Head in the Clouds – 88rising

An international media collective and record label focusing on Asian talents, 88rising was founded in 2015 by Sean Miyashiro and fosters Asian artists like Indonesian rapper Rich Brian (fka Rich Chigga), Korean rapper Keith Ape, mainland Chinese rap foursome Higher Brothers, and more. Initially known as CXSHXNLY, the collective’s initial signees were Filipino-American singer/dancer Brian Puspos, Korean-American rapper Jonathan Park (fka Dumbfoundead), and Josh Pan. After Pan discovered Keith Ape’s “It G Ma,” Miyashiro recruited A$AP Ferg, Waka Flocka Flame, and Dumbfoundead for a remix, which later went viral. Rebranding as 88rising in 2016, they drafted other viral acts to the team, including Rich Brian, who found early success with his viral single “Dat $tick”; Joji, the artistic outlet for one-time Internet jokester George Miller, aka Pink Guy; and the Mandarin-speaking trap quartet Higher Brothers from Chengdu, China. 88rising later enlisted Indonesian singer NIKI, Japanese singer Rina Sawayama, Japanese-American hip-hop producer Sen Morimoto, and Los Angeles-bred R&B singer August 08. 88rising spent 2018 touring the world, focusing on Asian markets and a U.S. trek. To coincide with the journey, they released a debut single as 88rising, “Midsummer Madness,” which racked up millions of streams. ~ Neil Z. Yeung