Rapper Isaiah Rashad comes out as sexually fluid and addresses leaked sex tape
Isaiah Rashad. (Getty for Coachella/ Scott Dudelson)
Rapper Isaiah Rashad has publicly come out as sexually fluid after a sex tape leak outed him.
The emcee revealed his sexual preference during an interview with fellow rapper Joe Budden on Thursday (28 May), where he defined himself as sexually fluid.
The sex tape was leaked in February, and showed the 31-year-old engaging in sex with men, effectively outing him. He addressed the leak in April during a set at Coachella.
“Just because I grew up in high school I dated this type of person, in college dated this type of person, it doesn’t mean that as an adult it’s always going to be, like, specific,” the rapper said.
“I’m more attracted to a personality, and I’m attracted to the intellect. And sometimes it’s just being attracted to somebody.”
Rashad hasn’t “even been thinking about” seeking legal action against the person who leaked the tapes, saying that the benefits in the wake of the leak actually outweighed the negatives.
The leak resulted in Rashad’s family discovering he was queer, and Budden mentioned this fact: “You said your family knew, your grandparents knew, your girl knew.”
“It’s a time for my family together, out of everything,” Rashad said. “It’s been a blessing that with that happening, and my grandad dying a couple of days afterwards, it’s been a concentration of family together, more than they had been before.
“If anything, I can’t be mad at everything about it. I always gotta look at the brighter side of stuff.”
Isaiah Rashad is ‘still learning’ about his identity
His address at Coachella allowed Isaiah Rashad to show fans that he wasn’t ashamed of his sexuality. His set opened with a montage of news and internet coverage, intermingled with videos of the rapper himself.
Several Twitter users commended the star for embracing his sexuality, with one saying: “The purpose of doing that was to try and embarrass him, but, however, it backfired.”
Another pointed out: “When his videos leaked, his streams and whatever went up. He’s up on the charts now.”
Rashad himself admits he is “still learning about it,” having just come to terms with his own queerness.
“I’m putting my head in the books to find out the basics of it. But basically, I’m not in full control when I walk into a room of who I’m attracted to.”
