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.