'I know my timing'

Den's music over the years has brought positive energy to the community, giving this 1989-born guy a place in the music market.

Not only on social networks, but also on stage. Not only do young people like Den's music, children sometimes also hum Den's rap lyrics...

Last March, Den became one of the 10 outstanding young Vietnamese faces of 2023 of the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union; and was honored in the Dedication Music Awards in 2 categories "Male singer of the year" and "Music video " of the year (with the song "Cooking for you").

Standing on stage to receive the Dedication Award, Den expressed his surprise when he won the important award: "I still think Rap music is not widely accepted, but I can't believe that everyone has given me such a great honor, to stand here at the Dedication Award Ceremony, at the Opera House. I believe that the Dedication star shining up there will always be a beam of light that helps artists shine and bring music to the public."

Den confided further: "I'm not very humble, playing rap, I also have my own arrogance, but luckily my eyes can still see the images of so many efforts, my ears can still hear the sounds of so many labors out there to know how lucky I am."

He also admitted: “I know that I am lucky. If I am not lucky, a rapper cannot dream of winning the Dedication Award! Luckily for me, I appeared in an era of open and tolerant music. Thank you for the love and respect."

I would also like to talk more about the MV "Cooking for you" that many people have listened to and mentioned in the past. This MV was released on May 13, 2023, telling the story of the journey of Den Vau and young singer Pia Linh (Huong Linh) to visit children at Sa Tong Primary and Secondary Boarding School for Ethnic Minorities (Muong Cha, Dien Bien ).

The MV won the hearts of the audience with its simple, sincere storytelling and its focus on depicting the journey of children in the highlands in search of knowledge. Through that, the humane message of sharing and love between people is highlighted.

Den said that all revenue from listening and viewing of this song will be given to organizations and charity funds to feed and build schools for children in remote areas.

untitled-1(1).jpg — Den plays soccer with children in Dien Bien in the MV “Cooking for you”. Photo: NVCC.

Revenue from the MV "Cooking for You" to support this noble cause comes from two sources: MV revenue on YouTube and audio versions on digital music platforms and social networks (Spotify, iTunes, Apple Music, TikTok, Facebook, Instagram,...).

On his fanpage, Den shared very specifically and transparently about the origin of the money, the evidence photos as well as the transaction photos made fans feel more secure and confident.

As of March 18 this year, Den has also publicly announced the revenue from the MV "Cooking for You" 3 times with a total of about 1.3 billion VND so that kind-hearted people can closely monitor.

Rapper Den Vau's real name is Nguyen Duc Cuong, born in Ha Long (Quang Ninh). His musical journey is very special. After graduating from high school, he went to work immediately and became a beach cleaner in Ha Long city (Quang Ninh), working in this profession for 7 years. But there was also a time when he took unpaid leave and opened a coffee shop with his younger brother to both make a living and meet people with similar interests. The shop was losing money, so he continued to work to earn money to maintain the shop, just to keep the joy. It was not until 2016 that he officially quit his job and closed the shop.

Likes to rap, write rap, and sing rap. 2009 was determined to be the first year Den came to rap. His first rap songs such as: "Dua nhau di tro", "Loi nho", "Tron tam", "Hai trieu nam"... were loved by friends and some people, which was the motivation for Den to delve deeper into music.

“I used to want a safe and stable life, so I chose to be a sanitation worker. Then I thought that society changes every day, and nothing is safe. When you boldly close one door, another will open. If you feel stuck, find another direction. Only when you feel comfortable can you do a good job,” Den once shared.

Den came to rap initially to express his feelings as a young man who longed to pursue music. The big turning point, which was decisive, was the time he and his friends traveled across Vietnam. At each stop, Den sang for everyone to listen.

And during that journey, Den was unexpectedly invited to sing in Hue. “That was the first time I performed on a professional stage and received a salary of 4 million VND. It was a very special impression because I had never received such a large amount of money before, and I never thought I could perform in front of an audience.”

Then one time when I went to Ha Giang, when I witnessed many people there who suffered more than me but were always smiling, that made Den realize many positive things and follow them.

Now, for Den, rapping is to "encourage himself and encourage everyone." Den's latest MV released on March 4 is "Music of the Forest" which revolves around a group of children going into the forest to plant trees and explore nature.

Composing a song about nature and the environment for the first time, Den wants to send the message: “A small but practical action of each person can also help protect the environment. Let's plant more trees together, contributing to greening the living space. Den thinks protecting the environment is also protecting the lives of each of us.”

Why did I choose the stage name “Den Vau”? It started with a story. Den said: “When I was little, a neighbor saw that I was black so she called me Den. When I started playing music, everyone called me Den Vau so I took it. It’s an ugly name so it’s easy to raise.”

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The "narratives" of Den Vau
* There is no general formula to get audience support for a song. Therefore, everything Den does is completely innocent, stemming from the desire to serve the community.
* People keep saying that Den is modest, but in reality, Den is not modest at all. Den knows what the audience and the public bring to him, otherwise he will forever be an internet phenomenon.
* Music changes every day and every hour. Sometimes after waking up one night, Den finds his music is very old.
* Den thinks that music that touches the audience's soul will be accepted. The audience will always support all artists with quality artistic products.
* Passion is something you should have and if you find a passion for yourself, find a way to pursue it, even if you have to worry about making a living, you should still spend some time and effort on it. You don't need to know where your passion will take you, but at least it will bring you joy. That joy is the energy that makes you excited about this life.

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