‘Smoke Rise’ is the collaborative new single from LA’s Cub-J and Chicago’s Rub N’ Alc. It ruminates on lost love and grief. The vocals are well crafted, with smooth performances and rising melodies – whilst a rhythmic bass line rolls underneath. The track defies genre boundaries skipping between various influences ranging from hip-hop to soul to R&B. It’s beautifully delivered and lyrically rich, a hallmark of Cub-J’s emotive songwriting style.
“I had a rough stretch during 2017 in which I lost three people that were very important to me. All three deaths happened within a span of two weeks. I had never before experienced such grief in my life. Writing this song was my catharsis and means of coping with these losses” – Cub-J
