JOE FLIZZOW

Musician, in Dior suit, Bulgari necklace and ring.

Ever since he was a child, Joe Flizzow knew he wanted to be a musician. Born to a family of entertainers, he began rapping at the age of 11. He started out as a member of the award-winning Malaysian hip-hop duo, Too Phat, with Malique Ibrahim. “We went through a lot of hardship to put our first album out, and ended up doing it independently, needing to borrow money from my parents,” says Flizzow. “I am grateful to my family for being there, every step of the way.” Since then, he has made it his life’s mission to expand the hip-hop music scene for local artists by founding his own music label, Kartel Records, promoting their music and scouting new talents. He also launched

16 Baris, a rap cypher show in collaboration with Rocketfuel Entertainment as a platform to showcase emerging Southeast Asian hip-hop acts. Each episode features three fresh-faced MCS and rappers, often from Singapore, Malaysia or Indonesia, engaging in a cypher and freestyling over 16 bars, thus lending the show its name. In 2019, Flizzow again came into the spotlight when Universal Music Group launched Def Jam South East Asia to focus on its vibrant hip-hop scene and brought Kartel’s artists into the company. Flizzow became managing director of Def Jam South East Asia—a milestone for this businessman, who also owns his own chain of barbershops, Joe’s Barber. This year he will complete another major union—with his forthcoming nuptials to fellow artist and long-time girlfriend Nini Ramlan.