A ROOM full of young students at the Myanmar Institute of Theology waited impatiently last week for the arrival of their hero, 26-year-old hip hopper Sai Sai Kham Hlaing.

He was there to answer their questions, prepared in advance and relayed to him by young singer Raevakka Win like a live interview.

It was the first time the young rapper had ever given a talk on his successful life as a performer, and he anwered all the questions they put to him.

The young audience, who were waiting for a long hour before his arrival, gave him a big hand as soon as he entered the hall. The youths’ questions ranged from his dreams before he became a successful hip hopper to his dream for the future.

Then they asked him about his life before he became a successful singer, he said, “Since I was a teenager, I always dreamed of becoming a singer. The boys in my native town dreamt of becoming a famous singer like Lay Phyu and so did I. I never wanted to be anything else but be a singer.”

Sai said he hadn’t had too much difficulty on his path to success as a singer, but he had had to be patient, keep his focus on what he wanted to do and not let himself get depressed when things didn’t go the way he wanted.

He said, “My debut album sold only a thousand copies. In fact, it was very depressing. But I didn’t surrender. I know well I need patience before success comes. I want to encourage youths like me not to give up.”

He said that money follows success and success is really intoxicating.
“When you get success, most of the other things you want also fall into your hand. In fact success can really be stressful and some people thought me to be a champion. I have to admit that I also thought of myself to be a champion.

Whenever I think I am a champion, I can’t sleep well, overwhelmed with the thought of how to keep on being a champion. So I’ve made up my mind to do simply what I am able to do and not worry about what I can’t influence,” he said.
Sai told the young men that the most important thing was to be passionate about their dreams, that way leads to success.

He said, “If we don’t have a passionate commitment nothing great can be achieved. If we have that, we will automatically gain the strength, courage and idea to realise it.”

Sai Sai confessed that he had been heart-broken sometimes and that he had fallen in love with two girls at the same time but now he is not in love with any girls. And he had some advice about that too.

“Don’t build your life on love. If love collapses, your life will also fall down. So I suggest, build your love and life separately.”