Polaris Music Prize-shortlisted rapper DijahSB today kicks off their new chapter of sound with their single “How R U” produced by Harrison, via Lowly. Listen to the innovative, free-form approach to genre and quick-witted depiction of the everyday life of a Black, non-binary artist on “How R U” HERE.

“How R U” is line after line of raw honesty about the reality of battling with mental health, while keeping it light with clever similes and vivid imagery “Feel like Velma when she looses her glasses I be feelin’ around,” they pain in the first verse before heading into the ever-smooth chorus, “I don’t know how to react these days when people ask how are you tell you I’m fine but my eyes tell you the truth,” all flowing over a sunny, repetitive beat that mirrors the cyclical nature of pretending you’re feeling fine when you’re struggling on the inside.

“And I’m making it through what I thought was the hard part / I’m asking questions like Nardwuar / I mastered the art form now I gotta match the biz / but its hard when everybody here cappin’ to live”

Of the track, DijahSB says, “”I wrote How R U during the pandemic, it really became a phrase that I began not knowing how to answer anymore so I also stopped asking it, because it felt like no matter what walk of life you came from, you were struggling during that time, and to me it’s only gotten worse. So I feel like this song could literally come out between today and 2019 and still have the same impact.”

Today’s release follows their recent Tasty Raps Vol. 2 produced by Clairmont the Second (fans at FADER, Complex, and more), and a string of singles and collaborations with ZZ Ward on “Baby Don’t,” veggi on “EXEPTIONAL” + ‘Lisa Leslie,” Mick Jenkins on “Here to Dance” (whose previous work includes collaborations with the likes of KAYTRANADA, Disclosure, Noname, BADBADNOTGOOD, Ghostface Killah, EarthGang), and more, alongside the earlier 2022 The EP (ft. Keys N Krates, Terrell Morris).

DijahSB’s second full-length album Head Above the Waters delivered the Toronto artist to wider international attention, garnering praise from Clash, Gal-Dem, Fader, Complex, Exclaim, NPR Music, Consequence, OkayPlayer and more. Alongside their Polaris Music Prize nomination, 2021 also saw the emcee named as a finalist for the 2021 SOCAN Songwriting Prize, Canada’s only publicly-voted major songwriting award, for the single “Frontin’ Like Pharrell” from their debut LP, 2020 The Album. With tens of thousands of listeners across streaming platforms and features on popular Spotify playlists including Northern Bars, Fresh Finds, and Fresh Finds Hip Hop, Dijah’s music has also been featured on Hulu’s Single Drunk Female and Crush, Netflix’s Survival of the Thickest, amongst ads for Google, Android, and Crown Royal Whiskey.