The Head in the Clouds show, which took over Los Angeles State Historic Park in downtown Los Angeles, marked the West Coast festival debut for K-Pop act IKON. The boyband was also making one of their first appearances since founding member, Kim Han Bin, better known by his onstage moniker B.I, left the group in June, reportedly over allegations that he attempted to buy marijuana (cannabis use is still illegal in South Korea and can carry a prison sentence of up to five years).
Dubbed by fans as the “Asian Coachella,” the Head in the Clouds Music Festival brought out more than 20,000 people, according to organizers 88rising, the L.A.-based music label and creative agency known for their roster of Asian acts like Rich Brian, Higher Brothers and Joji (pictured here), all of whom performed at the event.
Rich Brian, the Indonesian rapper whose viral hit, “Dat $tick,” reached Number Four on the Billboard Bubbling Under R&B/Hip-Hop Singles chart, says the festival is not only a chance to connect with his fans, but also an opportunity to move forward conversations about diversity in the music industry.
“It’s been my goal since day one to represent and to inspire more people,” he says, “and representation can be something as simple as seeing somebody that reminds you of yourself succeeding at doing something you love.”
“When kids see me performing on stage,” he continues, “I want them to be like, ‘This is our festival; this is our time to shine.’”
Initially using the stage name “Rich Chigga,” the rapper changed his moniker about 18 months ago after what he claims was “a long conversation with management,” and a better understanding of how divisive the nickname was.
“When I started with that name, I didn’t know how sensitive that word was,” Brian admits, explaining that it started out as a joke between friends. “There were a lot of people supporting me, but there were also people that were like, ‘We’re not going to listen to his music because of his name.’ The fact that people were offended wasn’t my goal and that’s not who I am. I just felt like it didn’t fit me anymore so I changed it.”
The Chinese hip-hop group Higher Brothers say American fans “have way more energy, killer style and know how to turn up.”
As for the other artists on the bill, “We’re fans,” says DZKnow, “but now we’re also family.”
One of the founding members of 88rising, August 08 has written for DJ Khalid, Justin Bieber, Chance the Rapper and G-Eazy to name a few. Now, he’s ready to take his place behind the mic.
“I wear the ‘Asian artist’ label with pride,” says pop/R&B songstress, Niki. “I want people to know that I’m from Indonesia, and I always try to be the most authentic version of myself that I can be, and my background is part of that.”
The L.A.-based songwriter, producer and Midi designer (yes, really) is now prepping his solo debut album, which he teases is “a whole mix of styles” but ultimately, “very fun.”
“When I first started rapping 10 years ago, there were never opportunities for Asian artists to perform at things like this,” says Jonathan Park, a.k.a. the rapper Dumbfoundead, who was one of the first artists signed to 88rising and a performer at this year’s event. “There were Asians in hip-hop, sure, but nothing of this magnitude, to the point where we could have our own festival. It just shows how far we’ve come.”
One of the last-minute additions to the festival was the 19-year-old Indonesian singer, Stephanie Poetri. A relative unknown just a few months ago, the teenager went viral after uploading an Avengers-inspired original song titled, “I Love You 3000.” to YouTube. The subsequent music video, which Poetri recorded on her iPhone, has now surpassed 30 million views, and it was revealed this week that Poetri had signed to 88rising.
Though he didn’t appear on stage, Marvel’s newest superhero, Simu Liu, attended the festival to take in some music before heading to Australia to start filming the Shang-Chi movie.