88rising and Red Bull team up for "Asia Rising", a documentary about the Asian rap scene

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Japanese rapper Awich had her first taste of American hip-hop at age 14 with Tupac & # 39; s All look on me. "I went to the CD store and my cousin, [like] my older sister said that I could choose what I wanted and that she would buy it for me, "she says." I closed my eyes and chose one and it was Tupac All look on me. I went home and listened to the first song. It was the sound that I had never heard before and that really captivated me. So I studied Tupac, what he was trying to say, where he came from and all his interviews, all his speeches, all his words. It was basically my English textbook. "

Now, thanks to 88rising, the media company founded by Sean Miyashiro that has helped Asian artists reach an American audience at a faster and faster pace, Awich is beginning to share his music with a global audience. This is part of a growing phenomenon.

I've had many friends attending the 88rising "Head in the Clouds" tour of L.A. last September and they all commented on the dedication of the fans, pointing out dozens of lines to buy several items. The industry veterans were shocked by the amount of money spent and the pbadion of the fans.

Red Bull and 88rising have teamed up to bring viewers inside the phenomenon in a new documentary, Asia Rising – The next generation of hip hop, which will debut this Friday, March 29 at 7 am Eastern Time, on both Red Bull TV and the Red Bull YouTube channel. To watch a clip featuring American artists such as Migos and Lil Yachty reacting to the Asian hip-hop scene, check out the clip here.

"The partnership with Red Bull Japan and Red Bull Media House seemed like a natural opportunity for two major media companies to converge on a story that has so much talent, art and culture," Chris Heinrich, producer, says of the movie . "I was fortunate to be part of this project from the initial conversations and to see if I would become a leading documentary." Working in-house for 88rising as an executive producer and producing this documentary gave me the opportunity to testify that this story is intended to show directly with the growth of our artists and an exhibition to artists like Suboi, Awich and Jin Dogg.This documentary is just a glimpse of art and the creativity that these (presented) cultures and other defining cultures now have the opportunity to share on a global stage that is the Internet. "

I spoke with director Jonathon Lim and rapper Awich about the film, why they wanted to participate, and their hope that Asia Rising will broaden people's perceptions of the Asian hip-hop scene.

Steve Baltin: What are the most important points that you wanted to express when making this film?

Jonathon Lim: Obviously, music is in the foreground and what it is about. For me, it's more about the development of youth culture and how influencers come from America or from all these places in the world. When they arrive in Asia, they mix with local experiences to create something new. . So it's a little something that I wanted to make clear. But also the idea of ​​rappers, these people being role models for Asian youth. I am half Malay and my mother is Australian. I grew up in Australia. But growing up, there were no real Asians you took. So, seeing that there are the Higher Brothers and Rich Brian, that really changes what half a billion or a billion people think of themselves. So it's something that I was trying to make clear.

Baltin: And in preparing the film, what are the things you learned?

Lim: I did not spend a lot of time in America, so even the concept that the Higher brothers start in shows all over America, I was trying to capture that. And even after I asked them, "How are the shows? Is it all Chinese children or is it all Asian? How is makeup for these shows?" And they are very diverse too. So honestly, I'm fascinated by how a Chinese rap band can come to America and start concerts. So, I think was very exciting. People equate Asia with this great thing, like "It's Asian." What I also tried to make clear is that each country has its own base, like the difficulties, and that all these regions are populated by different people, all very unique. So it's something that I was trying to make clear. But at the same time, we are all the same in many ways. As if we were in Osaka with a lot of rappers and they spend all their time playing Fortnite and relaxing in the studio. It's these little things, hanging out in video games or Fortnite, those very small pieces that make us all the same all over the world. Everyone does the same thing, but they are represented in different ways.

Baltin: How did you choose the six artists included in the film?

Lim: I had two different rappers who were introduced and then I ended up finding the stories that worked. Fortunately, they all did something special. There was not a lot of crossing. It was a bit of a challenge because there are six different rappers, how do you tell a unifying story? Fortunately, each of them had something that made them stand out in the family.

Baltin: What stories surprised you most about working on the film?

Lim: I think it was the most individual stories, the things that everyone had gone through to be where they were were the most surprising. I think that, for example, for Rich Brian and him who exploded, it was very well planned by a boy of 12 years. He started planning things like that at this age. For me, it was really interesting. He was home schooled and for some reason his parents stopped giving him work. I asked him about it, "What do you mean, why did they stop giving you stuff?" He's like, "I do not know." And he spent all day on the Internet watching videos. He had his Internet friends met on Twitter and had taught him American culture, his first hip-hop videos. At the same time, he was only creating memes all day and that was his goal. He wanted to keep memories late at night while Twitter appeared, that was his plan. And then he would be cultivated, his Twitter account, to build a base. Then when he came out "Dat Stick" the thing exploded. He had been following Twitter for four or five years, at age 11 or 12.

