Nguyễn Thanh Tuấn was born on November 1, 1990. He is best known by his stage name JustaTee, though he was previously called JayTee. He is a Vietnamese musician who writes songs, raps, and creates music. JustaTee helped introduce R&B music to Vietnam through his work. His songs are admired for their unique sounds, simple and easy-to-understand lyrics, and lasting influence on listeners.
JustaTee started his music career in 2004 under the name JayTee. He was part of a group called Click Click Boom but later stopped rapping and focused on R&B in 2008. In 2010, he worked with Lil' Knight (LK) to form a group named LadyKillah. They released songs like "Người lạ nơi cuối con đường" and "Imma Heartbreaker," as well as a mini album titled Just-a-Tee. In 2011, JustaTee joined a music group called SpaceSpeakers. He released songs that won awards, including "Candle in the Wind," "Forever Alone," and "Bâng Khuâng."
Between 2014 and 2016, JustaTee focused less on music and worked in the restaurant industry while moving to the South of Vietnam. In 2016, he participated in a music show called Harmony of Light with BigDaddy. He returned to music in 2017 and released popular songs such as "I've Already Fallen Deeply for You," "The Crazy One," "Because of Love, I'll Charge Ahead," and "Going Home." These songs earned him many nominations and awards at events like the Zing Music Awards, Làn Sóng Xanh, and Cống Hiến. Since 2020, JustaTee has been a judge on the Cống hiến Rap Việt program. He also worked as a music director for the TV shows Anh trai "say hi" (2024) and Em xinh "say hi" (2025).
Life and career
Nguyen Thanh Tuan was born on November 1, 1990, in Hanoi. He has a large family, including parents who are not in the arts, along with siblings and relatives. Thanh Tuan said his parents did not support him pursuing art at first because he was very passionate about it in high school. They worried it might affect his studies. Later, when he had a clear plan for his passion, he convinced his parents to trust and support him. While living with his parents in an apartment in Hanoi, Thanh Tuan used his bedroom as both a recording studio and a workspace. He bought all the studio equipment by saving money from his performances. Thanh Tuan was accepted into the University of Technology, Vietnam National University, Hanoi. In the first season of Rap Việt, he revealed that he had stopped studying to focus on his passion for music.
Thanh Tuan began pursuing rap music while in school in 2004, using the stage name JayTee. He often used existing backing tracks from the Internet to perform. In 2005, JayTee joined Click Click Boom, Vietnam's first multi-member, multi-genre rap group. The group ended in 2008 because members had personal commitments. "Vô vọng" (Hopeless), a song he made with singer Emily, was his first rap song that brought him closer to his audience. He later said the song was "terrible." He stopped making rap music after realizing his voice was not "aggressive" or "edgy" enough. JayTee then switched to pursuing R&B, which he considers "a close relative" of rap and "raps very well with R&B."
In 2009, "Tik Tak" was JayTee's first R&B song. This song helped him meet and work with rapper Lil' Knight (LK). LK was someone JayTee felt compatible with during the songwriting process. Also in 2009, JayTee released "Luv U Hater" (featuring rappers Andree Right Hand, Lil' BK, and BigDaddy) and started using melodic rap for the diss track's chorus. He worked at the M4Me studio with rappers Rhymastic and Young Uno. On March 3, 2010, JayTee and LK formed the group LadyKillah under the management of rapper Mr. J (Jan Saker). They also co-founded a major R&B/Hip hop website in Vietnam. The song "Không tin một sớm mai bình yên" (featuring LK) helped JayTee reach a wider audience. From there, he released songs that reached high positions on Vietnamese music charts in 2010, such as "Người lạ nơi cuối con đường" (collaboration with LK) and "Imma Heartbreaker" (collaboration with Emily and LK).
JayTee worked with LK and male rapper Eddy Việt to release "K (Part 2)" and teamed up with Andree Right Hand to release "Wrong Bitch." On August 20, 2010, he changed his stage name to JustaTee, a name from a song he liked. He said, "When I was a rapper, I used JayTee. I changed my name to move into singing R&B and to mark a new chapter in my career." On the same day, JustaTee released his debut mini album Just-a-Tee, created with the M4Me music academy. The album had five songs: “Where's Mah Name” (featuring rapper Bueno and singer Mr. A), “Excuse Me” (featuring rapper Cá Chép), “Look at Me” (featuring singers P.A and Eddy Việt), “Imma Heartbreaker,” and “Play Girl” (featuring LK).
