Head in the Clouds – 88rising

⭐⭐⭐⭐✨ – 4.5/5 Stars

The collective’s first album is a trailblazing moment in history for Asians in the music industry. Its nostalgic, lo-fi vibe succeeds putting forth a vibrant lineup of artists that each get a chance to showcase their individuality.

Throughout the entertainment industry remains a disparity in Asian representation: not only in TV and movies, even in music. Though roles have always been cut out for specifically Asian actors (Fresh off the Boat, Dr. Ken), only recently have racially ambiguous roles been offered to Asian actors (Kelly Marie Tran in Star Wars: The Last Jedi, Mindy Kaling in The Office), no doubt aided by the rise of Asian personalities on YouTube (Superwoman, Ryan Higa, Liza Koshy, etc.)  A similar and maybe even more extreme phenomenon has been going on in the music industry, a more dangerous one especially because of the cloak of invisibility music can provide for artists.  As many have proven, for example Marshmello and Sia, being an artist doesn’t require publicizing an identity. Because of this, it may seem that it would be easier for artists from underrepresented minorities in entertainment – like Asians – to succeed. But then how is it possible that most people had never heard of an Asian rapper or singer before then-Rich Chigga burst into the scene with “Dat $tick” a few years ago? Evidently, the gap in Asian representation in music has only been exacerbated by the masks of anonymity allowed for in music. When you write songs and make albums, it’s not necessary to show your face, but that can be a double-edged sword for minorities: though anonymity may result in listeners listening purely for artists’ music, it often leads to the public not knowing the history behind an artist, and has definitely led to the lack of Asian role models in the industry.

88rising is a group that aims to change that. An international media collective and record label fostering many Asian voices, 88rising’s goal is to foster the diversification of the hip-hop/rap scene by specifically fomenting the growth of Asian hip-hop. Their movement has been steadily gaining momentum in the past few years, with viral successes in Rich Brian’s “Glow Like Dat” and Joji’s “Will He,” and most recently in the organization of a music festival in LA in September 2018 titled “Head in the Clouds” featuring almost exclusively Asian artists from 88rising and beyond. This movement can be equated to the integration of Asian actors in movies and TV that is going on now: 88rising is pushing for a racially ambiguous world of music, where someone of any race can succeed in any genre without having to conceal their identity or succumb to a caricatured stereotype. However, one key difference remains between 88rising and a move towards non-racially distinct roles in video entertainment: there was never a role for Asians in music before this. In the world of movies, Asians were at least given race-specific roles, while in music, participation remained constrained to a few scattered acts, like Far East Movement and Jai Wolf. Besides the intriguing anomalies of K-pop and J-rock, there was no avenue for Asians to succeed in music. But despite that, there has and still is a colorful community of Asian artists flying under the radar, highlighted by a recent celebration of Asian Pacific Islander heritage month on Spotify. Showcasing the work of artists including Yaeji, Sweater Beats, Kris Wu, Japanese Breakfast, Jay Park, and Manila Killa, it proved a wave of Asian artists are producing music in spite of the system working against them. In rare cases like Hayley Kiyoko (who has maintained her racial ambiguity) and Rich Brian, featured on this album, artists of Asian descent can prevail, but 88rising hopes to improve their chances.

