#HOTRIGHTNOW

You could call it lucky – reaching 100 million streams in a month for a title track made in a bedroom studio. But to follow it with more hits pulling the same numbers over a few months? That's not luck. That's Tenxi. Indonesia's favourite internet rapper sits down to talk about games, music, and the mindset that keeps him moving toward where he wants to be.

- Asha Farisha

Tenxi does not care what you think. The 25-year-old Indonesian born rapper, who has topped charts across countries said it best himself.

And that approach of living life entirely on his own terms has clearly worked. Garam Madu hit 200 million streams earlier this year, marking his breakout moment, followed by Kasih Aba Aba and Menjikuhibiniu. His debut album Puting Beliung sat at top 10 on Spotify Indonesia for weeks. And somewhere between all of that, he founded Anti Normal, a collective-turned-community now home to names like SuiSei, Naykilla, and Jemsii. So maybe doing “whatever” really does get you somewhere.

When Tenxi talks about his music, his fame, or even himself, he does it so candidly, with the confidence that only comes from knowing who you are - or, at least, being unbothered if you don't. He scrolls through fan-made memes of himself on Instagram, laughing as he shows them off, before casually dropping a line about how the life he's living now is the creation from the dreams of his past self. That duality, between humour and introspection, feels very of-the-moment.

In many ways, Tenxi mirrors how Gen Z moves through the world in 2025: ironic but sincere, aware but detached, chasing something bigger yet trusting it'll come when it's meant to.

That word, manifestation, has become a generational language. With 2.2 million videos on TikTok posted to #manifesting, tweets and youtube videos on the best tips and tricks so 'your thoughts create your own reality' - it seems like this concept that is closely tied to self help and spirituality has evolved into something of a shared faith among this generation.