Artist: 88rising (Joji, Rich Brian, August 08, The High Brothers)
Song: Midsummer Madness
Genre: Rap, Hip Hop, Pop
88rising is a perfect example of how the music industry is evolving in so many ways. First, it’s a mass media company that acts as a record label, management, video production and marketing company. It’s also the name of the artist collective, as with the release of their first joint track, “Midsummer Madness”.
Similar to Minnesota’s Doomtree (the label and name for the collective group of artists), 88rising has stood out by signing mostly Asian artists in the hip hop/rap world, breaking them both oversees in Asian markets often before bringing them to the states to build their fame here. While all of their artists have already earned a healthy dose of acclaim and fame (Rich Brian, formerly Rich Chigga, has gone Gold with his single “Dat $tick”; Joji found fame making humorous YouTube videos before he started writing serious R&B songs), with the collective’s first single “Midsummer Madness”, the band has a potential summer jam on their hands that could easily crossover to the mainstream.
Opening with a dreamy, irresistible hook from Joji, the track expands for five minutes, giving each of the artists a verse to spit over a mellow, melodic beat and faint guitars. All of the acts shine on it, showing their unique flair and flow. Take a listen below and see if you aren’t tempted to add it to your summer playlists.
The Indy Review 