RichBriansounds like hes in good spirits, albeit a touch raspy. Hes still got a bit of sleep left in his voice.
Im sorry, I just woke up, he remarks.
The rapper, whose real name is Brian Imanuel, speaks into the phone from his native Indonesia,a solid 11-hour time difference between us.
The artist, whos one of Asian-centric label 88Risings biggest acts, first amassed a following for his dry internet humor and sarcasm. Today, however, he seems contemplative and earnest traits that feel more congruous with his trajectory in music.
While mainstream (whiter) audiences may not be familiar with his name, the rapper has been deemed an unexpected favorite among Asian listeners and beyond for years, representing a racial group in a genre where they continue to struggle with legitimacy. Now at 20 years old, hes weeks away from embarking on The Sailor North American tour, promoting his recent sophomore album of the same name. His new tracks evidence a more sophisticated, evolved artist compared to the earlier work that propelled him to his prominent place in the Asian hip-hop movement.
Rich Brians rise is, at its core, the story of an underdog. Yet along with the tales inspiring elements exist a few cringe-worthy ones in the mix as well.
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Since his start in the music industry, Rich Brian tells HuffPost that hes experienced significant epiphanies that have prompted a sort of rebranding. While the rapper rose through the viral charts, attracting massive buzz in the Asian American community, as well as the greater hip hop universe, for his flows about violence and money under the problematic moniker Rich Chigga, hes learned a thing or two on his musical voyage.
Now Im a lot focused on myself and ... the actual message and less focused on the flows and flexing, he tells me.
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Just a few years ago, the rapper was a home-schooled teen and internet comedian of sorts, who learned English through YouTube and possessed a strong yearning to visit the U.S.
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