Hip Hop Don’t Stop 8 Pool Party.

Event Details

This event took place at Johnny Be Good, 67 Đường số 47, Thảo Điền, Thủ Đức, Ho Chi Minh City 700000, from 7 PM on 29 April 2023 until 1 AM on 30 April 2023. After a short break, Scientific Sound Asia brought Hip Hop Don’t Stop back for its eighth edition, this time turning the series into a free-entry pool party.

The event returned to Thảo Điền with a relaxed format built around Hip Hop, Funk and Breaks rather than a conventional late-night club programme. Johnny Be Good provided the poolside setting, giving guests space to swim, socialise and listen to six hours of music as the evening moved into the night.

Hip Hop remained at the centre of the series, but Funk and Breaks widened the musical direction for the pool-party edition. Old School foundations, party cuts, breakbeat pressure and underground selections all fitted naturally into a format designed to keep the atmosphere energetic without becoming overly formal.

DJ Psycho-UK, also known as Bearhead, handled the full musical programme from 7 PM until 1 AM. His formidable collection of Hip Hop and related records was played on the industry-standard Technics SL-1200 turntables, maintaining one of the strongest traditions associated with the long-running series.

The use of Technics SL-1200s continued the event’s connection with traditional Hip Hop DJ culture. Scratching, manual mixing and physical record selection remained part of the night rather than treating the DJ booth as simply a place to play digital files.

DJ Psycho-UK began DJing at the age of fourteen in East London using a pair of Soundlab DLP1 turntables and a four-track mixer. His musical background initially developed through Hip Hop before expanding into Acid House, Hardcore, Jungle, Drum and Bass, House and the wider underground club culture surrounding those scenes.

Growing up during the golden age of Hip Hop and the rapid development of British rave culture gave him a broad set of musical influences. Public Enemy, KRS-One and Run-DMC sat alongside DJ Hype, Carl Cox, Mickey Finn, A Guy Called Gerald, Leftfield, Portishead and Massive Attack in the music that shaped his early years.

That background made the eighth edition particularly suited to his broader collection. Hip Hop could remain the foundation while Funk and Breaks gave him room to move through different rhythms and periods without losing the identity of Hip Hop Don’t Stop.

The Breaks element also connected naturally with the older foundations of Hip Hop DJing. Breakbeats, drum sections and Funk records were central to the culture long before they became separate club genres, allowing the pool-party edition to explore those relationships without turning into a history lesson.

Funk provided another important bridge between classic records and later Hip Hop production. Strong basslines, live drums and rhythmic guitar parts could sit beside rap records and more contemporary cuts while keeping the atmosphere upbeat around the pool.

The pool-party setting gave the event a different character from earlier editions at venues such as The Lab, Sky 9 Bar, Lô 49 and Play Saigon. Instead of placing the entire focus on a conventional dancefloor, guests could move between the music, swimming and the social areas around Johnny Be Good.

There was no dress code, which was especially appropriate for an event built around a swimming pool. Guests were invited simply to arrive comfortably, enjoy the music and bring the same relaxed attitude that had become a recurring part of the series.

Towels were available to hire for 30,000 VND for anyone who decided to swim without bringing one. Guests were equally welcome to bring their own towels, keeping the poolside side of the event straightforward and accessible.

Entry itself was free, continuing the uncomplicated approach used at several earlier Hip Hop Don’t Stop editions. The intention was to make it easy for people to drop in, spend time around the pool and hear the music without adding unnecessary barriers to the night.

By its eighth edition, the series had developed a recognisable identity built around turntables, Hip Hop culture and relaxed events in different parts of Ho Chi Minh City. Each venue changed the surroundings, but the musical foundation remained consistent enough for the concept to survive those moves.

The Johnny Be Good edition also showed how easily that concept could adapt to a daytime-to-night pool environment. The same Technics-led approach that worked in bars and clubs could move outdoors without losing its emphasis on selection and traditional DJ technique.

Scientific Sound Asia’s wider activity connects these events with its radio station, events programme, DJ agency and music news. Hip Hop Don’t Stop remains part of that history by documenting the organisation’s long-running involvement with Hip Hop alongside House, Techno, Jungle and Drum and Bass.

The eighth edition therefore kept the format simple while giving it a new setting. DJ Psycho-UK supplied six hours of Hip Hop, Funk and Breaks on Technics SL-1200s, Johnny Be Good supplied the pool, and guests were free to dance, swim or simply enjoy the music.

Hip Hop Don’t Stop – 8th Edition brought the series back to Thảo Điền with free entry, Old School foundations, party cuts and enough breakbeat pressure to keep the poolside moving until 1 AM. With no dress code and towels available for anyone heading into the water, the event delivered one of the most relaxed versions of the series to date.