The perplexing case of Vietnamese Rap.

Following the success of his album 99%, MCK hasn't released any new official products. Instead, he's been releasing remakes that have still been a hit in the music market.

MCK, one of Vietnam's most prominent rappers, has been absent from the Vpop scene for over two years since his album 99% (March 2023). Without releasing any new material, he chose to return with surprise remakes like "Freedom Drill Tower," "Haru Haru," and most recently, "2323." Although each new release has been a hit, audiences are still waiting for a return of MCK's groundbreaking creativity.

What did MCK do after the success of his album 99%?

MCK (real name Nghiem Vu Hoang Long, born in 1999) is the rapper who has made the most progress since Rap Viet Season 1 (2020). While this rapper is still involved in many controversies and debates, his talent is undeniable. MCK has a captivating flow and a unique melodic rap style. The male rapper is also diverse in musical styles, ranging from Hip-hop and R&B to Pop, helping him win over a wide range of audiences.

In particular, with his debut album 99% (released in March 2023), MCK further solidified his position, proving he was not just a fleeting phenomenon from a music game show. This product was highly praised by music professionals. 99% reveals hidden aspects of MCK's life, his career, his love life, and his perspective on life. MCK showed clear maturity in this musical product. Notably, all the songs in the album achieved good results on music charts, demonstrating that audiences also embraced and enjoyed MCK's music.

MCK is one of the most anticipated and highly-regarded rappers today. Photo: FBNV.

However, after the success of 99% , MCK unexpectedly went into hiding. No official products have been released for over two years, from March 2023 to the present. More notably, he has almost completely stopped being active on social media since the end of 2024. On his personal page named Hoang Long, MCK still posts fairly regularly. But his verified Fanpage stopped posting in July 2024.

The way MCK posts on his personal page doesn't quite match the image of a famous singer with a large fan base. Instead, the content of his posts is somewhat free-spirited, rebellious, and individualistic.

Because of this, MCK has been involved in some controversies, such as posting a picture of himself in underwear in front of a mirror with the caption "for my pride," which caused a stir on social media.

What makes MCK a unique figure in Vietnamese Rap is his musical silence. While his contemporaries like HIEUTHUHAI and tlinh constantly release new products, MCK chooses a strange "silence," only appearing with surprise remakes without prior notice.

This absence only fuels curiosity about MCK. Is this a clever strategy or a sign of an artist whose creativity is waning?

MCK is still hot.

Despite his seemingly stagnant musical style, MCK remains incredibly popular. This is evidenced by the widespread reach of his impromptu releases. Without prior announcements or heavy investment in visuals, each release has become a sensation.

First up is "The Big Bang - It Doesn't Matter," released in March 2024. This product had many reasons to become a "big bang" in the music market. It was a visual and musical remake of the legendary "Haru Haru" music video by the popular group Big Bang. The product also featured many well-known names, including MCK, JustaTee, Tage, and Phuong Ly… Combined with its catchy music, "The Big Bang - It Doesn't Matter" spread across social media platforms at the time, generating huge discussions. After more than a year since its release, the music video has reached nearly 14 million views.

Recently, MCK released several remakes under the new stage name Nghiêm Tổng. Photo: FBNV.

Next up is "Thap drill tu do" ( Freefall Tower ), released by MCK in April. This is a revamped version of "Thap drill tu do" by Chinese singer LBI Libi. Although only nearly two minutes long and without a music video, "Thap drill tu do" had reached 20 million views by the afternoon of July 29th. This number is enough to overwhelm many other meticulously produced videos.

Notably, "Thap drill tu do" (Free Drill) initiated a new music trend among rappers and simultaneously surpassed HIEUTHUHAI's "Nuoc mat ca crocodile" (Crocodile Tears) to climb to the number 1 spot on the trending music charts.

In a short period of time, dozens of Vietnamese rappers and artists such as Obito, CoolKid, Ngo Thien Vu (Lil Van), TEZ, RTee, Hoang Green, RIO, Hazel, Indie.K, BAN, VSoul... participated, creating hundreds of different versions, from "Free Trap Tower," "Free Soul Tower," "Free Trap Girl," to "Free Falling Water "... Such widespread participation from rappers in Vietnamese music is quite rare.

Most recently, MCK has remixed Sơn Tùng M-TP's "Buông đôi tay nhau ra" (Let Go of Each Other's Hands) . The rapper has once again generated significant discussion on social media. His new song, "2323," garnered 1.6 million views in about a day. However, this time, the praise for MCK isn't as overwhelmingly positive as it was for his previous works.

Instead, there were many conflicting opinions suggesting the product wasn't appealing enough. The overly closed tuning was also a reason why many listeners were disappointed with 2323. Nevertheless, the discussion surrounding this work proves that MCK becomes more mysterious and interesting the more he keeps a low profile.

Besides remakes, MCK has also lent his voice to the work of several colleagues, most notably AMEE's "Mong Yu," released in 2024.

MCK is a rare phenomenon in Vietnamese rap: talented, rebellious, controversial, yet still creating trends. Remakes like "Free Drill Tower " and "2323" showcase his masterful reinterpretation skills, but also put him under pressure to surpass the shadow of "99%" . With his absence from social media and only appearing through surprise releases, MCK is playing a mysterious game. Is he plotting a new album or continuing to "toy" with remakes?

With his talent and keen sense of direction, MCK is perfectly capable of returning to the top, but the big question is: How will he choose to assert himself? Meanwhile, audiences are still waiting for an MCK of groundbreaking compositions, like the ones he did with "Sinking Deep" or "Why ."

Source: https://znews.vn/ca-kho-hieu-cua-rap-viet-post1572666.html