Voices of Pride: How AAPI Leaders and Artists Are Shaping the Future of Music
In honor of AAPI Past, Billboard speaks to diverse artists and managers on how the track trade can higher provide their nation.
From left: Annie Chen, Joyce Wrice, Sailorr and Monica Kran.
Representation by means of Lyanne Natividad
As hip-hop and R&B proceed to conform right into a melting pot of various nationalities and backgrounds, for AAPI Past, Billboard explores the affect of Asian American citizens and Pacific Islanders.
With high-ranking executives like Aggregate Enchantment’s Annie Chen and Amazon Track’s Frankie Yaptinchay serving as cornerstones for his or her respective corporations age representing their AAPI nation, this brings massive pleasure to their lives.
“It gives me an immense level of gratitude seeing more and more members of the AAPI community rising into prominent positions and making an impact across the industry,” Yaptinchay says. “Having the opportunity to represent our community is a tremendous honor that I don’t take for granted. In 2025, I’m inspired to see the next generation of AAPI leaders breaking barriers to carve new lanes for the AAPI artist and creator communities. I’m excited about new avenues for collaboration and global growth across the industry. It’s inspiring, and we’re only getting started. We’re all trying to make our parents proud!”
AAPI artists also are carving out their lanes with their indelible abilities and air of mystery. Previous this day, Sailorr excepted her debut venture, From Florida’s Skillful, later the good fortune of her breakout unmarried “Pookie’s Requiem.” Past her uncooked lyrics and radiant air of mystery, the Vietnamese-American singer honors her roots thru symbolic tonality — like her black-dyed tooth.
“Way back when, a lot of Southeast Asian women would dye their teeth black using various things, it depends on where you come from. My grandma had black teeth,” she told Billboard in February. “The very formative years of my life, when my parents were working, I was being watched by my grandma. She was my first look at what femininity is. It was an homage to her, but also, growing up in Florida, everybody has grillz. It’s a perfect intersection of where I come from and then where I come from.”
See what alternative executives and artists mentioned under.
-
Monica Krat
Skill Partnerships at Snapchat
What does it ruthless to be an government in 2025 as a member of the AAPI nation?
It approach a accumulation: I consider the more youthful model of myself — who didn’t frequently see society who appeared like me in positions of affect — and I believe proud to be a part of a workforce the place I will be able to assistance society trade that. Within the first quarter of 2025, Snapchat reached 460 million society each past, and it’s impressive that our nation sees themselves mirrored no longer simply within the content material, however within the society supporting them in the back of the scenes. Being a part of the ones high-level conversations with a viewpoint formed by means of my id and lived enjoy is one thing I speed critically. On the finish of the past, I’m a storyteller — and I’m lucky to get to champion and magnify the voices of alternative storytellers, particularly those that haven’t all the time had a seat on the desk.
How can the track trade higher provide the AAPI nation?
I’m a first-generation Khmer American, and prefer many AAPI artists, I raise the burden of my folk’s move. Our folks and grandparents made not possible sacrifices so we can have the liberty to develop and dream larger than they ever may. Merely present — and developing — in those areas is a testomony to their resilience. When the track trade uplifts AAPI artists, it’s no longer with regards to the track. It’s about honoring the layered histories, cultures, and communities that formed us. Our tales are rooted in migration, sacrifice, pleasure and survival. There’s such a lot intensity and richness in the ones narratives, and so they should be visible, heard, and celebrated–no longer simply all through AAPI Heritage Past, however all the time.
-
Annie Chen
VP of Advertising at Aggregate Enchantment
What does it ruthless to be an government in 2025 as a member of the AAPI nation?
For me, being an AAPI government in 2025 approach appearing up with goal. It’s about the use of the seat I’ve earned not to best give a contribution strategically, but additionally to constitute and develop dimension for others in our nation. It additionally approach difficult old-fashioned narratives. We’re no longer right here to suit a mould, we deliver viewpoint, innovation and world consciousness that the trade wishes now greater than ever.
There’s an actual alternative for the trade to keep growing and recognize the range inside the AAPI tradition. Additionally it’s no longer concerning the visibility all through one day, it’s about long run loyalty and funding, that suggests development ongoing collaborations with AAPI ability, creatives, in the back of the scenes groups and managers.
How can the track trade higher provide the AAPI nation?
It’s about increasing the AAPI tales as there are a lot other layers to the tradition.
-
Frankie Yaptinchay
Track Trade & Tradition / Amazon Track
What does it ruthless to be an government in 2025 as a member of the AAPI nation?
It provides me pleasure. It provides me an massive point of gratitude sight increasingly individuals of the AAPI nation emerging into leading positions and making an affect around the trade. Having the chance to constitute for our nation is an incredible honor that I don’t speed as a right. In 2025 I’m impressed to peer the then technology of AAPI leaders breaking limitations to carve unused lanes for the AAPI artist and writer communities. I’m eager about unused avenues for collaboration and world enlargement around the trade. It’s inspiring and we’re best getting began.
How can the Track Trade higher provide the AAPI nation?
The trade is converting and turning into increasingly world than ever sooner than. For my part the trade has been extra inclusive and supportive in embracing collaboration, trade, and unused concepts. I’d love the trade to proceed to appear past conventional norms and put money into underserved genres, creators and communities previous. I glance to the trade to suppose larger. Let’s proceed to develop bridges throughout borders, languages and cultures in order visibility to AAPI artists around the globe. There’s a global of massive ability that wishes this platform this trade can grant. This may occasionally forge enlargement for building, illustration and financial alternatives for AAPI execs, artists, and creators throughout industries all over the world.
