Illustration by Trịnh Lập

By Nguyễn Mỹ Hà

The inauguration of the National Innovation Center (NIC) under the Ministry of Planning and Investment in Hoà Lạc Hi-Tech Park recently cemented innovation as society’s driving force.

A series of events have been held at the NIC recently, including the Vietnam International Innovation Expo 2023, the Technology Experience, an e-sport tournament, TEAM activities for high school students, the Gala for Better Choice Awards votes, and the Car Choice Awards.

During the gala, top honours were awarded to Việt Nam’s latest products by leading brands including Viettel, Win/Winmart and FPT. At the gala, a newcomer from the third season of the Rap Việt competition Double2T performed his huge hit À Lôi. It was a roaring success.

The show also featured another top rapper Đen Vâu, whose music videos go viral on YouTube every time he releases them. Đen Vâu started as a barefoot rapper with catchy tunes, great flow, and meaningful lyrics.

Having not once spent a day at any school or college, both rappers have managed to lead the country’s youth to have a positive attitude and good viewpoints on life.

Both Double2T and Đen Vâu are hugely influential rappers who are just as comfortable lending their backing to a government-supported event, as inspiring the youth to have good values and to respect one another. As I have written on these pages before, modern rap music can have good impact on society and be a force for lasting change, especially with these impressive young men at the helm.

High school and college students now go crazy every time Đen Vâu and Double2T perform: they know their songs and sing along with the rhythmic beats, while the raps are often a lesson in patriotism, family love, and gender equality

This type of performing art, which once was considered underground or street-style now catches the attention of the established music world, the education authorities, and even the President. A few weeks ago, Đen Vâu performed one of his hits for him, Cooking for You, a song about Đen making for his woman, which hints at gender equality.

Never before has underground music and the country’s top leadership met with common goals to train and appeal to young people to engage in good deeds and meaningful lifestyles.

It’s hard to believe that these rappers today with their music videos can do the jobs of both the Ministry of Education and Training and the National Assembly’s Committee for Youths and Teenagers. But it seems they can.

While Đen Vâu is famous for his hit “2 million years” about his solitude among the immense ocean, during his years working in Hạ Long Bay, Double2T, an ethnic Tày from the mountains of Tuyên Quang Province, has made everyone learn a few words in his native language, bridging an understanding between city and remote mountainous communities.

Their influence on the public can make one think of a digital era Sơn Tinh (Mountains Genie) and Thuỷ Tinh (Water Genie).

But they today would not engage in a battle to win any princesses' nod for marriage. Instead, they work together to win the millions of hearts of beautiful girls, as like Double2T does when he shouts out to his fans when he raps, thus steering them to lead positive and meaningful lives.

This year, as Teachers’ Day [November 20] celebrations were held across the country to pay tribute to our teachers, many of them were still underpaid, working long hours in overcrowded classrooms in secluded and impoverished communities. While the official work-week lasts for five days, high school teachers still have to work on Saturday, a full day that others have off.

To better help the teachers have a day off, have some rest or run their family errands, students at school can just put on some of Đen Vâu or Double2T hits and have easy lessons in morale as well as fun and happy time.

Teachers can come back to school fully charged and renewed, and the students can take in new knowledge. School must be a place where teachers and students establish long bonds that they will be fond of later in life. VNS