Who are 88rising? Influencer of the Week

88rising: 

The fastest growing Asian/American Mass Media company

Founded originally as "CXSHXNLY" by Sean Miyashiro, 88rising is one of America's- and the world's- fastest growing record label for young Asian/American artists. They also describe themselves as a "hybrid management, record label, video production and marketing company", showing their multifaceted approach to representation of artists and media.

88rising are more important, though, than just a record label, as what they stand for and achieve in a modern, globalized world, where media is scrutinized intensely and bias seems to reign, is a feat like no other. Artists like 'Rich Brian', who is part of the record label, prove this due to their development within music, and how significant of a role Sean Miyashiro's label played. A young aspiring comedian and artist at the time, Brian Soewarno was simply a kid just trying to have fun in his home country of Indonesia. Unexpectedly, his satirical rap video on Youtube, "Dat $tick", blew up and gave him attention that even as a former Vine star he wasn't used to. With following video reviews by other famous rappers, like Schoolboy Q, who sang his praises, Rich Brian grew immensely in demand, but Indonesia was not a globally recognized musical community, and couldn't provide the options for a kid who created Americanized music. And that's where 88rising comes in; to allow someone from a seemingly different world to flourish in a media industry that can sometimes appear to be bias towards the western world.

Other featured artists on the label include such contemporary stars like Joji, Niki, the Higher Brothers and Keith Ape. Unlike other record labels, 88rising appears much more like a community of friends and talented musicians, rather than a collection of commercialized artists set up for a cash grab. This is proven through the frequent collaboration between the artists, like featuring in songs, music videos and appearing on their tours. 88rising will even be hosting a music festival, "Head in the Clouds", for the fans of the label and its brand. If I lived around the west coast of America, there's no doubt that i would be in attendance!

Its not often applicable to most media companies for their mission to be described as noble, with the constant flurry of artist poaching and re-branding, and skyrocketing tour prices and album costs, but the work that Sean Miyashiro's 88rising can certainly be described as noble. By creating a strong and quickly evolving platform for artists from a less fortunate background, they're providing real raw talent from a minority community a chance to shine and grow as a musician and personality. This is why 88rising is the first influencer of the week on Scratchmark.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Next week we will be showcasing Lyrical Lemonade