Indonesian rapper Rich Brian returns today with ‘Yellow‘ featuring Bekon, a song inspired by the stories of Asian youth and immigrants around the world. Listen here. ‘Yellow‘ is produced by Bekon & The Donuts (Kendrick Lamar’s ‘DAMN.’, SZA’s ‘Garden’) and is the first single from Brian’s forthcoming second album, The Sailor, due out July 26 on 88Rising.

The single is accompanied by the official video directed by Dave Meyers (Kendrick Lamar, Travis Scott & Drake, Ariana Grande)—watch here.

“I want kids from all over the world to feel like they can make it no matter where they’re from,” Brian says of ‘Yellow’. “I see myself in the same boat that many have traveled in before in hopes of reaching something better. This song is for the past, present, and future generations who brave new worlds with nothing guaranteed.”

Of the video Meyers says, “The song speaks to an overlooked and stereotyped Brian, so the video aims to suggest there is an identity suffocation at the front of that and explores a metaphoric journey of breaking out of that mold, breaking free—but at what cost? Freedom can be chaos if new to it. All this is designed to suggestively mirror Brian’s own journey into the limelight.”

Brian’s new album, The Sailor, comes July 26 on shape-shifting Asian cultural collective 88rising. The album is Brian’s second, following 2018’s Amen, which made him the first Asian musician to reach #1 on the iTunes hip hop charts.

On The Sailor, Brian is not only feeling the sea change, but motion sickness too. The album is a literal and metaphorical expression of a young man’s coming of age story in the public eye, his own changing self in the greater context of the today’s world. The album was recorded over the last year between New York, Los Angeles and Jakarta as Brian worked through the success of Amen and traveled the world in its wake.

Rich Brian is 19-year-old Brian Imanuel, born in Jakarta, Indonesia. In 2016, his debut single ‘Dat $tick‘ went viral and has since been streamed over 300 million times. After sharing a string of singles featuring guests such as 21 Savage, Offset and Playboi Carti, Brian’s debut album, Amen, was released to widespread critical acclaim in 2018. Brian has since gone on to sell out shows across North America, UK, Europe, Asia and Australia including two sold out shows at The Enmore, two sold out shows at 170 Russell and one sold out show at 256 Wickham, as well as festivals around the world including Bonnaroo and Rolling Loud. Brian currently resides in Los Angeles, California.

‘Yellow‘ is out now on 88Rising, buy/stream it here.

PRAISE FOR RICH BRIAN

“Rich Brian is taking over the world”
Pitchfork

“Rich Brian has the curious success story you wish you had”
triple j

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