When I heard Joji was coming to Chicago, I bought tickets in a heartbeat. I wasn’t going to pass up an opportunity to see him up close, especially considering that his music is accumulating plenty of views, specifically his recent hit “Slow Dancing in the Dark”.
However, Joji was not touring alone; he would be performing with other members of his label, known as 88rising.
88rising is a media company committed to the representation and celebration of asian culture.
The label consists of monumental names like Rich Brian, Joji, Keith Ape and the Higher Brothers.
Admittedly, I wasn’t familiar with the other member’s of 88rising. I pinky-promised myself that I would listen to them at least a week beforehand, but midterms invaded my freetime. Regardless, it was a breath of fresh air to be away from the congestion of textbooks and projects.
The Aragon Ballroom is always a wildcard; you never know how intense the crowd can get. Will I get kicked in the ear by a crowd surfer or suplexed by someone in the mosh pit? I’ve never been to a hip-hop, lofi, and pop-based concert. I kept an open mind and took this as an opportunity to indulge in new music.
Believe it or not, the concert was certainly serene; No one was kicked out, there were no crowd surfers, and everyone was respectful of one another. While this scenario is uneventful for aggressive concert-goers, it can be relieving to a more passive audience. All you ever have to worry about is shuffling your way toward the front and standing behind someone who is much shorter than you. The rest of your night is just enjoying the live music.
The show started off easy with softer sounds from Don Krez, August 08, and NIKI. They were our appetizers for the main course.
The only thing that made me raise my eyebrows was their inability to keep the crowd energized.
While we instructed to put our hands up, it didn’t make much sense to do so when the music was so soothing.
There weren’t any major beat drops, nor many songs with sufficient energy for the response the performers were demanding. Regardless, the overall vibe and quirky dialogue in between songs was well appreciated. It was great to see NIKI in a sea of male performers.
The Higher Brothers brought zest to the room, bringing in all their liveliness as if they hadn’t been on tour for more than a day.
They played their hit “Made In China”, although Famous Dex wasn’t there for the full experience. Even so, I was pumped.
The Higher Brothers are a Chinese hip-hop and trap group that consists of four members: MaSiWei, DZknow, Psy.P, and Melo.
They’ve been active way before their YouTube debut on 88rising’s channel. They tend to rap in Sichuanese mandarin, but have implemented more English into their music.
Bigotry around the world makes it difficult for Asian hip-hop to be taken seriously, but the Higher Brothers bring a new flavor to the table. It’s impossible to take them less than serious. They’re quality and real deal performers. They’re dripping in pride and talent. Their confidence and charisma is worth watching.
Somewhat surprisingly, Joji was second to last of the solo acts. Perhaps this was surprising due to my ignorance of the lineup.
When he said his first words, the crowd lost their mind. The images in the background were illuminated by his troll-ish face. The look in his eyes was nostalgic of the Filthy Frank entertainer we used to know.
Before George Miller became Joji, he was known as Filthy Frank. His absurdist and sarcastic style of comedy built his platform, filled with millions of fans who supported him throughout. Sometime during his YouTube career, he found himself loathing his work. He no longer resonated with the humor of Filthy Frank and found himself in the constant cycle of binge drinking.
With the addition of throat tissue damage and neurological conditions, there was enough on his plate to maintain. He eventually called it quits with his YouTube career, and went on to pursue spotlight in music.
I always had a gut feeling that Joji had musical talent, even before his debut.
His satirical music had some level of well-written musical components, but we probably brushed it off as if he had someone else compose it.
His EP In Tongues skyrocketed his music career.
It’s rather emotional to see a Youtuber continue to succeed after making videos. It’s not something you see often, which is unfortunate. Seeing Joji make headlines and top charts is truly heartwarming.
Although he’s gotten older and matured gracefully, he’s still got a part of Frank in him. Between songs he asked us if we’d like to see his new talent. Lo and behold he learned how to juggle random objects. The crowd cheered him on, screamed our lungs out in support, loving Joji unconditionally. I’m surprised I didn’t lose my voice that night.
There were so many moments to be proud of that night. To hear Joji sing the perfect notes, despite past problems with his throat, was uplifting.
Toward the end he announced, “now to give you guys what you came for” and shook us with his viral hit “Slow Dancing in the Dark”. Despite his tranquil, melancholy lo-fi vibes, the crowd’s spirits lifted sky-high, howling in a chorus of passionate voices.
Last but not least was Brian Imanuel, better known as Rich Brian.
He was another act that I wasn’t familiar with prior to the show, but his energy was welcoming and refreshing.
Rich Brian is an Indonesian rapper, who debuted in 2016 with his album “Amen” which hit number 18 on Billboard 200.
Having grown up in a middle-to-low class neighborhood, Brian started at the bottom and rose up to a stage with millions of fans to support him. Although Indonesian is his first language, he taught himself English through rappers like Macklemore, Childish Gambino, and Tyler, the Creator.
By the time the night ended, even though I had only listened to his music once, I couldn’t get those rhythms out of my head. Songs like “History” and his call to fame “Dat $tick” raised excitement from a once composed crowd. I was particularly jealous of those who copped the VIP pass.
They were able to take a picture with Brian, although he was the only one they got to meet.
The final act of the night featured several of the singers and rappers of 88rising for a celebratory performance of “Midsummer Madness”, which was a pleasant way to end the night.
This song made me nostalgic of the summer, but encouraged me to say my goodbyes, because the leaves are falling and soon will the snow.
Any complaints about the concert are minor; there was plenty to appreciate about the gig.
Having had miserable experiences at previous concerts, the 88 Degrees & Rising Tour was truly one of the coolest, low-key concerts I’ve partaken in. The only issue I had was the dissatisfying, brief setlists per performer.
Considering that the concert had several performers, I appreciate that each had a designated and fair amount of acts.
However, the show finished early, which really meant they could have pushed for a bit more air time. I simply didn’t complain because the members of 88rising brought their all that Sunday Night.
As an impulsive decision, purchasing the ticket to the 88 Degrees & Rising Tour was a gratifying one.
One valuable thing I learned from this experience is that if a new opportunity presents itself, then it should be taken. it’s unknown whether the same opportunity will appear in the future.
Not only did I have a fabulous time, but I got to witness several marvelous artists who have made my Spotify playlists significantly longer.
Alma Tovar
Features Editor
About Post Author
