Isaiah Rashad will be performing once again at Coachella’s second weekend, where presumably the content of his set will be similar, though it’s unclear if the prerecorded video will play again. There was one instance where the gravity of the moment may have showed on Rashad’s face: fans online captured what appears to be a tear rolling down his cheek while performing “Wat’s Wrong.” Rashad’s Coachella set largely consisted of music from his 2021 album The House is Burning, and he rapped ferociously throughout, even adding a sense of urgency to some of his more downtempo tracks. (In classic DJ Vlad all-attention-is-good-attention fashion, they’ve reuploaded the inflammatory clip as of April 17 with the headline “This is The Interview Isaiah Rashad Used During His Coachella Set.”)

In addition, Rashad used a more negative-leaning clip from a DJ Vlad interview in which notoriously homophobic rapper Boosie Badazz was asked about the video. Though he’s frank in his music about low moments and insecurities, Rashad is also careful about what information makes its way to the masses. Rashad has been candid about his struggles with depression and addiction– notably in a 2021 FADER cover story–and some fans were concerned that negative reaction to the leaked video could affect his mental health. “Y'all n-ggas done kept me alive these last couple months.' Back when the videos were leaked, artists like Duke Deuce, DijahSB, and Chuck Inglish voiced their support for Rashad online. “I see all the messages and all that shit, all the positivity,” Rashad said to a rapturous crowd when he first took the stage. But one moment stood out for its real-world gravity: Isaiah Rashad’s return to the public eye following the February online leak of a video that appeared to show him sexually involved with other men.

Between Kanye West’s sudden decision to cancel his set, the announcement of a surprise, final Brockhampton album, and new music from Megan Thee Stallion, Coachella 2022 had a bumper crop of viral happenings, even for a major festival.

Isaiah rashad twitter photo