AUGUST 08

August 08 appeared to be a left-of-center R&B newcomer when he debuted as a recording artist in 2018, but he was well-known behind the scenes, most notably as a co-writer of DJ Khaled's number one pop hit "I'm the One." A former affiliate of 88rising -- with whom he scored the gold-certified single "Midsummer Madness" -- August 08 is unflinchingly introspective with his own output, which includes the EP-length releases Happy Endings with an Asterisk (2019), Emotional Cuh (2020), and the two-part Towards the Sun and Towards the Moon (2022). The latter two EPs were combined to form Seasick, his official debut full-length. A year later, August 08 passed away on August 28, 2023.