Hip-hop, more so than any other genre of music, tends to be very focused on where an artist comes from. Rappers from New York, Atlanta, or Compton are a dime-a-dozen it seems, but that makes it even more impressive when an artist manages to make a name for themselves and put their city on the map.
In Rich Brian’s case, however, he’s representing an entire country. Born in Jakarta, Indonesia, Rich Brian catapulted his way to mainstream success with his viral single “Dat $tick”, which he released under his former alias, “Rich Chigga”.
Having taught himself English by listening to artists such as Childish Gambino and Macklemore, Brian originally drew an internet following by making hilarious YouTube and Vine videos.
That’s not to say that all his songs are jokes. Rich Brian has demonstrated his lyrical chops, releasing hard trap verses as well as emotional love songs.
With the release of his debut album, Amen, Rich Brian became the first Asian artist to ever top the iTunes charts. An impressive accomplishment for someone still early in their career.
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