Well this should be fun and nuts in equal measure: teen Indonesian rapper Rich Chigga, a.k.a. Brian Imanuel, is due to perform hist first Hong Kong show later this month.
Local event organizers Fresh off the Boat, who’ve previously brought us international talent like Pharcyde, Magnetic Soul, and Cyril Hahn, announced the show on their Facebook page yesterday evening. The 17-year-old will be performing in Lan Kwai Fong on June 23 (where he should fit in nicely with all the other underage revelers), hot on the heels of his short-but-sweet US tour.
Imanuel became an internet sensation at the tender age of 16 after releasing the semi-comedic, self-made music video for his single, “Dat $tick”. The video, which showed the slender teen dabbing, pouring cognac, and waving guns around a quiet residential street in Jakarta whilst rapping about killing cops (and briefly about Indonesia’s drug problem and the wealth gap), has been viewed over 51 million times on Youtube:
While “Dat $tick” blew up at least partially due to the comedy value of Imanuel’s deadpan, nerdy-but-menacing vibe, many of those who watched it took notice of his actual talent for spitting bars. Whilst filming a reaction video for the teen’s management company 88rising, Wu-Tang Clan member Ghostface Killah immediately offered to collaborate with the budding rapper. (A promise which he made good on, by the way.)
In a recent interview with the New Yorker, Imanuel expressed his wish to be taken seriously as a “real” rapper, beyond the initial stage of internet infamy. Based on how quickly the tickets for his Hong Kong show are disappearing, it looks like he might stand a chance.
What: Rich Chigga live
When: 10pm – late, Friday, June 23, 2017
Where: Volar, 44 D’Aguilar Street, Central (Google Maps)
Price: HKD300
Tickets: Here
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