Originally from Fresno, California, Planet Asia moved to the San Francisco Bay Area in 1998 and began working with a local producer, Fanatik. Between 1997 and 2001, Planet Asia released several 12" singles, including "Definition of Ill" (
Stones Throw) and "Place of Birth" (ABB Records). He reached full acclaim in 2001 when
The Source gave him the first round draft pick and Independent Album of the Year awards for
How the West Was One.
How The West Was One was recorded with fellow rapper
Rasco under the group name
Cali Agents and landed him a deal with
Interscope Records. While signed to Interscope Records, Planet Asia was not promoted much and stayed with Interscope until 2003 without releasing an album. He was nominated for a
Grammy Award in 2002 for the song "W" by Mystic. In 2003,
Avatar Records signed Planet Asia and in 2004 released Planet Asia's debut album,
The Grand Opening, to positive feedback. It earned him another Independent Album of the Year award from
The Source. Avatar also released 12" vinyl records including "Summertime In The City" b/w "G's & Soldiers" featuring Kurupt produced by
J. Wells, "Its All Big" b/w "Right or Wrong", and "Real Niggaz" featuring Ghostface. His record "G's & Soldiers" featuring
Kurupt was prominently featured in John Travolta's 2005 film
Be Cool released by
MGM. After leaving Avatar, Planet Asia started his own record label, Gold Chain Music, with Walt Liquor. His next album,
The Medicine, was released on October 3, 2006, on ABB Records and produced by
Evidence of
Dilated Peoples, along with co-production credits from
The Alchemist, Nucleus and Bravo. On June 26, 2007, he released "The Jewelry Box Sessions: The Album" on Gold Chain Music. The album featured the single "Havin' Things" and in 2010, he collaborated with Malaysian artist,
Mizz Nina, on a song called
Hope. In 2011, Planet Asia was a judge on the Ultimate MC TV show alongside
Royce da 5'9",
Sean Price,
Organik, and
Pharoahe Monch. On September 8, 2023, Planet Asia and
Apollo Brown released a joint album titled "Sardines", in what some would consider a follow-up to the duo’s beloved 2017 collaborative album “Anchovies”. ==Personal life==