Rich Brian facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Rich Brian
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Brian in 2019
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Brian Imanuel Soewarno
3 September 1999 Jakarta, Indonesia
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| Nationality | Indonesia |
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| Years active | 2015–present |
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Brian Imanuel Soewarno (born September 3, 1999), known as Rich Brian, is a famous rapper from Indonesia. He first became known for his song "Dat $tick". This song was released in March 2016 and quickly became very popular online.
His first album, Amen, came out in 2018. It reached number 18 on the US Billboard 200 chart. This made Brian one of the first Southeast Asian artists to be in the top 20 of that chart. His second album, The Sailor, was released in 2019. He has also released EPs like 1999 (in 2020) and Brightside (in January 2022). Brian has worked with many artists from different countries, including Chungha and Jackson Wang.
Contents
Early Life and Learning
Brian Imanuel Soewarno was born on September 3, 1999, in Jakarta, Indonesia. His parents are Heru Soewarno and Megawati Purnomo. He grew up with an older brother, Roy, and two older sisters, Stephanie and Sonia. His family has a mix of Chinese and Manadonese backgrounds.
Brian grew up in a regular neighborhood in West Jakarta. Even though his father was a lawyer, Brian did not go to a regular school. He was homeschooled and often helped out at his parents' café.
Discovering the Internet
In 2010, when Brian was 11, he started using social media. He found YouTube after getting a Rubik's Cube and looking for ways to solve it faster. He also joined Twitter in August 2010. This led him to make funny videos, including dark comedy sketches, on Twitter.
When he was 15, he started posting daily videos on Vine. Brian, who only spoke Indonesian at the time, wanted to learn English. He practiced by talking with an American friend on Skype. He also taught himself English by watching YouTube videos and listening to rappers like Childish Gambino and Tyler, the Creator.
Starting with Music
Brian began listening to hip hop music in 2012. An online friend introduced him to "Thrift Shop" by Macklemore & Ryan Lewis. He then explored more hip hop artists like Drake and Kanye West.
In 2014, Brian wrote his first rap song. He recorded it using an iPhone microphone over a beat made by MF Doom. Brian originally wanted to be a cinematographer in Los Angeles. However, his music career took off, and he focused on that instead.
Music Career Highlights
2015–2016: First Steps in Music
Brian started his music journey using the name Rich Chigga. His first song, "Living the Dream," came out on YouTube on July 17, 2015. It was produced by DJ Smokey. Then, on March 11, 2016, he released his first single, "Dat $tick."
Soon after, he signed with 88rising. "Dat $tick" became famous worldwide after 88rising posted a video of other rappers reacting to it. The official music video for "Dat $tick" has been watched over 200 million times. The song also reached number four on the Bubbling Under R&B/Hip-Hop Singles chart.
Brian then released his second single, "Who That Be," on August 9, 2016. He also released a new version of "Dat $tick" with rappers Ghostface Killah and Pouya. His third single, "Seventeen," quickly got over a million views on YouTube and SoundCloud.
2017–2018: The Amen Album Release
Brian released his fourth single, "Back At It," on April 19, 2017. He then started his first tour in the US, which lasted from April to May 2017. In May 2017, Brian released the song "Gospel" with XXXTentacion and Keith Ape. This song has been viewed over 38 million times on YouTube.
Brian won the "Breakthrough Artist of the Year" award at the 4th Indonesian Choice Awards in May 2017. He announced that he was working on his first album, which would include both serious and funny songs. He spent a lot of time in Los Angeles, California, working on this album.
On August 15, 2017, Brian released "Glow Like Dat." He also announced his "Come to My Party Tour," which ran from September to November. Brian then released "Chaos" and "Crisis" (featuring 21 Savage) in October and November 2017.
On December 19, 2017, Brian announced his first studio album, Amen. On January 1, 2018, he changed his stage name from "Rich Chigga" to "Brian." He made this change because some people found his original name offensive. Six days later, he changed his name again to "Rich Brian."
