Indie Artists To Watch: Asian & Pacific Islanders

Filipina American rapper Ruby Ibarra has been making impactful waves in the indie music world since 2010. Ibarra is a producer, and spoken word artist from San Lorenzo, California. With raps in Tagalog, Waray, and English. she proudly represents the Filipinx community and culture. She represents empowerment and is inspiring other womxn of color with the messages and skills she brings to the table. If you love Hip-Hop and you're not familiar with her music the best place to start is her classic 2017 albumCirca '91. Ruby’s Circa ‘91 album hits several topics such as her experience as a first-generation American, dismantling patriarchy, feminism, colorism within the Filipinx community and overall being a proud Pinay. Get familiar with and support her work by visiting Ruby Ibarra’s website, Spotify page, YouTube channel, or Apple Music profile.

Filipina American singer Sabrina Shauna is an R&B newbie to watch. The Bay Area-based songwriter’s 2019 4-track EP I’m Ready is a soulful bass knockin’ project showcasing her lyrical ability, angelic vocals, and high production quality that will have you floating on a cloud. While listening to hard-hitting fierce lyrics of one who’s taking her power back and knows what she wants when it comes to love. Get familiar with and support her work by visiting her Spotify page, Soundcloud profile, or Apple Music profile.

New York-based recording artist Mark Teodosio is a true creative force of nature! The Filipinx Hip-Hop Artist and creator of the BAYANI comic book series. Teodosio’s 2019 album Be Your Own Hero is a testament to that and hits so many spots effortlessly. From conscious uplifting messages to love and party vibes, he proves to be an emcee with extraordinary vocal skills., Teodosio proves whether he’s singing or rapping you are going to dive into a soothing vibe. Get familiar with and support his work by streaming on Spotify and YouTube.

Bay Area recording Queer Filipinx duo, Astralogik, express their art effortlessly fusing the genres of Neo-Soul, Acoustic, Island, Hip-Hop, and Electronica. Whether they’re creating their own original music or collaborating with other artists on a song, their music pulls you in dreamy ways. If you aren’t familiar with the duo, the best place to start is their 2018 track “Invisible Chains”. This single lures you to keep repeating, with catchy lyrics that speak to your soul inviting you to break free. Get familiar with and support his work by streaming them on Bandcamp, Spotify, and YouTube.

New York-based recording artist Raveena quickly gained a dedicated audience with back-to-back releases of 2019 album Lucid and 2020 EP Moonstone. Every track from the South Asian American speaks and sings to the soul. It’s no surprise how easily one can get lost in the music without having to worry about whether a track should be skipped. Just as with her other collections, each song on Moonstone, in particular, deserves to be experienced from beginning to end with no interruption. Immerse yourself in the sounds of Raveena. Get familiar with and support her work by streaming her work on Spotify, Tidal, and iTunes.

Jonah Yano is a soulful Japanese-Candian singer-songwriter we’re excited about. After releasing the single “Delicate” during the summer of quarantine, it was clear with the opening melody he would easily become one of 2020’s gift to us. His voice and music drift you away, serenading you through a smooth, jazzy, soulful, pop, with Hip-Hop like beats. It’s hard not to nod your head even with his high pitched, soft but fully present vocals. Get familiar with and support his work by streaming him on Spotify, and YouTube.

Jessica Domingo is an award-winning Filipina songwriter and singer. Known for her early YouTube covers, Domingo has since branched out with her own original music. Raised in Seattle, Washington Domingo has found a way to blend island acoustic and with northwest folk into her signature dream-pop sound. If you aren’t familiar with Jessica Domingo we recommend you start with her stellar 2018 project Floral Mind. Get familiar with her full discography on Spotify and Soundcloud.

Hailing from Toronto, Canada, The Noise Witch is a non-binary multi-genre recording artist. Pulling influence from alternative, pop, and R&B, their newest self-produced song titled "Proud Lover" showcases how they weave sound together so effortlessly. Soul from the depths of their belly, casting frequencies to engulf ears and enchant heartstrings The Noise Witch has it all. We absolutely love the eerie, soothe, sultry, futuristic vibes they created here and we can't wait for their debut album to release this year. Get familiar with and support their work by streaming them on YouTube, Spotify, and Soundcloud.

Bay Area rapper and Unusual Suspects Company label owner, J.Lately distinguishes himself as an emcee with his soulful style and laid backflow. His music is the perfect balance between conscious rap and stoner music. If you aren’t familiar with his music, we recommend you start with his 2017 album Be Fucking Happy. Coming from the small town of Sebastopol, and having split time between Oakland and Southern California to a Korean father and Canadian mother, his influences are eclectic and mesh together effortlessly to form his own individual style. J.Lately tour across the country with artists such as Zion I, Andre Nickatina, Locksmith, and A-Plus of the Hieroglyphics. Get familiar with her full discography on Spotify and Soundcloud.