88rising

88rising operates as a multi-faceted mass media company, functioning as a record label, artist management agency, video production house, and marketing firm. Founded in 2015 by Sean Miyashiro and Jaeson Ma, the company was born from Miyashiro's frustration with the lack of a dedicated platform for Asian artists in the Western music landscape. Miyashiro, an Asian American with a background in talent management and a lifelong passion for hip-hop, envisioned a home for Asian creatives to break into the mainstream. Initially launched as the music collective CXSHXNLY (pronounced "cash only"), the company rebranded as 88rising in 2016, a name derived from the Chinese symbolism for "double happiness."

The company's business model is a hybrid structure that moves beyond a traditional record label. Revenue is generated through several streams, including music distribution, artist management fees, high-production-value video content, and live events. A key pillar of its strategy is the annual Head in the Clouds music festival, which began in Los Angeles in 2018 and has since expanded to international locations like Jakarta and Manila. Further brand extension comes from merchandise sold through its e-commerce platform and a dedicated 24-hour radio channel on Sirius XM, launched in 2020 to feature music from Asian artists. The company primarily targets a global audience of young music consumers interested in hip-hop, R&B, and pop, with a special focus on bridging Eastern and Western youth cultures.

88rising's core service is the amplification of Asian and Asian American musical talent. It discovers and nurtures artists, overseeing their careers from music production to global marketing. The label's roster features a diverse group of artists, including Indonesian rapper Rich Brian, Japanese singer-songwriter Joji, Indonesian R&B singer NIKI, and Chinese hip-hop group Higher Brothers. A significant milestone was executive producing the soundtrack for Marvel's "Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings" in 2021, which led to a major deal with Sony Pictures TV. In 2022, 88rising curated a main-stage showcase at Coachella, a historic achievement for an independent record label focused on Asian talent.

Keywords: Asian music, artist management, record label, hip-hop, R&B, music festival, video production, Head in the Clouds, Sean Miyashiro, Rich Brian, Joji, NIKI, Higher Brothers, Asian-American artists, music marketing, content creation, youth culture, global music platform, music-media company, cultural crossover