Indonesian rapper Rich Brian is living the dream as a breakthrough international star – a well-earned achievement. We caught up with the rapper recently in Japan, where he made a special appearance at the Guess x 88Rising collection launch.

With the world his for the taking, the rapper talks about the evolution of his style – in music and in fashion. Plus, he lets us in on the Indonesian food he misses the most.

No doubt, the Asian rap scene is booming. But few could have predicted the fast and unlikely rise of Brian Imanuel, better known as Rich Brian, in the music industry. Before the Indonesian rapper was tapped into 88Rising’s roster of Asian talents, he was already a product of internet culture, racking up viral videos on every trendy platform he got into. Fast forward to 2019, and it’s his music that takes precedence now. At just 20 years old, Rich Brian already has two studio albums to his name. He recently kicked off a solo tour to promote his latest album, The Sailor – an impressive follow-up to his debut album, Amen, which came out just last year.

In his sophomore release, the rapper displays a level of maturity well beyond his age, making it a point to shoulder the ambitions of young Asians and showing them a way to realize their dreams through his lyrics. When asked what he hopes to inspire in aspiring rappers, especially those in Southeast Asia, he said, “Whatever it is that you do, make sure to include a piece of your soul in it – a part of you that you might think is too weird and wouldn’t usually share with the people close to you. But that is what will set you apart.”

The album also displays Rich Brian’s growth in the search for a signature sound. How does he see his sound evolving in the future? “It’s hard to tell what specific sound I’m going to go towards but what I know is I feel freer now. If I want to sing I’ll sing, if I want to have fun I’ll have fun, if I want to really rap I’ll rap. But I will say that whatever it is I do, I’m aiming to be a lot more lyrical with it,” he said.