88rising : The collective making moves for Asian Culture

Ebb n Flo
Feb 19, 2020
2 min read

88rising on the set of the music video for "Midsummer Madness" on their 2018 album "Head in the Clouds"

88rising is a group of creators that celebrate and expose Asian artists. Although they're mostly known for their music they also create other content from Japanese cocktail tutorial videos to what can be found on "Feast Mansion" which is cooking videos about Asian cuisine.

It was created by Sean Miyashiro who had previously worked for Vice and created "Thump" which became a viral electronic music channel. “I knew that after launching an entire content platform (Thump) that I had the ability to do it again—but for what was the question. I wanted to create something that represents and celebrates Asian culture”

Sean Miyashiro, CEO and Founder of 88rising

His idea was to make a "Vice" but for Asian culture. Miyashiro decided to move to The Bronx, New York to start over. He couldn’t afford an office space so worked out of his car and drove out to the top of a parking lot where he would come up with ideas—he says 88rising was built there. When he needed wi-fi he would go to a nearby Dunkin Donuts.

Before 88rising, Sean caught a lucky break in the form of a Twitter friendship with 16 year-old Brian from Indonesia . Sean thought Brian's Twitter was genius however didn't know at the time that Brian was a rapper. Two weeks later Brian came out with his first track "Dat $tick" under the name Rich Chigga. It was his first attempt at rapping and it went viral which resulted in him being signed with 88rising.

Rich Brian and Sean Miyashiro

“We kinda represent to the world this wavy group of Asians that are unique individuals in our own right and then also we voltorn together into something else."

On the 22nd of September 2018 ,88rising held the first annual Head in the Clouds Festival in Los Angeles and Indonesia. It was the first musical festival held in the US with all Asian headliners.

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