“The whole genesis of 88Rising came from me and my friends hanging out," 88rising founder and CEO Sean Miyashiro said from his New York City office. "I was fortunate enough to hang out with a lot of different creators and people doing cool things that happened to be Asian.”

88rising's sold-out show at Pier 17, a swanky rooftop at the southern tip of Manhattan, served as a coming out party for the company in 2018.

The concert started slow as the streetwear-clad attendees filed in and 88Rising’s newest artists ran through abbreviated set lists.

LA-based singer August 08 stopped the music to egg on the crowd. “Everybody yell ‘F--k!’” he shouted mischievously. “F--k, f--k, f--k, f--k!”

88rising’s artists alternate between unvarnished honesty and irony-laden meme-inspired jokes. Each artist’s persona seems designed, intentionally or not, to make teenagers feel like they could be one of them.

Miyashiro is a hands-on CEO. Hip-hop artist Don Krez chatted with Miyashiro about his stress over recent recording sessions in the green room at the 88 Degrees & Rising Tour show in New York City.

Backstage, 88rising’s biggest name artists, Joji, right, and Rich Brian, debate the merits of Brockhampton, another of-the-moment hip-hop collective, with others in the company’s orbit.

88rising specializes in importing overseas talent, like Japanese hip-hop artist KOHH, to young, internet-savvy Americans.

Miyashiro stands backstage with members of the Higher Brothers, quartet of rappers from Chengdu, China.

The Higher Brothers make high-energy, bouncy tunes about modern Chinese life, like the group’s 2017 single “WeChat,” about the titular Chinese messaging app.

The Higher Brothers have become one of 88rising’s biggest successes. “Our label exists because no major label or distributor or American music company's gonna know what to do with something like this,” Miyashiro said.

Miyashiro has no intentions to stop with music. He says he wants to turn artists like The Higher Brothers, shown here, into household names.

88Rising is a music label, a burgeoning film and TV producer, a “cultural agency business” working with like-minded brands, and a digital-media and video-production business. Its New York City offices even have a stylish set for in-house videos.