“Mama, I’m a grown-a** man already /
I got problems I can’t even tell you already /
20s lookin’ crazy, I can’t wait for 21 /
Promise you’ll be happy for as long as I’m around.”
–‘Sins’ by Rich Brian
Four days before our interview, Brian Imanuel Soewarno, aka Rich Brian, would celebrate his 21st birthday alone in his room. He ordered three Heinekens and nursed them as he posted to his Twitter, informing his followers that he’s 21. ‘Sins’, the final track from his latest album 1999, plays in the background as he celebrates this milestone and in what would be uncharacteristically hip-hop, Brian will later fall asleep.
He is in China as a judge for the televised competition called Rap for Youth. This is the second rap talent contest since The Rap of China first aired three years ago. With its protest roots, rap has not rooted deeply into China’s music psyche. While rap has relatability with China’s youth, the genre has attracted its share of detractors, mainly the Chinese government. But the genre has persisted, with three rap-centric variety programmes airing in the summer.
“I’m judging along with Higher Brothers’ KnowKnow and Masiwei [peers from the 88rising label],” Brian says. “I’m the only one on the show that doesn’t speak Chinese.”
This isn’t his first time in China but it is the longest he’d spent there. The lengthy sojourn allows Brian to explore more of the country. With the Higher Brothers as his guides, he had been off the beaten path, living it up like a local.
This story is from the January 2021 edition of Esquire Singapore.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the January 2021 edition of Esquire Singapore.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
THE MILD HANGOVER
Hangovers get a bad rap. We know. If you’ve gotten this far in the magazine, you’ve surely divined that we’re mildly hungover most of the time.
AN ELECTRIC FUTURE
Polestar, the minimalist electric Swedish car brand, turns the voltage up on its competition.
LET'S GET REAL (ESTATE): LUXURIOUS LONDON
Royalty, shopping, the best tea and scones the world has to offer, and a lifestyle worthy of what you're working for. Here's why London is ripe for your next investment
NEXT UP....ZARAN VACHHA
As Co-founder of the events and talent agency Collective Minds and Managing Director of the Mandala Masters, Zaran Vachha is definitely not new to the culture scene, but he's certainly shaping what comes next.
WHAT I'VE LEARNED...
I DON’T WEAR SOCKS except in January.
The Body Is a Language
A bad handshake is such a turnoff; we feel irked when someone rolls their eyes at us; we can't stop pacing when we're nervous-ever wondered how certain body language has the power to change how we feel instantly? We explore why.
EYE OF THE TIGER
Hailing from Singapore, Japan and Brazil respectively, Evolve Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) athletes Darren Goh, Hiroki Akimoto and Alex Silva are proof that the ring demands as much from mind as it does from matter.
THE ADONIS COMPLEX
With the rise of superhero culture making a return and bringing with it the celebration of the classically ‘masculine’ body type, can men really overcome the pressure to conform when culture keeps getting in the way?
FUNNY BUT TRUE
A comedian, an iconic Singaporean, and now a man much evolved. After overcoming two years of pandemic limbo, unlocking career milestones one after another and undergoing a life-defining physical transformation, Rishi Budhrani is ready to emerge into the world renewed-and anew.
LIKE NO OTHER
With its horological triumphs, Hermès has truly come into its own as a watchmaking maison. In this exclusive interview with Esquire Singapore, CEO of Hermès Horloger, Laurent Dordet sheds some light on his timepieces' rising stardom and the importance of being different.
