Saigon’s Own Suboi Making Headlines in America

Suboi, Saigon’s “Queen of Hip-Hop”, has been making international headlines this week in anticipation of her performance at one of America's largest music festivals.

The 24-year-old self-taught rapper, who has looked to American emcees such as Mos Def, Eminem and Rakim for lyrical inspiration, began to make her mark on the city’s small but growing hip-hop scene in 2010 with the release of her first album, Walk.

For the first time, Suboi has taken her persona and music abroad, making an appearance at the South by Southwest (SXSW) music festival in Austin, Texas last night. She was also the first Vietnamese artist to earn a coveted slot in the festival’s program.

One of the largest media festivals in the United States, encompassing music, film and interactive events, SXSW was headlined by some of the world’s most promising up-and-coming musical artists.

Despite her diminutive size, the American press has taken note of her presence and, earlier this week, a profile of Suboi made an appearance on the homepage of The Daily Beast, a popular American news website which won Webby awards in 2012 and 2013.

It’s great to see Vietnam exporting, rather than importing music (we’re looking at you, K-Pop).

We’ll catch up with Suboi when she gets back in town to get the lowdown on her American adventure and future plans.