HE strikes an imposing pose, clad in an all-black ensemble. With a flowing cloak topped with a fedora on his head that frames a shrouded face, enigmatic singer Yaph would turn heads in an instant.
The mysterious figure, who is also a rapper, songwriter and producer, said that the extensive "coverage" was done in the hopes of making his fans appreciate his music rather than concentrate on his features.
But the uncommon look would certainly pique the curiosity of many. Is he handsome, average-looking Joe, or disfigured?
Yaph, which stands for Yang Aku Panggil Hidup (What I Call Life), is confident that his illusive appearance will not be an obstacle to gaining even more fans.
"This is not a marketing strategy. I'm more comfortable with this appearance because I want people to appreciate my creative work more.
"It can be said that I am also an introvert, so if people say that I'm trying to hide my face, then it is true. Thankfully, fans respect my decision to have this facade.
"God willing, I am confident that with this appearance I can also attract fans to listen to my work," he said in a recent statement.
Yaph, who began his artistic career a few years ago, creates songs that span various genres, from hip-hop and ballads to traditional modern, spiritual and pop.
The artiste with a unique identity will be holding his third concert at RCD Big Studio in Shah Alam, Selangor, on Oct 26.
"Over the past two years, I have held two solo concerts, including several tour concerts. Praise be to God, all were full-house events with almost 3,000 attendees for all of the shows.
"This time, I want to bring my friends, who have been sharing the same struggle in producing music for more than seven years, to my concert. It's my way of showing appreciation to them.
"In addition to announcing this to my supporters, who were present that night, they are among my musical journey companions," he said.
The mysterious artiste will be sharing the stage with more than 20 other creative talents who have collaborated with him before. Their names will be announced at a later date.
During the upcoming concert, organised by Silent Set Entertainment, Yaph will also showcase a blend of traditional elements along with hip hop to provide a unique flavour to the proceedings.
Fans can expect more than 27 songs combining modern rhythms with a touch of local traditional components during the show.
"Each song is carefully selected to provide an extraordinary musical experience, reviving a rich cultural heritage with a fresh contemporary feel," Yaph said.
Led by young music director Aliff Redza, the live concert, titled "Yaph Dan Teman-Teman (Yaph and Friends)", will also feature the talents of Bunyi TX and 16 professional and traditional musicians from around Malaysia.
Silent Set Entertainment director Zulakid Aizat said the show was also aimed at providing a different entertainment concert option for Malaysians.
"Not only is Yaph a mystery, his supporters are also mysterious. Every time a show is organised, we eagerly await to see who the attendees are.
"We've had concertgoers from the early 20s age group to those who have reached the age of 55.
"The oldest listener of his songs we've come to know of is a 75-year-old uncle who works as a restaurant assistant at a leading higher education institution in the capital," said Zulakid.
Various activities during and before the concert, supported by the Communications Ministry and MyCreative Venture Sdn Bhd, will be held.
These include Adiguru traditional musical instrument programmes, poetry-writing workshops, zine creation and writing workshops, fashion design competitions, and more to be announced along the way.