Childhood Nostalgia, Music, and Toughness: Rich Brian x G-SHOCK’s Story
Hypebeast speaks to the 88rising staple ahead of his first G-SHOCK collaboration release.
Step into the world of creativity and timepiece innovation as we dive into an exclusive conversation between Hypebeast and Rich Brian. In this interview, we explore the genesis of Brian’s collaboration with G-SHOCK, where the music artist infuses his nostalgia and artistic essence into the iconic GA-2100 watch. Join us as we uncover the stories and inspirations behind this unique reinterpretation, his fantasy band, the tunes he’s vibing with now, and what toughness means to him.
Hypebeast (HB): Hi Brian, what are you focusing on right now?
Rich Brian (RB): Currently, I’m focusing on creating a lot of music, just as much music as I can. I’m in the process of working on my next album and exploring other creative projects in general. As for the album’s release date, it’s in the works, but I can’t reveal it just yet.
HB: What’s your earliest memory of G-SHOCK watches?
RB: G-SHOCK watches were always around me, thanks to my dad and brother who are huge watch enthusiasts. My brother’s currently into building watches; he’s deeply passionate about it. He introduced me to G-SHOCK and Casio watches. So, that’s probably my earliest memory of growing up around them.
HB: What does toughness mean to you about overcoming artistic challenges?
RB: Toughness means persisting through the process of creating art. You’re not always going to be inspired all the time. But the most important thing is pushing through and showing up. Just show up to do your work because every day is important. It’s crucial to sharpen your craft, even when you’re not fully inspired nor creating your best work. Overcoming those times when feeling uninspired and unmotivated isn’t easy, but choosing to show up, to be there, and to try things out, even when it feels like a chore, is important.
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HB: How is G-SHOCK’s toughness philosophy related to young people in Southeast Asia?
RB: Being from here, it somewhat connects to my earlier response. I’d say, toughness means continuing forward, even when uncertain about what’s ahead. It’s about always being prepared for what comes next. For me, gratitude has always been integral to my philosophy. It’s easy to become jaded or disinterested, especially after working hard to achieve something. However, I believe it’s essential to remain thankful for what you have. It’s a way to stay happy and focused and avoid unnecessary distractions while continuing to pursue your goals. Staying grateful is exceptionally important to me.
HB: Speaking about the collaboration between 88Rising and G-SHOCK. What was the inspiration behind the design?
RB: The design was inspired by a memory from my childhood when I was probably six or seven years old. I used to play the drums and watched a video my dad showed me of a band festival. There was a drummer in one band I admired, and the guitarist had this stunning guitar. It was a vibrant light blue with thunder-like patterns on the fret, tinged with pink. That color combination has always stuck with me—I love pink and light blue. And I used that color combination for this watch because I’ve never really gotten to use it on anything else. I wanted to bring that nostalgia into this design.
HB: That’s incredible you still remember that and reference it.
RB: I still from time to time look up the video online. Even though the video that I saw was from a DVD, I’m glad I’ve somehow found it on YouTube.
HB: That’s very cool. So what does this collaboration mean to you personally?
RB: This collaboration is cool because it’s an incredible opportunity G-SHOCK has given me to take control of the design. They allowed me a lot of freedom, facilitating my connection with the design team. We went through several design phases, making it a very enjoyable process. It was my first time designing a watch, and it was a really fun experience. Maybe it’s something I’ll explore again in the future, who knows!
HB: What was your brother’s response to the fact that you’re designing a watch, considering his current interest in building watches? Is he intrigued?
RB: He was very intrigued, he’s very happy for me. Right now I only have one of the watches, so I’m keeping that for myself but once I have more different copies of the watch I’m going to give one to him.
HB: So alongside NIKI, Warren Hue, Atarashii Gakko!, Spence Lee, and other 88rising artists, you shot the campaign for Rich Brian x G-SHOCK. What was that process like? Can you tell us a little bit behind the scenes?
RB: That was cool. I was pleased with how the photos turned out; it was a smooth photo shoot on a great set. Recently, I did a video shoot for the custom watch. I was more focused on acting, following a storyline chasing music sounds, which was fun. It was my first time seeing the final watch in person, and I’m really happy with how it turned out. It’s a tougher watch to style due to its specific color, but I like the challenge; it pushes me to think outside the box.
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HB: You’ve collaborated with some amazing artists. If you could assemble a dream team, for a record, who would be the ultimate most musical supergroup and what genre would you explore together?
RB: Oh, that’s really interesting. I would get Thundercat, Syd from the Internet, Tyler, the Creator, Kendrick Lamar and then Mac DeMarco. I’ve been very inspired by them recently. Otherwise, I’ve been liking a lot of Indie music or songs that have a lot of guitar in it. There’s this one artist I’ve been listening to recently, her name is Kate Bollinger.
HB: You reckon she’s the next up-and-coming artist on the rise?
RB: I honestly don’t know how long she’s been doing music for. But I feel like, she should be, she’s great. Another great artist that I’ve been listening to a lot is Liana Flores. She has a song called “rises the moon”. I think that’s one of the most beautiful songs I’ve heard recently.
HB: Okay, so going back to G-SHOCK. G-SHOCK has lasted a very long time in the industry which is very impressive, in your opinion what do you think has made G-SHOCK so popular for the last 40 years?
RB: I think G-SHOCK is good at keeping up with the times, and the trends, but at the same time not just riding a wave. It’s kind of the way that I look at music. I keep up with what’s going on currently, but not just so that I could take inspiration from them. If you do, then it just seems like you’re doing what everyone else is doing. I’m paying attention to everything, not to follow the rules but to know which rules to break.
The G-SHOCK x RICH BRIAN watch launches online on December 8, 2023, via the Casio Indonesia webstore and in select G-SHOCK stores from December 9, 2023. Sales begin on December 15, 2023, in Southeast Asia and globally. For details about the watch and Rich Brian’s exclusive live performance, visit Casio’s website. Don’t miss the upcoming G-SHOCK 40th Anniversary Shock The World Southeast Asia celebration.
