American rapper DMC, formerly of legendary band Run DMC, was warmly welcomed by the audiences in HCM City.

VietNamNet translates an interview with American rapper DMC (Darryl Matthews McDaniels) from VNExpress.

How does it feel to making your first trip to Vietnam?

I arrived in HCM City on January 22. I couldn’t avoid feeling strange in my first moments in the airport. But, after going downtown, I see everything is just like New York, except for the huge number of motorbikes.

On my first day, I had a show at the Hard Rock Café. On January 23 evening, I performed at the Bounce hip hop club. It was a big surprise to young fans’ frenetic cheering. I also spent some time shopping at the big shopping malls where many Vietnamese people smiled and said hello to me.

What do you think about the shows on January 22-23?

I thought “Vietnamese audiences are wonderful!”. I’m thinking of returning to have five or six shows or organize one big show, not only in HCM City but also in Hanoi. I didn’t have the chance to see Vietnamese hip-hop artists but I believe that it would be great if we could perform together.

Why did you choose hip hop?

For myself, hip hop is not a genre of music. It is culture. Each hip-hop song is a true story telling others who I am, where I am from, what I do, what I love and what I hate. Hip hop connects everybody together and it rubs out the border of race and skin colour. I can show myself through hip hop.

Vietnamese youngsters like hip hop some people believe that it isn’t always the best influence. What’s your take?

It is wrong to think that hip hop goes with violence, adventure and revenge. People shouldn’t copy stars to what they see on TV. You should bring your own passions and creativeness to hip hop. Get into it in a way that makes your life healthier.

What is your music plan in 2010?

I’m going to release album The King DMC, a story about the origin of music of black people. The visit to Vietnam inspires me with its contrast of different cultures. I hope in the future, I can write many more songs with real meaning.

What do you see for the development of hip hop in the future?

If you look at hip hop from the angle of the music business and the imitation among performers, its development is being threatened. But hip hop will develop strongly if we don’t see it as a product for sales, but an interesting way of showing passion and bringing people near ertogether.

Hip hop is often close to the young, why it is attractive to you?

The frequent appearance of young hip hop artists on TV makes people forget that 85 percent of hip-hop performers are over 35. Actually, hip hop and music don’t have age.

VietNamNet/VNE