Hailing from Jakarta, Indonesia Warren Hue is 88Rising’s breakout star. In less than 2 years, Warren has carved out his own lane within the Asian Hip-Hop scene with his experimental and genre-bending sound. This year, Warren made his Coachella debut hitting the main stage and performing in front of thousands of fans alongside his peers.
Named by NME as one of the “Essential Emerging Artists of 2022” and one of the “25 Artists To Watch In 2022” by Ones To Watch – Warren continues to prove himself. Warren first made his debut in 2019 with his first full-length project Sugartown and then his appearance on the Marvel Studios’ soundtrack for Shang-Chi and The Legend of Ten Rings alongside 21 Savage, Guapdad4000, Saweetie, and more.
This year, Warren is setting the stage for the release of his debut album Boy of the Year – with a headlining North American tour to follow.
What’s your story as an artist?
I started making music when I was 14 years old writing lyrics over rap instrumentals creating remixes. Youtube and Soundcloud was where I first started releasing most of them and I just had a strong passion for hip hop and storytelling. That aspect led on to making my original music and sharing it on spotify and other streaming platforms. I made a lot of DIY music videos inspired by Tobi Lou and other underground artists at that time till eventually 88rising noticed my videos.
What inspired this last release?
BOY OF THE YEAR was inspired from being in Los Angeles and the new environments I had to adapt in. I met my producer Chasu that I have been working with online for years and we’ve decided to get studio time to work on a project together. I felt like everything went by quite fast from shows to new audiences to songs i’ve been making so therefore it’s almost as if Im living a new life and BOY OF THE YEAR showcases those surreal moments.
What are your views on the Asian hip hop scene? Do you see any differences compared to the American scene?
I think it’s a very small market as of now but it’s growing as we speak so I’m always supportive and excited about new Asian hip hop artists. There isn’t many Asian hip hop artists that speak english fully in their music and that’s the biggest difference I think.
You seem to enjoy fusing different sounds and genres, how do you approach your writing and production?
With production I haven’t fully been invested in it, I work closely with Chasu so I would usually tell him what I want or we would bounce back ideas constantly. I’ve always liked creating something fresh and I guess I just take influence from what my family listened to, what I listen to and my surroundings. I write at home mostly but It can vary depending on how inspired I feel at the moment.
What’s your favorite place or environment to write?
I like home because I feel the most comfortable but the studio is definitely a close second because it feels like I have to put myself under pressure. Procrastination can get heavy when I just sit at home wondering about ideas but in the studio it’s more as if I’m here for a reason and there’s a task. Both are my favorites though.
What’s the record that influenced you the most?
I would say like any Kanye records and Tyler records have definitely influenced me quite a bit. Flower boy was the album I was obsessed with and that was around the time when I just started piecing my first album “ALIEN”. The world building aspect of both of these artists are so impeccable and I always wanted to serve stories with an interesting twist or with unique sonics and details.
Are fashion and aesthetics a part of your creative delivery?
I would say it’s just what I like in general. My parents were huge on fashion and my father worked in the garment industry. I wouldn’t say it’s something that I chose to obsess over because it coincides with my music but it definitely shaped some parts of my writing and fashion itself is just tight and expressive.
What excites you the most about what you do ?
I think the chase of finding new ideas and being able to inspire a bunch of kids who wanna start music. I wanna be able to tell people that you can start from literally nothing and just test the waters because someone out there will definitely appreciate your music. I came from being just really invested in the ideas I had and ran with it for years till it eventually caught more attention and I’m really grateful for that.
Where do you see yourself in 10 years?
I honestly have no idea. I might not enjoy music in 10 years, who knows but I definitely wanna start a label or create a fashion line once I invest my time into it. I just wanna be passionate and fully committed to the shit Ill do in 10 years.
What’s the best advice you’ve ever gotten?
My parents and friends would always tell me not to compare myself to anyone else because there’s a reason why people would gravitate to your art instead of anyone elses and I just live by it. It helped me to stay focused and not listen to other people’s opinions and made me more confident about my ideas and how successful I’d eventually be.
