The second single to Isaiah Rashad’s 2016 sophomore album, and follow up to his 2014 debut Cilvia Demo. It released January 15th, 2016, a week after Top Dawg posted a snippet on his Instagram.
“Smile” has a slow-burning beat that’s sonically reflective of Rashad’s Tennessee roots. The raps are just as smooth, but the content is often painful, as Rashad documents coming back to his stomping grounds – only to find his community isn’t bearing the “smile” with which he thought his return would be greeted.
“Smile” may have been inspired by Rashad’s earlier song “Modest”, where he spits: