Singaporean rapper and artist Masia One has spent more than two decades working across hip-hop, reggae and soundsystem culture. Known as the “Far East Empress”, she has collaborated with artists including Pharrell Williams and RZA, while building connections between Southeast Asia’s independent music communities through her project Singapura Dubclub.
Her Singaporean identity runs through her music, including her verse on “Neighbourhood”, a collaboration with Emma Dilemma, Dende the Sensei and Jay Coast. Drawing on everyday language, local characters and life beyond the city’s business district, she brings the Singapore she knows into the record.
In our interview, Masia discusses what it takes to build a music community, how artists can reach international audiences while staying connected to where they come from, and the practical decisions behind a sustainable career. She also shares advice on collaboration, protecting your work and finding the confidence to make your own decisions.
You’ve spent years helping build reggae and dub culture across Southeast Asia. What have you learned about creating your community?
Community and great music cultures go hand in hand, and growing together as friends, experts and music lovers is a very fulfilling journey for any music culture.
I learned the importance of having a great team that enjoys working together, brings to the project their own strengths and are all excited about what we are building together.
I also realized that SE Asia is in itself a small community - if sub-cultures and music scenes in ASEAN work together what might be a small show can grow into book routes, festivals and shared knowledge.
You’ve built an international career while staying connected to your Singaporean and Southeast Asian identity. What advice would you give artists who want to reach global audiences without losing what makes them distinctive?
Sometimes you have to start building where you’re at, even if you have theories about how you’ll “blow up” elsewhere. Start small and build a tribe with your friends, your neighbours, your city, your region. As you authentically bring who you are to your artistry, the rest of the world may grow curious and pay attention so lean into what works for you, not what trends and algorithms dictate. In Canada, the cover of my first album was of the Singapore merlion re-imagined as a Louis Vuitton luxury print. Most people in Canada didn’t know about Singapore or the merlion at that time, but I knew I would be the first female Hiphop artist representing in the Canadian mainstream, so representing myself accordingly was very important for me.
I also am constantly amazed by the diversity of culture, colors and sounds that come from SE Asia and, with the rise of AI slop, I know that these nuances of humanity are the future that remind us how to stay connected and inspired by the magic of real life.
What’s your best advice for someone just starting out in the music industry?
Take an inventory of what you’re good at, get friends & allies that will help you with what you’re not good at, record and release music to build your catalogue, the music is the magic but often it’s not the money so build into your business plan where you can diversify and never ever sign anything without a good lawyer.
I haven’t given advice about the creative side as I believe that artists already know themselves and can express creativity, but often they undervalue their works and ideas, and need to protect their financial interests so they can pursue music as a career and not as a part-time hobby.
What’s your best tip for networking and building genuine relationships in music?
Collaborations with people you actually want to make music with is a great way because the creative connection is something that can build genuine respect and friendships.
Offering sincere support, advice and assistance when building a community and network is also valuable. Often people reach out asking what you can do for them, without sharing what they are capable and willing to do to add value to someone else’s life.
When networking, present yourself in an authentic and professional manner, for example “Hey I’m just reaching out because I follow your work and saw that you’re sharing great Hiphop content” is much better than “Yo you need to hear my new mixtape”.
After more than two decades in music, what’s one lesson about building a sustainable career that you wish you’d learned earlier?
Never make decisions from a place of fear - address the fear, make lists of the pros and cons if you need to, and don’t let fear get in the way of you expressing your most authentic self as an artist. That and, get a good lawyer lol.
What’s your favourite part of making and performing music, and what’s your least favourite?
I love connecting with the energy of the people, feeling that momentum and having that musical back and forth dialogue with the crowd. This realization that something I wrote in isolation from a place of pain or deep reflection, can be shared through melody and sound to connect strangers reminding us all that we are not alone in the hardships that we face, or the joys we’d like to celebrate together.
Least favorite part…the music opportunity attracts a lot of opportunist and bad actors that are predatory on the hopes and dreams of creatives. As well, the current model of music business that benefits corporations over the creators, makes me very concerned as there is no viable way to have a sustainable career as an artist today. In the current model of remuneration for artists that is being sold to the masses it would not be possible to have a sustainable career - artists will need to take the business of their vision into their own hands.
What are you listening to at the moment, and who’s an artist from Southeast Asia you think more people should know about?
I’m listening to:
Ezra Collective ft. Lila Ike: Well Organized - amazing to see great musicians from around the world come together to create at the highest levels.
Chronixx: Survivor - I like to make music that makes people feel brave, this is a song that makes me feel brave.
Theira Whack: Wax Paper - Great emcee, amazing visuals and 100% herself.
Jazz Cruise Series Vol. 1 is by Kelvin Momo and Stixx - relax for the mind and soul.
Jhene Aiko “Westside Whimsy” - The lyricism on this new record goes harder than most rap albums.
Southeast Asian artist:
I’m listening to Srirajah Rockers (Thailand) phenomenal band that took Dub, and made it so unquestionably and uniquely Thai.
I also just got off playing Rototom Festival with Yella Sky Soundsystem, pioneers of soundsystem culture in Jakarta, and I was shocked to find out many of the songs I loved were original productions by them with guest artists from around the region.
Dhira Bongs out of Indonesia is someone I’m excited to see take over - a great songwriter and an amazing voice. She has a very creative outlook in how she shares her music through content and relatable engagements.
If you could put together your dream soundsystem night anywhere in the world, where would it be and who would be on the line-up?
I would set a sound system that tours different communities, setting up at regional Temples. I would likely build a sound that follows blueprints set by Mungo’s Hifi: Tops with clarity, Subs with ultimate bass frequency, and sharing music that crosses genres. I would invite all my favorite soundboys from across the region including:
Yella Sky Sound System (Indonesia)
Gonja Hi Fi (Thailand)
Red I Sound System (Philippines)
Heavy Hong Kong (HK)
Formosa Sound (Taiwan)
Langkawi Dub Club (Malaysia)
Totalize Sound (Japan)
Bahnya Sound System (Korea)
…and of course my own family Singapura Dubclub (Singapore)