Rich Brian looked ahead to his film-acting debut as Uproxx’s April 2022 cover star, and the Justin Chon-directed music drama Jamojaya made its debut at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival last weekend. In it, Brian portrays an up-and-coming Indonesian rapper at a crossroads: He wants to hire a new manager and sign to a US label, but that would mean firing his father (Yayu Unru) as his manager.
To celebrate Jamojaya, Brian dropped “Sundance Freestyle” on Wednesday, January 25, alongside Daniel “Cloud” Campos-directed video that finds Brian deliciously playing a diva actor.
It starts with people rushing to prepare the set of the fictional Talking Film talk show. Brian arrives in extravagant fashion, as the studio’s doors open up to an entourage leading the way for Brian on a motor scooter. When the host, Chet Buckley, offers up a handshake, Brian turns away from him and doesn’t say a word while someone adds one more dash of hairspray.
Buckley attempts to ask Brian questions about Jamojaya, but Brian stays mute and stares at Buckley behind dark sunglasses. The wall behind them collapses, prompting Brian to launch into his “Sundance Freestyle.”
Brian raps as flashing cameras and microphones crowd around him, and then he’s joined by fabulous background dancers.
“I just took a flight to Utah, man, that’s the first time,” he reflects over a catchy, synthesized beat. “Walkin’ off the plane, steam breathin’ snow darkened by the shades / I’m just stayin’ warm, sippin’ on my third wine / Face gettin’ red now / I don’t need a sun tan, press weak / Get you used to hearin’ certain questions / Like, ‘How you feel to be at Sundance?'”
As beach balls fall from the sky, Brian relishes how far he’s come in five years and watching his “first movie” with his friends, which turns “everything else into nonsense” and marks a major accomplishment despite the fact “I’m only on my second project.”
“Sundance Freestyle” comes after Brian finally released “Vivid” featuring $NOT in November — a similarly introspective song but romantically focused.
Watch “Sundance Freestyle” above.
Rich Brian is a Warner Music artist. .
