Shocking rapper lineup
Since 2020, when Rap Viet season 1 and King of Rap aired, rap has risen stronger than ever. Rap reality TV shows have brought this music genre to the top of the trend and at the same time, oriented and deeply influenced the Vietnamese music market.
The rappers showed their power when they rose from the underground to the mainstream music scene. In the underground world, rappers are free to be creative, to show off their individuality and instincts with music.
When rap was flourishing and sought after by audiences, the majority of the public was "stunned" by the "battle rap" in the underground world with lyrics full of street, life and... markets. Street language or "marketplace" is a part of rap. The rappers are the same, they are edgy, have strong personalities, and are not afraid to show off their ego with naked words.
However, when stepping onto the mainstream stage with a large audience of all ages, many rappers are forced to change and restrain themselves to fit into the "new space" of fame.
However, there are still rappers who maintain their "style" in the world when they step onto television stages like Rap Viet.
Rapper MCK (real name Nghiem Vu Hoang Long) has been repeatedly criticized by the audience for his arrogant attitude and behavior. The male rapper once posted a photo of him placing the Top 10 Most Favorite Songs of Lan Song Xanh 2023 trophy on the lid of a trash can in the bathroom on social media.
MCK has repeatedly not hesitated to swear and curse in response to the audience. Tlinh (real name Nguyen Thao Linh) is also a female rapper who has constantly received backlash for her revealing and bold clothing style to the point of being offensive. Tlinh once posted a photo of herself with an object printed with the image of a man's private parts.
This female rapper also has music products that have been criticized for being sexually suggestive, especially in MC "Fever" in collaboration with rapper Coldzy, the product is considered to describe vulgar 18+ behaviors.
After many reactions, the arrogance of MCK or Tlinh has not shown any signs of changing.
Most recently, Negav (real name Dang Thanh An) is still in the center of public opinion storm with posts in a group specializing in commenting on sex and sexual harassment, including using images of children.
Negav just came out of the reality show Anh trai say hi. Negav rose to fame and gained a large fan base when he participated in the music show. However, before he could fully enjoy the glory of his fame, Negav had to pay a heavy price for his offensive posts from the past.
Artists need culture first
The audience is certainly no longer easy-going. The widespread boycott has been carried out fiercely and resolutely by the audience on many platforms, since the series of scandals of singers Jack, Hien Ho... or Negav.
To see that challenging public opinion, creating tricks, or "stepping on public opinion to survive" will soon have to pay a high price in showbiz.
Talking to Lao Dong reporter on this topic, musician Nguyen Van Chung - author of the song "Mother's Diary" said that the current music market is almost no longer divided into mainstream or underground. "Now, everything is in a flat world state. Social networking platforms are popular, all genres of music have the opportunity to reach a large audience, artists from all walks of life have the same opportunities. But everything has two sides, nothing valuable is free, that is an advantage but it is also a harshness for the life of a "public figure" - musician Nguyen Van Chung said.
According to the musician, as a public figure, in addition to being loved and praised, it is also inevitable to be criticized and judged for having inappropriate behavior and speech that is not in accordance with social ethics.
“No one forbids you from having your own personality, instinct, musical ego... because that is your own artistic quality. People only condemn deviant thoughts, extreme behaviors, use of vulgar words, loose lifestyles, signs of moral degradation... Living within the boundaries of morality and law is the responsibility of an ordinary person, let alone “artists” - who are considered representatives of culture, art, and beauty” - musician Nguyen Van Chung affirmed.
