SEOUL, February 3 (AJP) - Vietnamese rapper 7dnight is emerging as a new talent in the hip-hop scene as his song "Không Sao Cả" gains popularity on social media, crossing borders from his homeland to his second home, South Korea.
The 23-year-old rapper has worked as a migrant laborer in South Korea for seven years, transporting steel at construction sites during the day while developing his rap skills at night. Despite a congenital condition that left him with only two fingers on his left hand, a result of both his paternal and maternal grandfathers' exposure to defoliants during the Vietnam War (1954–75), 7dnight did not let physical limitations hinder his ambitions.
His breakthrough came in November last year when he competed on "Rap Viet," the Southeast Asian country's audition show. Though he didn't win, his performance of "Không Sao Cả" on the show impressed many viewers. The track's melancholic yet uplifting melody, featuring Korean lyrics, quickly gained traction on social media. Không Sao Cả, which means "It's okay" in English, captures his struggles as a migrant worker in Korea.
On Jan. 14, the song topped Spotify's "Viral 50" chart for South Korea, which ranks the most viral and streamed songs. Its catchy hook and cross-cultural appeal caught the attention of several K-pop stars with members of NCT, Zerobaseone, and aespa's Karina uploading cover dances to it. On TikTok, more than 200,000 videos related to the song have been posted.
7dnight's lyrics in Không Sao Cả also reflect his resilience. "Having a disability definitely made work harder," he recalled. "But I always tried to stay positive. I had to work twice as hard to earn trust and recognition."
A devoted admirer of South Korean rapper Changmo, 7dnight credits him as his inspiration, expressing hopes of collaborating with him one day.
"I think I have something in common with Changmo in terms of rap and style overall. Especially the energy that flows when we rap, it's very alike."
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