain the situation to his kids.
“Nah, my kid’s 6, man, and eight,” he said. “We do Roblox.”
Rashad indirectly addressed the sex tape during his Coachella performance last month. He opened his set with a video that featured hip-hop figures like Budden, The Game, and Akademiks discussing the explicit video, before a narrator said: “The purpose of doing that was to embarrass him. However, it backfired. When his video leaked, his streams and everything went up. He’s up on the charts now.”
Rashad later expressed gratitude to all the fans who’ve supported him in wake of the leak.
“I see all the messages and all that shit, all the positivity,” he told the Coachella crowd. “Y’all n***s done kept me alive these last couple months.”
So does Rashad have any intention to take legal action over the leaked video? Not at this time.
Elsewhere in the interview, Rashad speaks about his next moves, saying he’s taking cues from some of hip-hop’s most successful artists.
“Im studying 50 Cent again,” he said. “I haven’t hit some of the things that other people haven’t even realized he was doing. I’m also studying Nas now. I’m getting a crazy appreciation for Pusha-T too. He is ferocious.”
You can check out Rashad’s full interview at Budden’s Patreon page.
