Dean Van Nguyen

1 month ago | dublininquirer.com | Dean Van Nguyen

M(h)aol are a band partial to interruption and upheaval. The release of their exciting debut single “Clementine” was immediately followed by a five-year hiatus. More recent successes with their inaugural EP and first album have been followed by departures from the group’s line-up. This disorder is reflected in M(h)aol’s razorwire punk sound, which trades on a sense of edginess and commotion.

1 month ago | uproxx.com | Dean Van Nguyen

When attention turns to the Favorite Male Hip-Hop Artist category at this year’s American Music Awards, two names will stand out among the nominees like luminous beacons: Kendrick Lamar and Drake, bitterest of enemies, combatants in the most ubiquitous rap beef the culture has seen in a generation. To be clear, there should be no attempt to pitch the award as the next skirmish in Kendrick and Drake’s long-time conflict that escalated so rapidly last year.

1 month ago | irishtimes.com | Dean Van Nguyen

Not long ago, while skidding through the melodious hall of mirrors that is Spotify, I had the urge to play a half-decade-old EP by an independent Dublin rapper I’ve long been a fan of. But there was a snag. Upon arriving at their artist page, I found it was no longer available to stream. Searches of SoundCloud and other platforms yielded the same result. All traces of the EP seemed to have evaporated, as if the music had never existed.

1 month ago | lithub.com | Dean Van Nguyen

Lincoln Hospital, Mott Haven, the Bronx. Like many medical centers that serve America’s sprawling metropolises, this striking redbrick building is a sad temple in hip-hop history. On August 27, 1987, DJ Scott La Rock, producer and co-founder of Boogie Down Productions, died on an operating table after being shot while riding in a Jeep through the Highbridge Gardens project. The loss of La Rock has been called hip-hop’s first tragedy.

1 month ago | dublininquirer.com | Dean Van Nguyen

Meljoann has dined in Prince’s inner sanctum. She has drank from the teacup of Lady Gaga, and worn Rick James’s lightning-bolt suits. I’m sure these things are true. How else do you explain her ability to produce such bold, confident pop music? The maverick multi-instrumentalist abandoned Dublin in 2012 after the double blow of losing her job and home. She may or may not still be living in Brighton – recent details of her movements are scant, and her online presence is severely limited.