American rapper Melly Mike will attend the boat races, or Pacu Jalur, event held in Tepian Narosa, Teluk Kuantan, Kuantan Singingi, Riau on August 20-24, 2025. Melly Mike's plan to come to Riau was sparked after his song "Young Black and Rich" was used in viral "aura farming" videos featuring the Pacu Jalur event.

The General Chair of the 2025 Pacu Jalur Committee, Werry Ramadhana Putera, said Mike reached out to the committee and expressed his interest to perform in Riau. "He feels that his song gained popularity because of Pacu Jalur," said Werry, as quoted by Antara on Thursday, July 10, 2025.

Melly Mike to Come to Riau

A 25-second testimonial video of Melly Mike also went viral on social media, with him expressing his enthusiasm to perform at the 2025 Pacu Jalur event. "What's up, Indonesia? This is Melly Mike, the creator of 'Young Black and Rich.' I'm an artist from the United States, and I will be traveling to Riau for the Pacu Jalur festival on August 20 to 24," said Melly Mike in the video.

While expressing his gratitude, Mike ensured that he would perform the viral song at the festival, before ending the short video with a greeting, "Salam Kayuah!"

Minister of Culture Fadli Zon said this is a pivotal moment to introduce the world to Indonesian culture. "Pacu Jalur is one of the long-standing and highly attractive cultural activities. The spontaneous paddling dance performed by children is very captivating to the public. This is the right time to revive such traditions," said Fadli Zon.

Melly Mike is a rapper from the United States. He is the singer of 'Gods Time,' 'Rent Free,' 'My Fault,' 'Down Fall,' and 'Young Black and Rich.'

Melly Mike's song went viral after the "aura farming" dance that showcased young dancers performing to the song during the traditional Pacu Jalur boat race. Many TikTok users from various countries made videos imitating the dance moves of the young performers on the distinctive long boats of Kuantan Singingi.

Linda Lestari, Yunia Pratiwi, Mila Novita, and Raden Putri Alpadillah Ginanjar contributed to the writing of this article

Editor’s Choice: The Rising Popularity of Pacu Jalur After Viral 'Aura Farming' Phenomenon

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