Suboi


Hàng Lâm Trang Anh, known by her stage name Suboi, is a Vietnamese rapper, singer, and songwriter.
Raised in Saigon, where she lives, Suboi is the first Vietnamese female rapper to become successful in her country and is considered Vietnam's queen of hip hop.

Biography

Suboi’s mother was an office worker at the Australian consulate in Saigon, and her father worked as a factory manager. Suboi reveals that she used to be a shy girl who spent a lot of her time on words and composing ridiculous poems.
Suboi gained her onstage name during middle school, “Su” being her nickname at home and “boi” given to her by friends due to her tomboy nature. Growing up, she was a rebellious teenager who "got involved with some bad people" but turned to music for guidance.
She became a fan of hip hop music at the age of 14 and improved her English by listening and rapping along to famous American rappers such as Eminem. At the age of 15, she started hanging out with a lot of people whom she now considers lots of bad guys, which made her parents worry about her and therefore always keep an eye on her. She chose to have a music career because it made her feel safe. She was also interested in skateboarding, and accepted the invitation to join a nu-metal band covering Linkin Park’s songs. She then quickly became a well-recognized and respected rapper from the Vietnamese underground scene.
Suboi used to work as an English teacher and a clown in children’s birthday parties to pursue her passion for rap. She believes the main elements that make a successful rapper are to never give up, listen to others, take advice, and learn. From the first days of her career, Suboi had difficulties finding her own message to audience and forming her own style. Her family and the audience’s preconception that rap is only for men were two big challenges to the very first Vietnamese female rapper. Though her parents support her now, they didn’t want their daughter to be a tomboy who always listened to rock, rap and read lyrics on beats.
At the age of 17, her talent was noticed even more so as she accompanied fellow rapper, Rapsoul, to Music Faces’ recording studio to record his track. However, it was her vocals that were noticed by the producer which then led to an invitation for her to join the record label.
Her mainstream recognition grew when she was invited to rap on Vietnamese pop star Ho Ngoc Ha's chart topping singles "My Apology" and "Girls' Night" in 2009.
At the age of 20, she debuted her album WALK in August 2010 which it was well received by her loyal fan base and music critics in Vietnam. After leaving her record label Music Faces in 2012, she began her own company, Suboi Entertainment, and released her second studio album entitled RUN in 2014 with beats produced by both local Vietnamese producers as well as international producers from the United States and England.
Suboi was invited to perform at CAAMFest 2014, the largest Asian American media showcase in the United States; however, she couldn’t come to the U.S since she had trouble getting her visa. Instead, she made her debut to America on March 13, 2015, co-headling with Awkwafina, a female rapper from New York. She also made her debut as actress in CAAMFest 2015, which was held in San Francisco, in "Hollow", a horror movie directed by Ham Tran. The film became a box office hit and led to her first starring role in 2016's "Bitcoin Heist", a Vietnamese heist film also directed by Ham Tran.
In 2015, she was invited to perform an official showcase at South by Southwest becoming the first Vietnamese artist ever to be officially invited by the festival. She performed to rave reviews and in 2016, she was invited back to perform at SXSW for the second year in a row.
By 2016, Suboi was rebuilding her musical career after what she considered a creative lull. She released her new single entitled "Doi" early in the year, emphasizing a "dark beat" which she had been reluctant to release earlier in her career.
On May 25, 2016, Suboi came to immediate international media attention after rapping for President Barack Obama at a Q&A session with young leaders in Ho Chi Minh City. The brief exchange between Suboi and the US President prompted him to reflect on the history of rap music and the importance of art to a nation.

Artistry

Suboi’s favorite kinds of music range from rock, rap to chamber music. Influenced by Eminem, Snoop Dogg, Linkin Park, Aaliyah, Kendrick Lamar among many others, her versatile rap style ranges from a laid-back delivery similar to Snoop Dogg to a fast paced style like Eminem. Asked about her style, she states "I can't pinpoint a particular style or artist but I'm a fan of Mos Def, Da Brat, Snoop Dogg, Aaliyah, Foxy Brown and the newest one Azealia Banks. I also enjoy everything nice from Norah Jones, Bob Marley, Erykah Badu, to German artist Kool Savas, Xavier Naidoo... all of these artists' music have played a very important role in my personal life."
She is able to rap in both English and Vietnamese, making her unique from most rappers in Vietnam. Her lyrics are typically introspective yet outspoken and deal with family, love, social pressures, and daily life in Vietnam.

Discography

Studio albums