Rich Brian

Rich Brian, born Brian Imanuel in 1999 in Indonesia, became an unlikely global phenomenon at just 16 years old when his February 2016 music video «Dat $tick» went viral, then performing under the name Rich Chigga. Largely self-taught in English through the internet, he brought a distinctly online, self-aware sensibility to his early trap-influenced rap. The video's success led him to sign with the Asian-focused music collective that would become 88rising, home to other prominent Asian rap and pop acts.

In early 2018 he changed his stage name to Rich Brian, having come to see his original moniker as offensive and, in his own words, corny. That same year he released his debut mixtape/album Amen, followed in July 2019 by his first full studio album, The Sailor, which showed a more introspective and musically expansive direction, incorporating pop and R&B textures alongside rap. Songs such as «Gospel», «Cold», «Chaos», and «Yellow» reflect this broadening palette.

As one of the flagship artists of 88rising, Rich Brian played a central role in bringing Asian voices into mainstream American hip-hop and pop conversations, collaborating widely within the collective's roster. His trajectory from viral internet novelty to a genuinely respected songwriter and vocalist marks him as one of the more significant crossover stories in 2010s rap.