Baltin: Why did you think that it was important to be involved in Asia up?

Awich: I got involved because they contacted me. I'm doing really well in the Japanese scene right now, I'm doing shows and my songs are doing very well. That's probably why they've contacted me. I also have an interesting story. I grew up in one of Japan's regions that counts many US military bases. And that's probably why they thought it was interesting. They wanted to talk to me about my childhood and everything and I decided to be part of this story because I feel that no one really cares about Japanese rap or what we have to say as a person. artist, rapper, in particular, until Rising occurs. So I think their presence is really important and I really appreciate it. And also if they could understand our stories and relate to our stories, I feel that this is a game changer for us and for the world, because if you know we are living the same thing, we feel the same and we have a lot to say, so you can broaden the understanding of who we are as human beings.

Baltin: Do you remember the first rap you heard that really impacted you?

Awich: Yes, Tupac, I was 14 years old when I heard him for the first time. Before that, I listened to Japanese pop, J-pop. Okinawa is the place where I come from. We talk about it a lot in this film, but my region of origin is very different from that of other Japanese regions. It's more like the Philippines, Taiwan, so we're like in the middle of the Pacific. And it was a kingdom, then Japan invaded our little island. And it was the only real battlefield between America and Japan during World War II. After the second world war, they invaded our island. It was actually America where my mom and dad were growing up. And then, it was returned to Japan, but 20% of the island is still US military bases and American soil. So, I have a lot of American influence in my life, I have a lot of grbadroots friends, a lot of friends who have a mixed blood from relationships that in have resulted. I therefore have a strong American influence and a great admiration for American culture until I am small. But I was still listening to J-pop and, when I was in high school, I heard about hip hop

Baltin: Talk about your love for music and when it became your pbadion. & Nbsp;

Awich: For example, in my story, I got married in the United States and my husband was murdered in the United States. I have a daughter and I went back to Japan. I have been making music since I was very young, at 14 I started writing lyrics and rap. But I really started to put all my energy into it after the death of my husband and my return to Japan with my daughter. So the whole process of going through these life events and my emotional transition, if you know all that and then come back to my music and listen to it, it will probably have more depth.

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Japanese rapper Awich had her first taste of American hip-hop at age 14 with Tupac & # 39; s All look on me. "I went to the CD store and my cousin, [like] my older sister said that I could choose what I wanted and that she would buy it for me, "she says. I closed my eyes and chose one and it was Tupac All look on me. I went home and listened to the first song. It was the sound that I had never heard before and that really captivated me. So I studied Tupac, what he was trying to say, where he came from and all his interviews, all his speeches, all his words. It was basically my English textbook. "

Now, thanks to 88rising, the media company founded by Sean Miyashiro that has helped Asian artists reach an American audience at a faster and faster pace, Awich is beginning to share his music with a global audience. This is part of a growing phenomenon.

Many friends attended the L.A. "Head In The Clouds" tour last September. They all commented on the dedication of fans, pointing out dozens of lines to buy multiple items. The industry veterans were shocked by the amount of money spent and the pbadion of the fans.

Red Bull and 88rising have teamed up to bring viewers inside the phenomenon in a new documentary, Asia Rising – The next generation of hip hop, which will debut this Friday, March 29 at 7 am Eastern Time, on both Red Bull TV and the Red Bull YouTube channel. To watch a clip featuring American artists such as Migos and Lil Yachty reacting to the Asian hip-hop scene, watch the clip here.

"The partnership with Red Bull Japan and Red Bull Media House seemed like a natural opportunity for two major media companies to converge on a story that has so much talent, art and culture," says Chris Heinrich, producer , about the movie. "I was fortunate to be part of this project from the initial conversations and to see if I became the documentary feature film of today." Work in-house for 88rising as their executive producer and produce this documentary has allowed me to testify This documentary is just a glimpse into the art and creativity that these artists (presented) and other defining cultures are presenting to renowned artists , such as Suboi, Awich and Jin Dogg, the opportunity to share on the world stage the internet ".

I spoke with director Jonathon Lim and rapper Awich about the film, why they wanted to participate, and their hope that Asia Rising will broaden people's perceptions of the Asian hip-hop scene.

Steve Baltin: What are the most important points that you wanted to express when making this film?