On October 31, 2011, SpaceSpeakers was founded, and JustaTee became a member. That year, he released songs like "Hoa sữa" (with Mr. A, music producer Touliver, and singer Kimmese), "Xin anh đừng" (with Emily and LK), and "Lonely Star" (with LK and P.A.). In 2012, JustaTee released "She Neva Knows," "Real Love" (featuring Kimmese), "Vụt tan" (featuring singer Soobin Hoàng Sơn), and "Người nào đó." He sang on "Tình cờ" (by Emily featuring LK), "Bật khóc" (by girl group B. Sily), and "Ngọn nến trước gió" (by LK featuring Andree Right Hand and Emily). Among these, "Candle in the Wind" quickly reached the top of the Zing MP3 music chart and won him the Rap Song of the Year award at the 2012 Zing Music Awards. In late 2012, he performed at the Underground Revolution hip-hop festival.
In early 2013, "Time Will Tell" by singer-songwriter and record producer Tiên Cookie was released, featuring JustaTee and BigDaddy. Later, JustaTee released "Forever Alone," an R&B song about a man embracing single life. The song became a hit and earned him the Song of the Year and R&B/Soul Song awards at the 2013 Zing Music Awards. In mid-2013, JustaTee began dating Trâm Anh, a popular influencer in Vietnam. He released "Lời nói dối chân thật" (with Kimmese), "Cuộc gọi cuối (Last Call)," and "Crying Over You" (with rapper Binz).
JustaTee became less active in the Vietnamese music scene between 2014 and 2017. In 2014, he moved from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City to "build a solid foundation." He said he ran restaurants and cafes to cover his expenses. Later, he returned to Hanoi because life in Ho Chi Minh City was difficult. That year, JustaTee released "Bâng khuâng," a song that won him the Favorite R&B/Soul Song award at the 2014 Zing Music Awards. He also collaborated with singer Trịnh Thăng Bình in the concert program "Tôi tỏa sáng" on VTV9. In 2015, JustaTee sang on "Shine Your Light" by singer Min from St.319 Entertainment, worked with BigDaddy on "2AM," and with singer Toc Tien and BigDaddy on "The Beat of Celebration."
In 2016, JustaTee joined BigDaddy in the second season of the program Harmony of Light as contestants. By the fifth live show in February 2016, they performed a new song, "Coming Home for Tet," on the program and later released it online. However, at the seventh live show, the duo JustaTee and BigDaddy were eliminated from the program. The song "Dancing on the Moon" was released in 2016.
In early 2019, JustaTee produced "Anh là ai" for Phương Ly. He then released "Bài Hát Mới" in 2020.
Artistry
JustaTee is influenced by songs from the United States, where R&B music originated. He enjoys listening to American songs to study how artists create their music. He especially admires artists like Michael Jackson and Usher, who have taught him about songwriting, emotions, and unique styles. He also likes artists such as Taylor Swift, Justin Timberlake, Jay-Z, Alicia Keys, Brian McKnight, and R. Kelly. In Vietnam, he was inspired by Bằng Kiều’s music, especially the song "Trái tim bên lề" (Heart on the Sidelines), which he wanted to perform at karaoke. In Korea, he was impressed by the demo song "Leaked Song" by Brave Brothers and the group Big Bang.
JustaTee is one of the first artists in Vietnam to explore and define the R&B and melodic rap genres. He finds rap more challenging than R&B because of its use of wordplay, puns, and metaphors, while R&B focuses on expressing emotions through rhythm and pitch. This is why he prefers R&B, as it allows him to convey more feelings through music. Since R&B was introduced to Vietnam, he studied it carefully to learn how to compose songs in this style. Because of his work, he is called the "R&B guy," as his music best represents the true sound of R&B in Vietnam. Early in his career, his R&B music was not popular in Vietnam, where ballads and lively pop songs were more common. Later, songs like "Đã lỡ yêu em nhiều" and "Thằng điên" became popular and made him a trendsetter.
In the early stages of his career, JustaTee had a simple image and created music with straightforward, sincere lyrics. This style influenced younger listeners because it was easy to enjoy. He often worked with artists like Kimmese, Mr. A, Emily, and Soobin, choosing collaborators based on their strengths. He creates music in many styles and tones to make his songs diverse in both sound and emotion.
As an underground artist, JustaTee did not focus on expensive studio equipment. He said basic tools were enough because his music did not need to become mainstream. He learned music production and songwriting on his own without formal training, but he still achieved technical skill. His songs often include English lyrics because of his love for foreign music, and he believes this choice fits well with his style.
