Biography
Rapper and songwriter Ryan Silva crafts his work as Plato III by intertwining atmospheric indie rock guitars with confessional storytelling shaped by a difficult childhood in West Texas. Drawing from both Midwest emo and conscious rap traditions, he issued multiple independent projects that began with the 2016 album Life Before Death before becoming the first hip-hop act signed to Polyvinyl for the full-length The Devil Has Texas in 2022.
Abilene, Texas, is where Silva grew up under the care of his single mother, including time spent in a trailer park throughout his adolescence. He began making rap recordings at home and helped establish the group Native Strangers, which shared material on Myspace and issued tracks via a regional imprint. After enrolling at the University of Texas and living in Austin, he eventually relocated to Los Angeles. Plato III debuted with the 2015 single “Natalie Portman,” co-produced by JOBA of BROCKHAMPTON, followed a year later by the album Life Before Death. The 2017 release My First Word Was Juice contained the track “Illuminate” featuring Remi Lekun, which later appeared in the 2019 romantic comedy Always Be My Maybe and broadened Silva’s visibility. That same year saw the arrival of the concise, atmospheric project 9 Love Songs.
In 2021 Silva handled writing, directing, producing, starring, and scoring duties for the film Let Me Be Frank, which follows a young rapper’s move to Los Angeles in pursuit of a career. Shortly afterward he became Polyvinyl’s first hip-hop signing. The Devil Has Texas, his initial release on the label, surfaced in 2022 and features American Football’s Mike Kinsella delivering a portion of Daniel Johnston’s “Spirit World Rising”—a song that references Abilene—on the opening track, plus Lil B on “Summon the Based God.” The single “Sorry If I Dissed You” also incorporates a sample from Modest Mouse’s “Trailer Trash.”
Abilene, Texas, is where Silva grew up under the care of his single mother, including time spent in a trailer park throughout his adolescence. He began making rap recordings at home and helped establish the group Native Strangers, which shared material on Myspace and issued tracks via a regional imprint. After enrolling at the University of Texas and living in Austin, he eventually relocated to Los Angeles. Plato III debuted with the 2015 single “Natalie Portman,” co-produced by JOBA of BROCKHAMPTON, followed a year later by the album Life Before Death. The 2017 release My First Word Was Juice contained the track “Illuminate” featuring Remi Lekun, which later appeared in the 2019 romantic comedy Always Be My Maybe and broadened Silva’s visibility. That same year saw the arrival of the concise, atmospheric project 9 Love Songs.
In 2021 Silva handled writing, directing, producing, starring, and scoring duties for the film Let Me Be Frank, which follows a young rapper’s move to Los Angeles in pursuit of a career. Shortly afterward he became Polyvinyl’s first hip-hop signing. The Devil Has Texas, his initial release on the label, surfaced in 2022 and features American Football’s Mike Kinsella delivering a portion of Daniel Johnston’s “Spirit World Rising”—a song that references Abilene—on the opening track, plus Lil B on “Summon the Based God.” The single “Sorry If I Dissed You” also incorporates a sample from Modest Mouse’s “Trailer Trash.”
Albums
Singles