On January 16, Brian appeared in a song and music video called "18" with Kris Wu, Joji, Trippie Redd, and Baauer. On February 2, Amen was released. It became the first album by an Asian musician to reach number one on the iTunes Hip Hop charts. It also peaked at number 18 on the US Billboard 200.
After Amen, Brian released "Watch Out!" on April 4, 2018. He also appeared on 88rising's album, Head in the Clouds. He released two songs from that album: "Midsummer Madness" (with Joji, Higher Brothers, and Kyle Chan) on June 7, and "History" on July 18. The Head in the Clouds album was released on July 20, 2018.
2019–Present: New Albums and Projects
On June 26, 2019, Brian released "Yellow," featuring Bekon. He also announced his second album, The Sailor. He then released "Kids," the second song from the album, on July 17, 2019. The Sailor was released on July 26, 2019, and included appearances from RZA and Joji.
On August 25, 2020, Brian released an EP called 1999. This EP had seven songs, and three of them ("Don't Care," "Love in my Pocket," and "DOA") had music videos released before the EP.
In August 2021, Brian's career became even more popular. He had several songs on the soundtrack for Marvel's Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings. One song, "Run It" (with DJ Snake and Rick Ross), was even used as ESPN's anthem for college football. In October 2021, it was announced that Brian would act in his first movie. He plays a rapper whose growing fame changes his relationship with his father.
On January 20, 2022, Brian released another EP called Brightside. This EP had four songs, including "New Tooth." On the same day, a music video for "Getcho Mans," featuring fellow Indonesian rapper Warren Hue, was also released.
On October 18, 2023, Brian released a single called "World Stop Tuning," also featuring Warren Hue. His third studio album, Where Is My Head?, was announced on March 6, 2025, and is expected to be released on August 15, 2025.
Musical Style and Influences
Brian's music has been described as unique. His voice is deep, and his delivery is strong and flexible. His songwriting has been called "skilled." Brian first made funny music, but he has since focused on creating more serious songs, like "Seventeen" and "Glow Like Dat."
With the release of "Yellow" in 2019, Brian's music style grew. He said that his album The Sailor was an "important step forward" for his art. He started writing about very personal things.
After his 1999 album in 2020, his style changed even more. He started using 80s funk sounds, which were popular at the time. His overall style is now described as "easy-going instrumental and Pop-Rap." His songs also have a lot of attitude, like "Don't Care" and "DOA." He is honest in his music, sharing his life experiences with catchy and simple melodies.
Brian has said that artists like Young Thug, Tyler, the Creator, Yung Lean, Childish Gambino, and Project Pop have inspired his music.
Personal Life and Interests
When he was younger, Brian enjoyed competing in Rubik's Cube competitions. According to his World Cube Association page, he participated in the 2010 Jakarta Open Rubik's Cube Competition. He did well in the 3x3x3 cube event, finishing 20th in the first round. He also competed in the 2x2x2 and 4x4x4 events. In October 2010, he competed in another 2x2 event at the Jakarta Ceria Open, where he had a best solve time of 5.68 seconds.
Brian moved to Los Angeles in May 2017 and lives there now. He is not a permanent resident of the United States, but he has extended his stay.
Name Change
Brian's first stage name, Rich Chigga, caused some discussion. He and a friend came up with the name when he released his first song on SoundCloud. Brian later said, "I do regret it – I didn't really know what I was doing." He changed his stage name to Rich Brian in 2018. He explained on Twitter that he had been planning this change for a long time and was happy to finally do it, admitting he was "naïve and made a mistake."
Brian was homeschooled and has said he does not plan to go to college. However, if he had the chance, he would like to attend film school.
Discography
- Amen (2018)
- The Sailor (2019)
- Where Is My Head? (2025)
Filmography
- Jamojaya (2023)
Concert Tours
Headlining
- Come to My Party Tour (2017–2018)
- The Sailor Tour (2019)
Co-headlining
- 88rising Asia Tour (with Higher Brothers and Joji) (2017)
Images for kids
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Brian in 2019