JustaTee is known for creating popular advertising music, with songs like "Về nhà ăn Tết" (Come Home for Tet), "Đi về nhà" (Go Home), and "Mlem Mlem" becoming his most famous works. He believes advertising music can be as good as regular songs. When he returned to music in 2017, he worked on advertisements and described the process as taking 4 to 5 days of intense thinking, searching for melodies and lyrics like a miner looking for gold. He compared the process to "musical torture."
During the production of Rap Việt season three and Anh trai "say hi", JustaTee had a 20-meter studio in his home in Ho Chi Minh City. He created hip hop songs and other genres. He found Anh trai "say hi" challenging because he had to write music for 30 contestants with different styles. Both Rap Việt and Anh trai "say hi" were successful, reaching the top of music charts. Some artists from these shows, like Rhyder and Pháp Kiều, became well-known in Vietnam. However, Nam Tran of Tri Thuc noted that JustaTee sometimes struggles to create a unique personal style, as he focuses on making his music easy to listen to and catchy. Producing many songs quickly sometimes led to songs that were not fully developed.
JustaTee admits that his singing voice is a challenge for R&B in Vietnam. He does not have the strong, wide vocal range or advanced techniques used by international artists. R&B requires skills like breath control, high notes, and flexibility with musical notes, which are hard to achieve without professional training. His voice was once criticized as too thin and unprofessional. To improve, he focused on backing vocals, which became a key part of his style. In the first season of Rap Việt, Binz said that any song hook with JustaTee’s vocals was a lucky addition.
Cultural status
JustaTee avoids controversies to improve his image in Vietnam's entertainment industry. He once said that news and stories about life target the audience's curiosity. He compared it to a double-edged sword, saying that overusing it can cause harm. After entering mainstream music, JustaTee faced criticism from the underground community for "losing his essence." He spent many years being stuck between underground and mainstream music. Later, he stopped focusing on image. He shared with WeChoice that although he doesn't consider himself underground, his lifestyle and music remain strongly connected to the underground scene. When R&B became popular in Vietnam, JustaTee was seen as a pioneer for making the differences between underground and mainstream music less clear. He inspired young artists with his love for music.
At the start of his career, JustaTee made music in a relaxed and emotional way. Later, he realized that art requires money. He tried to get sponsorship from brands to fund music videos but was rejected. Because of this, he focused on business from 2013 to 2017, becoming less active in music. He did this not only to earn money for his projects but also because he wanted to start businesses. He made the music video "I've Already Loved You So Much" with his own money and said he was willing to spend 2 to 3 times the cost of the project. After this period, he moved to Ho Chi Minh City to balance business and music. He opened 16 businesses with friends, including restaurants, cafes, and bubble tea shops, such as the Thai restaurant Chai Talay and the bubble tea shop Aroi.
In 2015, he worked with the Cornetto ice cream brand as a judge for the "Shake It Off" competition and won tickets to see Taylor Swift's concert in Singapore. JustaTee is one of the Vietnamese artists who actively writes songs and makes music videos to promote brands. After gaining fame with "I've Fallen in Love with You So Much," he began working with brands more often. In the video "Going Home for Tet," he advertised the Samsung Galaxy J7 Prime phone. Many of his songs promoted brands, including the video game Arena of Valor, the digital banking app ViettelPay, the video game OMG 3Q, the spice brand Chin-su, the food delivery company Baemin, the mineral water brand Lavie, the beer brand Heineken N.V., the courier company J&T Express, the video game Rise of Kingdoms, and the baby care product brand Chicco.
In 2022, JustaTee was the first artist to join the Music for Your Smile Project. Through this project, he released the song "Em không lẻ loi" (I'm Not Alone) to raise awareness about child abuse and support children in difficult situations. He also encouraged people to help orphans affected by the COVID-19 pandemic in Vietnam through the Saigon Children's Charity CIO.
Personal life
JustaTee began to like Nguyen Tram Anh during a music event. At that time, both were present at the same location for filming, and their meeting was short, with only two greetings exchanged. Tram Anh appeared in JustaTee's music video "Last Call" as the female lead. They married in March 2018 after dating for five years.
After their marriage, Tram Anh gave birth to their first daughter in October 2018. She was named Cici (Nguyen Anh Chi). In February 2021, JustaTee and Tram Anh had a son named Mino (Nguyen Anh Minh). As of June 2023, JustaTee owned a large house in Tay Ho, Hanoi, and a five-story villa in Ho Chi Minh City.