88rising was founded in 2015 by Sean Miyashiro The company first started as a music collective called CXSHXNLY with Brian Puspos, Jonathan Park, and Josh Pan as their first members. Miyashiro said that their music collective goal is "to become the most wavy, iconic crew" and "trying to represent for not only Asian immigrants, but for all immigrants". CXSHXNLY later became a management company and began to made a contact with budding overseas artists that they found on the internet
In 2015, Park showed Miyashiro the music video of Keith Ape's single titled "It G Ma", Miyashiro began to work with the artist to release the remix version of the single which features A$AP Ferg, Father, Dumbfoundead, and Waka Flocka Flame. The single was released on July 27, 2015, by OWSLA and the music video was premiered by Complex. The single helped the company raised their first round of funding from a group of investors led by Allen DeBevoise, founder of the venture capital firm Third Wave Digital.
In May 2016, the company uploaded their first video content on YouTube as 88rising and began to work with other artists such as Rich Brian, Joji, and Higher Brothers.
In May 2017, WPP announced that it has made a strategic investment in 88rising. In November 2017, 88rising announced a tour across Asia featuring Rich Brian, Joji, and Higher Brothers with stops in nine major Asian cities: Seoul, Beijing, Shanghai, Chengdu, Bangkok, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Manila, and Jakarta.
In February 2018, 88rising held the North American tour at The Warfield Theatre in San Francisco, The Shrine Expo Hall in Los Angeles, and Terminal 5 in New York City. The tour featuring Rich Brian, Joji, Keith Ape, and Higher Brothers with surprise guest appearances from other artists such as Charli XCX and Ski Mask the Slump God.