88rising, a U.S.-based media company-cum-record label, set out eight years ago to bring Asian artists to the fore of the American hip-hop scene—and it’s been wildly successful. The group’s flagship music festival Head in the Clouds debuted five years ago at the Los Angeles State Historic Park and has since been dubbed the “Asian Coachella,” showcasing the likes of Japanese YouTube personality and singer Joji, Indonesian rapper Rich Brian, and Hong Kong-born K-pop bandmate-turned-solo act Jackson Wang before audiences in bigger and bigger venues across Los Angeles, New York, and even globally in Manila and Jakarta.

Alongside the recent surge in popularity of K-pop, as a producer and promoter 88rising has played a pivotal role in narrowing the gap between the Asian and Wes…