colors

Isaiah Rashad Brings A Vivid Performance Of The Low-Key ‘HB2U’ To ‘A COLORS Show’

by

A COLORS Show is well-known for breaking new and international artists, mostly focusing on rising stars or favorites from places like Britain, France, and various African countries. Every so often, though, the show secures a performance from a big-name American star like Alicia Keys, Black Thought, or Smino. Today, Colors Studio shared an eye-popping performance from Isaiah Rashad, who played a relaxed rendition of his low-key The House Is Burning song, “HB2U.”

Decked out in a Fuschia ensemble, Rashad pops out against the electric yellow background as he croons and spits his surprisingly complex verses with well-practiced ease, barely even seeming to take a breath despite the densely packed, syllable-stacking lyrics. “HB2U” — an acronym for “Happy Birthday to You” — is one of the cornerstone pieces of his new album The House Is Burning, finding him conversing with himself to unpack his self-destructive behaviors as he reflects on getting older and hopes to grow wiser in proportion.

Isaiah was a recent guest on Uproxx’s People’s Party podcast, discussing his favorite rappers and recalling studying Outkast to master his flow.

Watch Isaiah Rashad’s vivid performance of “HB2U” at Colors Studios above.

Isaiah Rashad is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

Smino Gives A Spacey, Laid-Back Performance Of ‘Rice & Gravy’ In His Return To ‘A Colors Show’

by

One surefire sign of a rising artist’s impending success is an appearance on ColorsxStudios YouTube performance show COLORS. Artists who previously appeared on the show before big breakouts include Billie Eilish, Daniel Caesar, Doja Cat, Jorja Smith, and Kali Uchis, while rappers like Black Thought, Earthgang, Gunna, Little Simz, and Rexx Life Raj have all made fan-favorite appearances over the years as well.

Today, St. Louis rapperSmino achieved the rare accomplishment of appearing on the show twice as he performs his new song “Rice & Gravy.” As he previously called the song the beginning of a “new journey,” and said he felt “like a brand new artist” upon its release, it’s possible he’s using the performance as a career reset, getting back to basics before he makes a push to return to the buzzy, blog-approved stature he reached with his prior projects Blkswn and Noir.

The spacey, soulful crooner/rapper pulls up with a signature, boundary-breaking look that’ll certainly call to mind a fusion of both members of Outkast in this performance, the last of ColorsxStudios’ collaboration with British fashion house Burberry which included alt-R&B stars like Maria Isabel and Serpentwithfeet. Burberry outfitted each of the artists for their appearances; here, Smino appears in a vibrant, two-toned blue jacket, which truly pops against the warm caramel background for his performance.

Watch Smino’s COLORS return above.