The rapper urged everyone to stay calm and wait for a transparent explanation from Hoang Hoa Trung amid financial concerns.

Den Vau is known as one of Vietnam’s top rappers and songwriters, famous for his simple yet philosophical and humanistic musical style. 

As a pioneer in bringing Rap/Hip-hop into mainstream Vietnamese music, Den Vau has continuously broken view records on YouTube and digital platforms. He has received many prestigious awards such as Cong Hien (Dedication Award), Lan Song Xanh (Green Wave), and WeChoice Awards.

He is also one of the artists with notable charity activities, particularly in education and community projects. The controversy over ‘Nuoi em’, in which Den Vau is a donor, has attracted strong public attention.

Recently, a Threads account posted a long message describing how a person received unsatisfactory responses when raising questions about the project.

The individual asked: Why does ‘Nuoi em’ still use a personal bank account to receive donations? Why is the donation account authorized to staff members? If there is inflated reporting or misappropriation, how will issues be resolved if ‘Nuoi em’ has no accounting or auditing?

The post received many comments from people who support the ‘Nuoi em’ project. Most questioned the project’s financial transparency.

Only a supporter

Den Vau said he was saddened by the information circulating about the project he has supported for years. The rapper emphasized that he and his team only contribute materially and spiritually like many other donors. 

Every year, he sends funds to support meals for children in the highlands. This money comes from his personal finances, not from the revenue of “Nau an cho em.”

He stressed that he is not a founder, and does not manage, operate, or make decisions regarding the project’s budget. His contributions come from trust in people and a desire to spread kindness within the community.

Den Vau said that the inspiration to write “Nau an cho em” came from the project and a field trip to visit the children in the highlands.

All revenue from the song was given to charity, not only to ‘Nuoi em’ but also to other programs run by government agencies and organizations. 

The rapper promised to repost all transfer receipts. After one month of release, the song generated $17,951 (nearly VND420 million) after taxes and fees. Den Vau rounded the amount to VND500 million and sent it to the project.

Den Vau said he understands the public’s frustration. Since donations come from hard-earned labor, if the allegations are true, the resulting loss of trust would be devastating. However, he urged everyone to wait for a transparent explanation from the ‘Nuoi em’ team before drawing conclusions.

He noted that if authorities identify any violations, he will support full accountability to protect donors and, most importantly, the children. Regardless of the outcome, he hopes that compassion and kindness toward vulnerable communities will continue to thrive among Vietnamese people.

Response from ‘Nuoi em’ team

The ‘Nuoi em’ project, founded by Hoang Hoa Trung in 2014, connects donors with students in remote highland areas by supporting their daily meals at a cost of VND8,500 per meal. Each year, each donor contributes VND1,450,000 (VND150,000 per month for nine school months plus VND100,000 for facilities).

Since December 6, social media has circulated posts questioning the project’s financial transparency. Several accounts reported discrepancies, duplicated child sponsorship codes, missing updates, and unclear fund allocation.

A donor from HCMC who has sponsored a child for three years since 2022 said she transferred VND1,450,000 annually to Hoang Hoa Trung’s account. She was upset after seeing images of meals lacking nutrients, often only vegetables, a little egg, and rice. She also noted that her sponsored child changed from a boy to a girl in the third year without prior notification.

On December 7, Hoang Hoa Trung posted an update acknowledging community concerns. He said that after receiving the information, the team held an emergency meeting with key members to review and verify details.

The project is currently gathering information to provide a comprehensive report and address questions. Nuoi em has identified 13 issues raised by the community. Hoang Hoa Trung said that with transparency and responsibility, the project is ready to provide clear, complete information. 

Tinh Le