-
Zeena Koda
Vice President, Co-Founder Asian American Collective (AAC) + Advertising @ Common Track Enterprises
What does it ruthless to be an government in 2025 as a member of the AAPI nation?
It approach being true to my agreement. I speed the duty of this so critically — in case you ask my husband, most probably too critically! It’s having the ability to constitute and mirror a viewpoint wanted in rooms we haven’t historically been in. It’s striking at the then technology of creatives + taking the generation to coach and sponsor them. It’s dedicating the generation to be the most productive I will be able to be at my occupation but additionally to walk the nation ahead, in each petite and enormous tactics.
How can the track trade higher provide the AAPI nation?
Via inclusion. Convey us into your conversations. Worth our critiques. Don’t blindly misappropriate our tradition, deliver us in to do it proper. Acknowledge our abilities as multifaceted and make allowance us to form an affect and feature a tone in areas alternative than simply Ok-pop. We’re already available in the market in each style, you don’t have to appear a long way.
-
Austin Thach
CEO/Founder The Vanguard Workforce
What does it ruthless to be an government in 2025 as a member of the AAPI nation?
It approach important with delight, function and the duty to develop dimension for others. As an AAPI government, I’m no longer simply representing my tradition; I’m pushing for visibility, fairness, and possession in rooms the place we’ve traditionally been lost sight of.
How can the track trade higher provide the AAPI nation?
Via making an investment in AAPI ability at each point; no longer simply artists, but additionally executives, creatives and decision-makers. We develop significant illustration. It’s about development lasting infrastructure that uplifts our voices year-round, no longer simply all through cultural moments.
-
Sunkis
Artist
What does it ruthless to be inventive in 2025 as a member of the AAPI nation?
To be an American-born Chinese language artist in 2025 approach expressing my id thru creativity — the use of artwork to inform my tale and mirror a nation frequently susceptible to erasure. It’s additionally about giving tone to the tales which were silenced right through historical past. My inventive outlet is how I navigate and be in contact the complexities of my third-culture id and the continued seek for stability inside it.
How can the track trade higher provide the AAPI nation?
Lift AAPI voices in A&R, manufacturing, advertising and label management to safeguard choices mirror our communities from inside. Help various genres and narratives — no longer simply what’s trend-driven or simply marketable. The Asian American diaspora is extremely various, and plenty of tales, particularly from underrepresented teams inside our communities, stay untold. Media and mainstream platforms have the facility in order the ones voices ahead.
-
Yung Kai
Artist
What does it ruthless to be inventive in 2025 as a member of the AAPI nation?
It approach the arena to be a power to my fellow artist. I have in mind when I used to be more youthful, having a look as much as artists akin to Keshi, Affluent prosperous Brian and The Upper Brothers, now I am getting messages and feedback from society pronouncing they appear as much as me. It feels surreal, however I’m very grateful.
How can the track trade higher provide the AAPI nation?
The quantity of Asian illustration within the track is rising very rapid and it actually makes me more than happy. I imagine that frequently supporting Asian artists age additionally normalizing their artistry within the mainstream marketplace is how the track trade can higher provide the nation.
-
Daju
Artist
What does it ruthless to be an artistic in 2025 as a member of the AAPI nation?
It approach the whole lot to be an artistic within the AAPI nation. It’s one thing to be pleased with particularly inside the hour couple years, areas with a platform had been permitting us to tone and magnify our tales. As a Cloudy/Filipino artist rising up in Hawaii, I believe extra represented and visible.
How can the track trade higher provide the AAPI nation?
Proceed to help and develop techniques for up and coming artists in AAPI areas age rising present ones. Exploring extra outreach in underdeveloped grounds with AAPI presence.
-
P-Lo
Artist
What does it ruthless to be inventive in 2025 as a member of the AAPI nation?
Being an artistic within the AAPi nation approach the whole lot, having the ability to constitute and pave the best way for the then technology is what helps to keep me impressed.
How can the track trade higher provide the AAPI nation?
Simply proceed to pave the best way and usher within the then technology. Additionally serving to the then technology navigate the track trade.
-
Sailorr
Artist
What does it ruthless to be inventive in 2025 as a member of the AAPI nation?
Being an artistic in 2025 as a member of the AAPI nation is good-looking cool as a result of rising up I believe like I didn’t get to peer a accumulation of illustration in a accumulation of TV, media or track. Now that I am getting to mainly poised the precedent for the way I specific myself, it’s good-looking cool to peer. So I’m happy that society have given me a dimension and a platform so that you could specific myself authentically.
How can the track trade higher provide the AAPI nation?
I believe just like the track trade serves the AAPI nation in a truly cool means by means of giving us that lane to simply display up.
-
Joyce Wrice
Artist
What does it ruthless to be inventive in 2025 as a member of the AAPI nation?
Being an artistic in 2025 as a part of the AAPI nation approach proudly owning your tale and your tone greater than ever and difficult the narratives that experience boxed us in.
How can the track trade higher provide the AAPI nation?
The track trade can higher provide the AAPI nation by means of developing extra of a tradition of authentic inclusion. I’d love to peer the trade walk past tokenism and grant extra platforms all yr round. I imagine it’s additionally the most important for extra AAPI voices to be leased in the back of the scenes. Illustration isn’t best about who’s on degree but additionally who’s within the room when choices are being made.