Why WOKEUP Should Be on Your Playlist

Musical roots

Vietnamese DJ and music producer WOKEUP has had a stellar year. Just a few days ago, the 23-year-old shared on his Facebook account a few impressive statistics: in 2024, the songs that he’s worked on pulled in 2.22 million listeners and 29 million streams, with a listening time of 1.52 million hours across 168 countries.

The numbers speak of the producer’s musicality—one that’s unafraid of experimentation and quite unconventional in its origins, at least for someone rising in the Vietnamese hip-hop and rap scene. 

“I grew up with music all my life—I studied piano when I was a kid. I always felt that I’ll pursue music [no matter what,]” he shares, adding that he also had lessons in classical music and jazz. While WOKEUP is inspired by a variety of music genres and artists, his love for hip-hop and rap shines through. “I was born in Hanoi, but I went to middle school and high school in the United States. I learned a lot from [my foreign classmates,] including hip-hop.”

WOKEUP only returned to Vietnam around four to five years ago. He considers himself still ‘new’ in the scene, learning more about his homeland’s culture and creative scene. Regardless, he’s built quite a reputation: he’s signed under S•HUBE, which nurtures the next big names in Vietnam’s music production scene. He’s collaborated with many of his fellow Gen Z artists and has produced music for one of Vietnam’s biggest rappers, Andree Right Hand. It was even reported before that he worked with a famous American rapper duo on an unreleased track, showing that he’s always keen on returning to his roots and expanding his repertoire.

Style and sound

In 2023, when WOKEUP joined Rap Viet, a popular talent search TV show, the music producer garnered even more fans for his fresh and ‘unique’ musical production style, influenced by his classical roots and Western rap and hip-hop. More interestingly, audiences swooned over his boyish charm, combined with stylish swagger. Vietnamese media have raved over how he carries a variety of looks, from edgy street style to the occasional polished suiting. 

“I’m a music producer, so I work with, listen to, and live with music 24/7. And whatever I’m listening to, I learn from the culture. I learn from the styles of rappers and singers, what they have on every day: from jewelry to clothing, to sneakers to hairstyles. And pretty much, hip-hop has impacted me, from my music to personal style,” he shares. “I believe that fashion and music always go hand-in-hand; my fashion reflects my music, which I would describe as energetic and contemporary.”

Recently, WOKEUP has been venturing outside of rap and hip-hop, dabbling into Vietnamese pop and electronic dance music. His dream collaborations in the future include working with Metro Boomin, an influential American record producer and songwriter in the fields of modern hip-hop and trap music. “[His music] is kind of my roots, so it would be great if I could get the chance to produce a track with him.”

In terms of representing Asia within the global cultural sphere, he looks at Nigo, a Japanese artistic director, DJ, and record producer who currently serves as Kenzo’s artistic director, for inspiration. “I look up to him a lot because he also ties with U.S. hip-hop. Nigo always reps Asian culture, even if he works with stars like Young Thug, A$AP Rocky, and Pharrell. It’s also one of my goals to push my music outside of Vietnam, and Nigo’s definitely one of the guys I’m inspired by.”

Shaping Vietnam’s creative scene

Though he’s only been in the Vietnamese industry for a few years, WOKEUP believes that the music from their side of Southeast Asia deserves more attention. “I think Vietnamese producers are very talented. They catch up quickly with the trends of the world, and they’re creative in incorporating Vietnamese elements and their own styles. There are many talented producers here, and I’m happy that more fans are recognizing them more in the music scene.”

WOKEUP couldn’t be more proud of riding this rising wave of young and cool Vietnamese culture. “I think Vietnam’s youth culture in recent years has seen a lot of changes and foreign influences. A lot of young people like myself have been doing things that the youth of five to ten years ago would not have imagined,” he notes, referring to changing attitudes in music culture, fashion, and even men’s beauty. 

It’s an exciting environment that WOKEUP himself is still learning more about, especially in Saigon. “This city is popping. The younger people like to be here! If you want to be in a creative and artistic environment, Saigon is the place to be,” he concludes.

Photography Nhu Khoi

Creative direction Vic Lee

Fashion Freddy Nguyen

VMAN SEA Fashion direction Rex Atienza

Grooming Xi Quan Le

Hair Quan Le

Vietnam Art direction Huy Hoang and Nguyet Duong

VMAN SEA Art direction Mike Miguel

Retouching Dam Thoai My

Video Minh Luan Nguyen

Production Artclass Vietnam

Fashion assistants Dieu Vy, Minh Tuan, and Tuan Anh

Support Thanh Sang and Pham Huy Hoang

Sittings editor Patrick Ty

On Location Doan Van Bo Apartment and Xom Chieu Market