And, for the love of Thor, do get there early for this one, Weekenders
Royal Palms is host to a music icon this Saturday, 25 June, as Rev Run, frontman of seminal hip-hop group Run DMC, hits the stage.
Rev has sold tens of millions of records worldwide and is widely credited for ushering rap music into mainstream culture. An inductee of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, Run DMC was named the greatest hip-hop artist all-time by both MTV and VH1. Describing his considerable impact, Rolling Stone said that they, “…took hardcore hip-hop from an underground street sensation to a pop-culture phenomenon, introduced hats, gold chains, and untied sneakers to youth culture. In the process, [Rev] helped change the course of popular music, paving the way for rap’s second generation.”
Rev remains a dynamic figure in entertainment today. His hit MTV show, Run’s House, has aired for six seasons and is one of the most widely viewed shows on cable television. He has written best-selling books and speaks around the globe on a breadth of family, religious, cultural, and music topics. Rev has nearly 2,000,000 followers on Twitter.
Music icon
A spokesman for promoters Mercury Group said that someone of the calibre of Rev Run coming to the island was huge.
“Simply put he is one of the biggest music icons of our generation, he and the other members of Run DMC created cross genre hip-hop. They also took hip-hop from a black underground music to the mainstream; his track with Aerosmith is still to this day one of the biggest songs that is played at any club.”
No doubt there will be plenty looking to walk this way when the Rev hits the stage at 6.30pm sharp, in the company of star DJ Mel DeBarge.
At just 25 years old, native New Yorker DJ Mel DeBarge has quickly established himself as a household name on the international party scene. Mel has emerged as a fixture at exclusive film, music, fashion, philanthropic, and private events with clients including Louis Vuitton, Armani, Calvin Klein, Carmen Electra, Missy Elliott, Heidi Klum, Kimora Lee Simmons, NBC and Vogue. A regular at America’s most recognizable nightclubs, Mel is a resident at New York’s Tenjune, Marquee, The Eldridge, and 1Oak. His encyclopedic knowledge of music allows him to draw on myriad influences as he fearlessly merges hip-hop, rock, soul, funk, disco, and reggae.
Despite growing up in a musical home and developing a deep understanding of the craft from his uncle – a skilled disco deejay – Mel never had visions of spinning records. While studying abroad in Japan, however, he began collecting records and reluctantly agreed to deejay a friend’s birthday party. Now, just four years later, Mel’s rise in the DJ sphere has been meteoric.
Called upon to play in nightclubs and to entertain at private and corporate parties around the globe, Mel has won critical acclaim for his technical skill, but he insists his success stems from something more personal. “I make sure my personality comes across in my performances. The personal connection with the audience is not only what I enjoy most about deejaying, it’s also the reason I keep the dancefloor full.”
Think ‘wow’
This is Mercury’s debut event on-island and they say they wanted to make a statement.
“We wanted people to be impressed and to really think, ‘wow’, Simply put Rev is a music legend.”
The group says it has identified Grand Cayman as a place that is desperate for well produced, well organised events with big names that people have heard of and who they want to see.
“Our event series is called One Time Only, as this is a one off event that won’t be repeated with this artist. Mercury Group is all about passion for putting on a show, whether it be a music concert, a fashion show, or a children’s soccer camp. Each partner strives to produce nothing but the best. We have had a lot of artists express an interest and we have agreements in principle for some major international artists in place already. We are just waiting to see what the feedback is like for this first event before we decide which direction to go in.
“Royal Palms is a great venue. In our opinion it is the biggest and best venue to give us the great beach event series that we are trying to create. Stunning beach, great logistics, and with their addition of the pool and Nikki Beach-esqe feel, it really does lend itself perfectly to events of this size and calibre.”
Other artists who have already agreed terms to come to Cayman are genuine megastars.
“The first has 12 Grammy awards and is one of the biggest soul/rnb stars of his generation, and the other is a rock n roll hall of famer that is synonymous with sex and amazing guitar riffs. To say they would both blow Grand Cayman away is an understatement.
“The success of the Alicia Keys concert in 2009 showed that people want to see big names here. The difficulty is getting the artists at a price that works, but because of the network that we have, we speak directly with the artist managers and in many cases the artists themselves, meaning that we are able to agree terms directly with them and make it work for both sides.”
Getcha ass down
The event starts at 3pm sharp, chaps, so getcha ass down in the sun to, well, getcha ass down in the sun.
VIP tickets cost $35 and include a sunset champagne toast, industry prices all day plus upstairs access and viewing. General admission is $15. Call 525-0555 for tickets or call in at Royal Palms.
Lineup:
3-4pm – Super C
4-5pm – Jeff James
5-6.30pm – DJ Alexi
6.30-8pm – Rev Run & Mel DeBarge
8pm – Close DJ Alexi – Jeff James
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