Jonathon Lim: Obviously, music is in the foreground and what it is about. For me, it's more about the development of youth culture and how influencers come from America or from all these places in the world. When they arrive in Asia, they mix with local experiences to create something new. . So it's a little something that I wanted to make clear. But also the idea of ​​rappers, these people being role models for Asian youth. I am half Malay and my mother is Australian. I grew up in Australia. But growing up, there were no real Asians you took. So, seeing that there are the Higher Brothers and Rich Brian, that really changes what half a billion or a billion people think of themselves. So it's something that I was trying to make clear.

Baltin: And in preparing the film, what are the things you learned?

Lim: I did not spend a lot of time in America, so even the concept that the Higher brothers start in shows all over America, I was trying to capture that. And even after I asked them, "What are the shows like, are they all Chinese children or are they all Asians?" How to make up for these shows? And they are very diverse too. So honestly, I'm fascinated by how a Chinese rap band can come to America and start concerts. So, I think was very exciting. People equate Asia with this one big thing, like "East Asia". What I was also trying to make clear is that each country has its own base, like the hardships, and that all these regions are populated by different people, all unique. So it's something that I was trying to make clear. But at the same time, we are all the same in many ways. As if we were in Osaka with a lot of rappers and they spend all their time playing Fortnite and relaxing in the studio. It's these little things, hanging out in video games or Fortnite, those very small pieces that make us all the same all over the world. Everyone does the same thing, but they are represented in different ways.

Baltin: How did you choose the six artists included in the film?

Lim: I had two different rappers who were introduced and then I ended up finding the stories that worked. Fortunately, they all did something special. There was not a lot of crossing. It was a bit of a challenge because there are six different rappers, how do you tell a unifying story? Fortunately, each of them had something that made them stand out in the family.

Baltin: What stories surprised you most about working on the film?

Lim: I think it was the most individual stories, the things that everyone had gone through to be where they were were the most surprising. I think that, for example, for Rich Brian and him who exploded, it was very well planned by a boy of 12 years. He started planning things like that at this age. For me, it was really interesting. He was home schooled and for some reason his parents stopped giving him work. I asked him, "What do you mean, why did they stop giving you stuff?" It's like, "I do not know." And he spent all day on the Internet watching videos. He had his Internet friends met on Twitter and had taught him American culture, his first hip-hop videos. At the same time, he was only creating memes all day and that was his goal. He wanted to keep memories late at night while Twitter appeared, that was his plan. And then he would be cultivated, his Twitter account, to build a base. Then, when he pulled out "Dat Stick", the thing exploded. He had been following Twitter for four or five years, at age 11 or 12.

Baltin: Why did you think that it was important to be involved in Asia up?

Awich: I got involved because they contacted me. I'm doing really well in the Japanese scene right now, I'm doing shows and my songs are doing very well. That's probably why they've contacted me. I also have an interesting story. I grew up in one of Japan's regions that counts many US military bases. And that's probably why they thought it was interesting. They wanted to talk to me about my childhood and everything and I decided to be part of this story because I feel that no one really cares about Japanese rap or what we have to say as a person. artist, rapper, in particular, until Rising occurs. So I think their presence is really important and I really appreciate it. And also if they could understand our stories and relate to our stories, I feel that this is a game changer for us and for the world, because if you know we are living the same thing, we feel the same and we have a lot to say, so you can broaden the understanding of who we are as human beings.

Baltin: Do you remember the first rap you heard that really impacted you?

Awich: Yes, Tupac, I was 14 years old when I heard him for the first time. Before that, I listened to Japanese pop, J-pop. Okinawa is the place where I come from. We talk about it a lot in this film, but my region of origin is very different from that of other Japanese regions. It's more like the Philippines, Taiwan, so we're like in the middle of the Pacific. And it was a kingdom, then Japan invaded our little island. And it was the only real battlefield between America and Japan during World War II. After the Second World War, they took our island. It was actually America where my mom and dad were growing up. It was then returned to Japan, but 20% of the island still consists of military bases and American soil. So, I have a lot of American influence in my life, I have a lot of grbadroots friends, a lot of friends who have a mixed blood from relationships that in have resulted. I therefore have a strong American influence and a great admiration for American culture until I am small. But I was still listening to J-pop and, when I was in high school, I heard about hip hop

Baltin: Talk about your love for music and when it became your pbadion.

Awich: For example, in my story, I got married in the United States and my husband was murdered in the United States. I have a daughter and I went back to Japan. I have been making music since I was very young, at 14 I started writing lyrics and rap. But I really started putting all my energy into it after the death of my husband and my return to Japan with my daughter. So the whole process of going through these life events and my emotional transition, if you know all that and come back to my music and listen to it, it will probably have more depth.