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DMC kicked off the three-day extravaganza organised by Jam Up at Virgin Megastore at City Centre Bahrain, where he posed for photographs, signed autographs and chatted with his devoted followers.
Down-to-earth and easy to talk to, he warmly motioned for people to come closer and gave the sense that he was familiar with each and every one of his fans, which proved to be refreshing and engaging.
People of all ages came to the signing, in which DMC was joined by local DJ and producers Flipperachi and DJ Outlaw.
Ron Lee, a visitor from neighbouring Oman, came to the meet-and-greet on short notice for a sweet outcome. “I just happened to look at GulfWeekly that morning and saw that he was going to be here. I figured I would come check him out while I was visiting Bahrain. I’ve been a fan of his music for a long time and loved King of Rock,” he said.
Even people who were born decades after the introduction of Run DMC’s rap-rock hip hop genre came to show their admiration. Since the younger fans aren’t always able to attend concerts, it was great to have other outlets for them to engage with the star.
St Christopher’s School student Hamzah Malik, 13, from Saar, said: “I’m so excited to meet him, say hello and shake his hand.”
He thought the ‘meet-and-greet’ event was ‘the next best thing’ to attending a show. He added that he looked up to the star so much that he even donned the DMC look when he was in Grade 6.
One of the most fascinating aspects about having a musical icon like DMC in the kingdom is that it attracts all kinds of audiences. A universal love of hip hop lives passionately through fans of the genre around the globe.
Santiago Belza, 26, a basketball coach in Bahrain, said: “This is an awesome experience. I’m from Argentina and I cannot believe that I’m meeting a legend like him here in Bahrain. You don’t get to meet guys like him every day.
“His music will still be alive as long as the listeners keep passing it down the generations. I’m not as much of a fan of rap nowadays. To me, the old hip hop is the best.”
One of the most memorable moments was when a bearded man crept through the crowd with his face hidden behind a stack of flyers for the event. He snuck in carefully and once he made it to the side of the staged area, he humbly revealed his identity.
To everyone’s surprise, Jam Up’s previous star performer and lead guitarist of Guns N’ Roses, Ron ‘Bumblefoot’ Thal, made it back to Bahrain to support his fellow artist and friend DMC. The two shook hands and hugged with giant smiles on their faces, which added a nice touch to the evening.
DMC took his time with each fan and made sure everyone left with a signature and a smile. And, for those who didn’t have a ride home right away, sponsors UBER had representatives ready and waiting to sign them up for an introductory offer of whisking them home in a luxurious cab ride.
Organisers of Jam Up say they have been supported by the Faieq AlZayani Company.
