Datmaniac Brings the Galaxy to Your Porch in 'Stars to Cover'

Rapper Datmaniac is known as the "speed demon" of Vietnamese rap - Photo: NVCC

Recently, Datmaniac (Tran Son Dat or Uncle Ba, born in 1992, grew up in Ho Chi Minh City, is a famous rapper with the nickname "speed ghost" when he set a record of rapping about 170 words in 20 seconds) released his first solo album in his career called Sao du de bao bao .

With this album, Datmaniac brings the whole galaxy to his doorstep. The album's theme not only revolves around the story of environmental pollution but also slices of life with many multidimensional and meaningful messages.

Seven years of rapping

Starting to "practice" rapping in the middle of 8th grade, Datmaniac often went to a friend's house in the group to hang out and record using desktop chat mics, wrapping a sock around the mic and recording.

Eminem and Lil' Knight were the first rappers Datmaniac listened to, and Pama lover was one of his first raps. Up to now, Datmaniac's rap career has lasted for nearly 17 years.

"In 2009, he participated in a rap song with VietDragon and many other brothers. In 2010, he founded G-Family.

In 2012, I participated in Rhyme Fest - a rap competition in all three regions and won first prize, which was also fun.

From 2012-2014, I unlocked more skills," Datmaniac shared.

Another memorable milestone in 2019, when Suboi introduced him to the show Yo! MTV Raps Asia, when he rapped with other Southeast Asian artists, Datmaniac felt much smaller.

"They are different from me in terms of level, they talk about very different topics from rappers in Vietnam. I thought that after returning home, I had to do something," Datmaniac said about the origin of the idea for his "trash for album" project.

Datmaniac and regional rappers on Yo! MTV Raps Asia - Photo: NVCC

In 2020, Datmaniac gradually put his ideas into practice. After Cats , he wrote about deeper topics in life.

Datmaniac wondered "if the audience would be bored", "if the topic was too macro and "out there". But then he told himself that these were things he needed to write down, if he didn't know who to express them to, what should he do?

"Before releasing the album, I was worried about how the audience would react. Now reading the comments on YouTube, I'm very happy," Datmaniac confided.

Datmaniac - Galaxy on the Porch (Remake)

And "another life" is Datmaniac's answer when talking about the "gestation" period of the album Sao du de bao ban . It seems like he really lived another life.

During those seven years, there were articles that were almost finished, then wanted to write more, then wrote new articles. There were also times when I did nothing, just wanted to play games. In a way, it was that natural and gradual cultivation that created a Star that was enough to cover more completely.

Datmaniac likes to observe and often draws inspiration from the life around him. Sometimes he finds himself unique by thinking about things no one else thinks, talking about things no one else talks about. The themes spring to mind naturally.

The male rapper admitted: "Everything I write is just normal things in life, thoughts or voices in my head". Natural, rich - those are also the things that make up this rapper born in 1992.

The album cover Sao is impressive enough to cover , designed by Pick - Datmaniac's younger brother - Photo: NVCC

Datmaniac looks at the planet through verse

On Sao Dua De Bao Bao , Datmaniac still does what he does best: create a series of consecutive images, place them under a complex system of rhymes, metaphors, and similes, and then deliver them to the listener with unpredictable rhythms.

" Like a worm on a tree, a stain on a shoe, like rhymes on paper, like once in a lifetime you should see " - Datmaniac combines them into a fast-forward film, where rhymes continuously hit the cornea, evoking a vivid field of images interwoven in the mind.

Throughout the film, Datmaniac's words and thoughts seem to point to the same thing: the blue planet - home to all of us.

Datmaniac has brought the galaxy to the front porch for listeners to admire together. Nature in Datmaniac's music is "a rainbow in the early winter rain", "a star singing in the vast sky", "a stream returning to its source", "an animal returning to the forest".

The idea for Damaniac came very suddenly and at every moment - Photo: NVCC

It is also the "road home", not only existing as a quiet backdrop for human life, but also a living entity that needs to be preserved and respected.

Datmaniac ponders and worries about plants and animals, about "fresh fish no longer in the salty sea", about "birds that have forgotten their way home", about the planet that people are racing to destroy.

Vietnamese Rap has always been full of angry and arrogant egos as well as egos immersed in thoughts and conflicts.

But with Stars Enough to Cover, Datmaniac sends a small, humble self when standing before familiar things like the sky, the forest, the stream, the ocean and love.

Datmaniac reminds us of a truth we seem to have forgotten: we are all part of something much bigger than ourselves.

And so, Sao Dua De Bao Bao is not just a pure album but becomes a journey for us to look at the planet through rhyme, a prism to shine on the world we live in. Ultimately, it is a reminder of our connection to the sky with thousands of stars that we belong to.

Sao Dua De Bao Bao is a music project combined with community activities, helping to collect recyclable waste and raise awareness about reducing emissions, protecting nature and living sustainably.

In this project, Datmaniac and his team realized the idea when he started a tour (expected to last four months) across three regions of the country, bringing music and physical albums in exchange for waste to bring back for recycling.

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/datmaniac-mang-thien-ha-ve-truoc-hien-nha-trong-sao-du-de-bao-phu-20240531101527081.htm