Polyvinyl hip-hop artist PLATO III maintains calming flow with “Stay Sane,” out today!

Today, Plato III (Plato The Third) – the multigenre project of LA-based and West Texas-raised rapper / songwriter Ryan Silva, has released “Stay Sane (feat. Bei Bei)” – the latest single from his forthcoming TBA next album, out now via Polyvinyl Record Co.

The song’s meditative rhythm, constructed by producer Philip Odom (Ceremony, Militarie Gun), is graced by renowned Chinese Guzheng virtuoso and string player, Bei Bei Monter, better known as Bei Bei. The guzheng (“goo-jung” / 古筝) is a Chinese stringed instrument whose origin dates to the Qin dynasty – roughly 2,250 years ago for those keeping track, and can have as many as 26 strings. Its classically major pentatonic tuning flourishes atop Odom’s dub-esque bass and sparse percussion, while Plato’s nimble verses softly bob and sway throughout, culminating with a hypnotic swirl that washes over the song’s coda, like waves across sand.

Speaking to the collaboration and deeper meaning behind the track, Silva shares “One of the world’s best string instrument players doing her thing on this. One of my proudest moments. I just try to stay out the way, but really meditate on the personal toll that capitalism takes on me in a consumer culture. It’s inescapable and casts a heavy shadow. Hard to defeat, we are left with trying to maintain.”

It’s a form of survivalist mantra that is interwoven throughout Silva’s most recent works, including the bright boogie beat of “Good Problems” and its thematic partner (and visually stunning video sequel) “I Want (Money),” which will both appear on his forthcoming / TBA album, due out Fall 2025.

The song’s music video, directed by Colton Van Til for Cloudstar Pictures, was beautifully captured in Isamu Noguchi’s California Scenario, a sculpture garden based in the heart of Costa Mesa, 40 miles south of Plato’s home of Los Angeles. As Van Til explains, “it felt like the perfect setting for this piece,” adding, “I drew much of the video’s inspiration from Noguchi’s work – particularly the way the garden offers a striking sense of calm and simplicity, nestled among towering financial high-rises. That tension between serenity and surrounding pressure echoed the lyrics of Ryan’s song, which meditate on the struggle to maintain your sanity in the midst of late-stage capitalism.”

Van Til, who also serves as the video’s Director of Photography, with the help of camera operator Isaac Bedford, calls attention to how the “garden’s strong geometric design [offers] a visually compelling mise-en-scène,” while visualizing “a compressing force that would tighten and release around the musicians, echoing both the sculptural aesthetics of Noguchi’s space and the oppressive emotional landscape Ryan raps about.”

“Stay Sane (feat. Bei Bei)” is now available on Polyvinyl Record Co.

For much of the last year, Plato III has been preparing for the release of his next album on Polyvinyl, and is documenting the entire process on his TikTok, Substack, and Instagram channels, urging us to all follow along.

Ryan Silva, known professionally as Plato III, is an American rapper, producer, and songwriter. He is recognized for his introspective lyrics, fusing personal narratives with sharp insights on race, class, and identity. His music blends hip-hop with influences ranging from indie rock to r&b and funk, creating a sound that is both boundary-pushing and deeply rooted in his experiences. After self-releasing several projects throughout the 2010s, Plato III gained wider attention with his 2022 Polyvinyl debut, The Devil Has Texas, a vivid exploration of his trailer park upbringing in West Texas.