The Renovation Generation

A chat with the Queen of Rap about music, spirituality and being a woman in hip hop. Over the last couple of years hip hop artist Suboi has emerged from the underground scene, where she has been active for a decade, to firmly establish herself in the mainstream conscious as a strong voice for her generation. And increasingly (aided by run-ins with Obama and the odd modeling gig with big brands) is making a name for herself in and out of Vietnam’s music industry. We met her by the river in Saigon for an afternoon of cà phê sữa đá and chit chat with her about writing music, building her own production company and what it means to be embracing being a female role model and fame.   Links Suboi Entertainment Suboi on Soundcloud Suboi on Instagram

A policy researcher and columnist’s post-ideological musings Kh?c Giang Nguy?n who was born and grew up in H? Chí Minh’s hometown firmly believes there is a need to give civil society more of a voice, but he also thinks this need not mean major political reforms as many an ideology has proven to be problematic once implemented. For our interview we went for a Sunday afternoon stroll around Hoàn Ki?m Lake followed by a coffee. We chatted about why how his personality and lack of connections make him unsuitable to be a politician, what happens when a people forgets to nurture its creative side and what is lost when written from one perspective only.   Links Giang’s blog – The Worldview of an Asian Giang’s VN Express column

A Hu?  based NGO worker bringing change to the shelter he grew up in For episode 17 we travelled to central Vietnam to talk Nh?t who lost his parents when he was young boy and had to move from a small village to Hu?. He now works at the shelter he grew up in and on a stroll around the city’s citadel we talked to him about countryside living, helping to improve the lives of children who suffered similar tragedies to his and finding success despite some academic set-backs.

Four teenagers trying to make sense of their identity, privilege and future. We invited four young women in their late teens for a chat over coffee and cake to find out what they think about privilege, not being taken seriously by the generation before them and their hopes for the future. Mia, Mai, Boba and Giang all come from families who have benefited from the possibilities that ??i M?i brought for some people in Vietnam. Access to international education, social opportunities and financial stability have shaped their young lives. When we met them they were studying abroad already or preparing to do so. Transcript For full transcript, click “Next”

Emo style icon and Internet artist on online popularity and personal struggles. Plaaastic is one of Vietnam’s most popular and successful online personas. She is a fashion blogger and Internet artist who has established herself as a queen of virtual emo. She lives in a part of the internet where Hello Kitty meets bondage fantasies and teenage souls find comfort in being weird. We spoke to her about the blurred lines between her art and commercial endeavor, how intense loneliness led to online success and getting married to a guy two weeks after meeting him. Links Plaaastic Blog Plaaastic Instagram Plaaastic Tumblr Plaaastic Facebook Plaaastic Lookbook Plaaastic Twitter Transcript For full transcript, click “Next”

A social activist/entrepreneur’s utopia of educational reform and communal living. Hoàng ??c Minh has over the last few years made a name for himself in the world of social and environmental activism and was selected by Forbes Vietnam as one of their 30 under 30s. We visited him to talk about his start up Wake It Up, how seeing people cry has decided his career path and being a child with many questions and few answers. Links Wake It Up Watch Vietnam Transcript For full transcript, click “Next”

Viral cartoonist and English teacher on retaining the joy in doing what you love. The cartoonist Xuân Lan has over the last few years amassed quite the online following. Her illustrations take their inspiration from her own life experience and she told us why that is one of the reasons she won’t turn drawing into a full-time career. We also chatted to her about getting giddy over being noticed by one of her idols, her process and why she would take a 21st century camera back to the bao c?p era. The episode was recorded live at Manzi Art Space in Hanoi.   Links Xuân Lan’s Facebook fan page Xuân Lan’s Hit Record profile Xuân Lan on Instagram Grant Snider’s Incidental Comics Zen Pencils Transcript For full transcript, click “Next”

Award winning music composer on adding depth to pop music and staying on message. We travelled to Ho Chi Minh City for episode 12 to grab a coffee with Lê ??c Hùng aka Mew Amazing, have him walk us through composing one of Vietnam’s greatest pop hits of 2016 and tell us what he would say to Drake if he ever met him. His big ambition is to put Asian voices on the global billboard charts and wishes he had started doing just that way earlier. Links Mew Amazing on Soundcloud Mew Amazing on Facebook Mew Amazing on Instagram Mew Amazing on YouTube Illustration by Nguy?n Hoàng Giang  Transcript For full transcript, click “Next”

Two ambitious academics and friends supporting each others non-conformity. In episode 11 we join the conversation of Trang and Mai, two aspiring PHD candidates, as they talk about reducing poverty, Vietnam’s masculinity crisis, and what they’d do with the power to change policies. Hai học giả tham vọng đồng thời là hai người bạn luôn hỗ trợ lẫn nhau . Trong tập 11, chúng tôi trò chuyện cùng Trang và Mai, hai nghiên cứu sinh, và nghe họ chia sẻ về việc giảm thiểu đói nghèo, khủng hoảng nam tính ở Việt Nam, và những việc họ sẽ làm để thay đổi các chính sách công. Transcript For full transcript, click “Next”

Café owner and poet on the struggle to find meaning in words and life. Nam Lu is known to Hanoi’s creative community as nonsensical poet, thoughtful photographer and the occasional quirky subject of friends’ artistic projects. He is the co-founder of both the Café Nhà Sàn and Tranquil, two of the capital’s most quiet caffeine oases. Over two long conversations we talked to him about his poetry, noticing the details that make certain objects special and certain individuals unique, and coping  with an inability to find meaning in life.   Links Tranquil Café Café Nhà Sàn Lu on Instagram Lu on Tumblr Transcript For full transcript, click “Next”

A wedding planner who doesn’t believe weddings equal happy endings. Our narrator Maia Do chats to Hoàng Anh about choosing an unusual career path, Disney princess’ fantasies, how hanging up mosquito nets can make or break a marriage and why a career in finance isn’t for everyone. Episode #9 was recorded in front of a live audience at the Women’s Storytelling Salon hosted at Manzi Art Space in Hanoi.   Links Hoang Anh’s blog The Women’s Storytelling Salon Transcript For full transcript, click “Next”

Danh is one of Hanoi’s coolest skaters and runs her own skate shop with her girlfriend. For this episode, we talked to her about starting a relationship online, learning from her parents’ street-side business successes and jail time failures, and how skating taught her the meaning of life. Also featuring her girlfriend Feng Wang.   Links 9813oard Shop Transcript For full transcript, click “Next”