Rising Star
Forbes Indonesia|November 2020
Brian Imanuel proves how Asians in hip hop can thrive in the American music industry
Marella Putri
Rising Star

Cheering crowds, thumping bass, and glimmering lights before a stage make a typical scenery that fills a musician's days. Even though those days are pretty much gone after the COVID-19 pandemic, some musicians continue to work and connect with their fans. One of them is Indonesian-born rapper, singer, songwriter, and producer Brian Imanuel Soewarno (21), well-known for his stage name Rich Brian. Brian released his latest extended play (EP) 1999 in August, consisting of seven songs and dubbed as his most personal project yet.

I worked a lot on it during quarantine, talking a lot about not overthinking and being free, that's kind of the whole concept of the EP. I think it's my first time making music and not really worrying too much about the outcome, and kind of enjoying the process more, Brian explains the album.

Brian says that he worked on most of the songs while staying inside his hotel room in Shanghai—where he had been residing for a few months due to his shoot as a judge for China's rap competition Rap for Youth. He would record and mix the song from his hotel room, send it to his friend, and go on Facetime to have another mixing session to get it done. By mid-October, the EP had garnered nearly 25 million streams on Spotify alone.

This story is from the November 2020 edition of Forbes Indonesia.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.

This story is from the November 2020 edition of Forbes Indonesia.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.

MORE STORIES FROM FORBES INDONESIAView All
BACK ON TRACK
Forbes Indonesia

BACK ON TRACK

Collective wealth gets a 21% boost to a record $162 billion amid an economic uptick.

time-read
10+ mins  |
December 2021
Championing Locals
Forbes Indonesia

Championing Locals

The wave of social commerce is enabling inclusive digital economies beyond urban areas.

time-read
6 mins  |
December 2021
Boys in the Bubble
Forbes Indonesia

Boys in the Bubble

Startups are supposed to specialize, but OPENSEA’s founders thrived by building a wide-open market for creating and trading all manner of NFTs, whether art, music or gaming. Now that they’re centimillionaires and poised to become billionaires, they have other worries: competitors, fraudsters and the next crypto crash.

time-read
6 mins  |
December 2021
Enduring Relations
Forbes Indonesia

Enduring Relations

The implementation of IA-CEPA amid the pandemic signifies the Indonesia-Australia’s commitment to recover and counter future challenges together.

time-read
6 mins  |
December 2021
Sweet Success
Forbes Indonesia

Sweet Success

Steven Erwin envisions Unifam to become a major global player in the confectionery and F&B industry.

time-read
5 mins  |
December 2021
Marathon Man
Forbes Indonesia

Marathon Man

Across America, scores of municipal pension funds remain scandalously underfunded. But not the pension fund of Tampa’s police and firemen, thanks in large part to JAY BOWEN, whose no-frills approach to stock picking has protected and served them for more than 45 years.

time-read
5 mins  |
December 2021
Gold Rallies on Inflation Fears
Forbes Indonesia

Gold Rallies on Inflation Fears

During September the price of gold rallied to $1,868 per ounce following the release of figures on US inflation by the Bureau of Labor Statistics which indicated that, as of September, CPI inflation had rocketed to 6.2%, above the 5.8% which economists had been predicting.

time-read
2 mins  |
December 2021
Set Off to A New Start
Forbes Indonesia

Set Off to A New Start

Bank Aladin has two main ingredients for success: establish trust and offer better customer experiences.

time-read
5 mins  |
December 2021
The Daily Intake
Forbes Indonesia

The Daily Intake

YOUVIT plans to invest further into marketing and grow into one of the leading vitamin brands in Indonesia.

time-read
4 mins  |
December 2021
THE CROESUS OF CRYPTO
Forbes Indonesia

THE CROESUS OF CRYPTO

FTX COFOUNDER SAM BANKMAN-FRIED BUILT A $22.5 BILLION FORTUNE BEFORE HIS 30TH BIRTHDAY BY PROFITING OFF THE CRYPTOCURRENCY FRENZY—BUT HE’S NOT A TRUE BELIEVER. HE JUST WANTS HIS WEALTH TO SURVIVE LONG ENOUGH TO GIVE IT ALL AWAY.

time-read
10+ mins  |
November 2021