For 88rising, the release of a crew album as a collective is a major breakthrough, especially because of the uniqueness in its sound. “La Cienega” combines the best of NIKI’s soulful and Joji’s haunting voices in a requiem reminiscent of an afterparty or a lonely weekend. Then we dive into “Red Rubies,” a classic Rich Brian beat, with a chilling hook and beat, and a catchy chorus. The intro to “Swimming Pool” sets the stage for a hybrid Chinese/English trap bop. With the Higher Brothers switching fluidly between Mandarin and English, the song strikes parallels to Latin and Korean hip-hop both which also both see bilingual artists spitting bars in different languages. Next comes the amazingly catchy “Peach Jam” with Joji and BlocBoy JB that sees Joji switching his usual comfort zone of chill, bedroom R&B for a surprisingly effortless voicing of the chorus. Not only BlocBoy JB but strangely even Joji seems radio-friendly on this record: I wouldn’t be surprised if “Peach Jam” gains airplay in the near future. “Midsummer Madness” follows, the lead single from this album, a great mix of Joji/AUGUST 08’s haunting aura and Rich Brian/Higher Brothers’ playfulness dedicated to the transience of relationships in a clever, maybe coincidental play on words of summertime sadness. NIKI’s talent is again highlighted in “Plans,” where she and Vory deliver a lighthearted duet about only having eyes for each other. Next comes “History,” a song whose music seems to come straight out of a Pokémon game, but one which Rich Brian somehow, with his low-key effervescence, makes into an earworm. “Lover Boy 88,” a remix of Thai vocalist Phum Vuphurit’s “Lover Boy” with Higher Brothers, is a comical testament to 88rising’s cosmopolitan nature, with the intro listing the places contributing artists are from: for example “Thailand in the house” refers to Vuphurit, while “LA in the house” refers to Joji and Rich Brian. However, the intro eventually starts sounding annoying, and Phum Vuphurit thankfully saves us from it. The song definitely showcases his soulfulness, but also surprisingly a softer side of the Higher Brothers, who throughout the song have emotional monologues in Chinese. AUGUST 08 and NIKI’s treatise to summer love in “Poolside Manor” is a flawless example of why this album was released at the perfect time: it provides a soundtrack to anyone’s summer. Rich Brian’s collaboration with Playboi Carti, “Beam,” seems a little bit off-theme, a trappy hype beat that would fit right into any mainstream rap playlist. Though it does serve as a message from Rich Brian to the music industry: proving he can make mumble rap just as well as anyone else, it doesn’t seem an appropriate fit for the vibe of this album, which is more toned-down.  An aggressive trap beat follows in “Let It Go” with Higher Brothers and BlocBoy JB, an upbeat song reminiscent of a faster and more vibrant “Stir Fry,” with Higher Brothers switching between Chinese and English in their signature technique – one of the only faster songs that feel right on the album. “Disrespectin,” with a tropical touch in the trill present throughout in the background of the song, unfortunately comes off as hopelessly monotone, despite AUGUST 08’s tries to compensate for Rich Brian and  shallow lyrics on the song. Though Rich Brian is usually very unique in his artistry, his last two songs on this album, “Disrespectin” and “Beam” sadly fail to live up to their crowd-pleasing intent. NIKI is a saving grace here, and with her solo “Warpaint,” saves the album from impending doom with her use of imagery of war to combat love. In “I Want In,” NIKI again aids in a transition back to the feel of the start of the album with AUGUST 08 in a refreshing Drake-like tune. “Japan 88,” a remix of Famous Dex’s “Japan” with Keith Ape and Verbal is a perplexing addition to the album, as Verbal and Keith Ape excel in the delivery of their parts, especially Keith Ape with his ironic Korean/English rap on this song which he acknowledges with the line “일본에서 왔냐모두 내게 물어봐” (Everyone asks me, ‘are you from Japan?’). It’s clear that a original song would have done both artists better here, as Famous Dex ends up being overpowered, sounding repetitive in the recitation of his shallow chorus. “Nothing Wrong,” the penultimate song of the Head in the Clouds, at first glance seems like an unnecessary addition to the album because it’s only a remix of the original Higher Brothers release, but the GoldLink chorus ends up greatly benefitting the overall feel of the song. Catchy cadences and synth bounces in Higher Brothers’ potpourri of Chinese and English are extremely pleasing to the ear, and prove that C-rap could be the next K-pop. The final song and namesake of the album, “Head in the Clouds,” by Joji, is a perfect finish to an otherwise shaky latter end of the album. A song that epitomizes the feel of the album art, “Head in the Clouds” is a powerful and insightful song in an eden-like style of that shows the brevity of life, love, and friendship in a clear high point of the album, proving that Joji never disappoints.

A clever compilation of songs, Head in the Clouds is a perfect album to aid in the mission of 88rising. By giving the listener a taste of each artist on the record, it only leaves them hungry for more. With the flawless Joji and hidden gems in NIKI, Keith Ape, and Higher Brothers, this album makes you curious about the often ignored Asian community in the music industry, and encourages you to delve deeper into it. And while doing all that, 88rising encapsulates summer euphoria with a tracklist perfectly suited for lazy summer nights.  However, in terms of depth, there is a lack of coherence in theme especially evident in the middle of the album, which sees Rich Brian disappoint with redundant and unoriginal sounds. Nonetheless, NIKI and Joji follow through at the end of the album and close the circle of lo-fi goodness that sets this hip-hop album apart from others, reinstating the image on the album art of a defiant group of Asian artists triumphantly gazing out into the distance.