Video Premiere: Sam Rubik - "MANY SMILES" (prod. by Dijon Samo) - RESPECT.

Sam Rubik‘s second part to his two-part “Many Smiles”/”HURT U” video release series is here, one week later, as promised. The Texas born and bred artist teams up with his label mate Dijon SAMO for this track, keeping the artistry in the family. Nouveau Riche Records (an imprint of URNR.TV) is getting ready to release the deluxe edition of Sam Rubik‘s Survival Tactics through the label on iTunes and Spotify by Christmas 2013. So be on the lookout for that. Rubik and his label are currently working to “…unite artists from Texas to create a scene familiar to the Swisha House era”.

In fact, keeping his creation “at home” has been a staple of Rubik‘s work thus far. His first tape, Life Without Commercials, was almost entirely produced by his Texas padna Beautiful Lou (who has garnered a huge amount of success working with Lil B, Kitty Pryde, and A$AP Rocky). And in the same vein, Rubik keeps this work close to his heart, and close to his fans.

Dijon‘s instrumental doesn’t necessarily scream “Many Smiles”, and to be honest, it’s hard to say that it could induce “any smiles,” even. But that’s meant in the best possible way. Inspiring minute movements only at the corners of the mouth, this instrumental coerces choral vocals to weep organic strings into and out of muted states of existence. With Dijon‘s steady cymbals washing over the entirety of his instrumental, listeners are treated to an experience defined by a trampling solemnity. Reflective in its tonality and energizing in its tempered pace, Dijon‘s instrumental lays thoughtful groundwork for Rubik‘s hopeful musings.

Rubik takes his time on this track, allowing an extended intro to build before imposing himself on the track. His drawl relaxing around the initial moments of the track, he takes a soft grip around the noose wrapped by the instrumental. This makes his moments of toothy heaves more vengeful, and his moments of melodic swooning all the more stirring. Constantly contradicting himself throughout the track, he uses this torn motion as a method of exploration. His imagery revolves around the split between the motivated and the interrupted, the gratified and the struggling, the thoughtful and the muted. His ability to carve out a clear character from a place of contradictions and opposing forces is impressive, and maybe even shrouded until after a few listens. So go through it a few times. You’ll enjoy it: this is one of the most literate pieces of music that you’ll have heard in a very long time.