A livestream by B Ray sparked controversy last week after he spontaneously performed a rap lyric widely criticized as 'insulting women'. Mason Nguyen, also present, was seen laughing and joking. Beyond criticizing B Ray, audiences reacted negatively to Mason, believing he was endorsing and encouraging his senior colleague's actions.
Mason Nguyen apologizes for the incident. Video: Tan Cao
"I apologize for my inappropriate behavior online, which caused distress to the audience," Mason said during a media gathering in TP HCM on 22/4. According to the rapper, when the incident escalated, he acknowledged his mistake in a social media post, but it failed to calm public opinion. In recent days, Mason has faced continued attacks from numerous accounts, including many distorting and slandering comments. This has impacted the brands the rapper is collaborating with. On 20/4, Mason Nguyen's team announced he would withdraw from events in Hai Phong (21/4) and Ha Noi (24/4) to avoid disrupting the programs.
The Gen Z rapper explained his laughter stemmed from getting into the rhythm of the music, not from a disrespectful attitude towards women. When B Ray performed, Mason, along with colleagues 24k.Right and Gill, hyped up the atmosphere to make it more vibrant. Swept up in the moment, he did not realize his senior colleague's rap lyric was problematic. "If only I had paused to observe. Had I noticed the sensitive lyrics, I would have offered feedback immediately," he stated.
Mason Nguyen shared that this incident taught him a significant lesson in his career. "I will learn from this experience regarding my behavior online and promise not to repeat it," he added.
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Mason Nguyen at the media gathering. He stated he would undergo further self-reflection before returning to personal projects. Photo: Tan Cao
As for B Ray, after receiving criticism, he hid the livestream. "I was wrong to use inappropriate lyrics. My thoughts were foolish. I apologize to the public, my colleagues, and related artists for involving everyone in this story," he said on 16/4. Nevertheless, many audience members commented that this is not the rapper's first controversy regarding uncivilized song lyrics. Currently, authorities have not commented on the incident. In 2024, the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Culture and Sports fined B Ray for performing the rap song 'De ai can' with lyrics deemed 'insulting and cursing women'.
Mason Nguyen, whose real name is Nguyen Xuan Bach, is 26 years old and hails from Ha Noi. He began his music career in the underground community. The rapper gained prominence after participating in Rap Viet season 4. A year later, Mason returned for Anh trai say hi 2025, reaching the finals. Many performances he participated in, such as Hermosa, Crazy, and Som muon thi, attracted millions of views. On 22/3, Mason Nguyen released the music video 'Vi vu', a collaboration with CongB.
MV 'Vi vu'. Video: Provided by artist
Tan Cao
