Run-DMC

Run-DMC (also spelled Run-D.M.C.) was an American hip hop group from Hollis, Queens, New York City, founded in 1983 by Joseph Simmons, Darryl McDaniels, and Jason Mizell. Run-DMC is regarded as one of the most influential acts in the history of hip hop culture and one of the most famous hip hop acts of the 1980s. Along with Beastie Boys, LL Cool J and Public Enemy, the group pioneered new school hip hop music. The group was among the first to highlight the importance of the MC and DJ relationship.

With the release '' Run-D.M.C.'' (1984), Run-DMC became the first hip hop group to achieve a Gold record. ''Run-D.M.C.'' was followed with the certified Platinum record ''King of Rock'' (1985), making Run-DMC the first hip hop group to achieve this. '' Raising Hell'' (1986) became the first multi-platinum hip hop record. Run-DMC's cover of "Walk This Way", featuring the group Aerosmith, charted higher on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 than Aerosmith's original version, peaking at number four. It became one of the best-known songs in both hip hop and rock. Run-DMC was the first hip hop act to have their music videos broadcast on MTV, appear on ''American Bandstand'', be on the cover of ''Rolling Stone'', perform at Live Aid and be nominated for a Grammy Award.

In 2004, ''Rolling Stone'' ranked Run-DMC at number 48 in its list of the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time. In 2007, they were named The Greatest Hip Hop Group of All Time by MTV and Greatest Hip Hop Artist of All Time by VH1. In 2009, Run-DMC became the second hip hop group (first being Grandmaster Flash & the Furious Five, 2007) to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. In 2016, the group received the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. In 2018, ''Raising Hell'' was inducted into the National Recording Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically, or artistically significant".

History

Early career

The three members of Run-DMC grew up in Hollis, Queens. As a teenager, Joseph Simmons was recruited into hip hop by his older brother, Russell, who was then an up-and-coming hip hop promoter. Simmons appeared onstage as a DJ for solo rapper Kurtis Blow, who was managed by Russell. Known as "DJ Run, Son of Kurtis Blow", Simmons soon began performing with Kurtis Blow. Previously, McDaniels had been more focused on athletics than music, but soon began to DJ after purchasing a set of turntables. Simmons convinced McDaniels to start rapping, and though McDaniels would not perform in public, he soon began writing rhymes and was known as "Easy D."

Simmons and McDaniels started hanging around Two-Fifths Park in Hollis in the late-1970s, hoping to rap for the local DJs who performed and competed there, and the most popular one known to frequent the park was Jason Mizell, then known as "Jazzy Jase". Mizell was known for his flashy wardrobe and b-boy attitude, which led to minor legal troubles as a teen. Thereafter, he decided to pursue music fame and began entertaining in the park soon after. Eventually, Simmons and McDaniels rapped in front of Mizell at the park, and the three became friends. Following Russell's success managing Kurtis Blow, he helped Run record his first single, a song called "Street Kid." The song went unnoticed, but despite the single's failure, Run's enthusiasm for hip hop was growing. Simmons soon wanted to record again—-this time with McDaniels, but Russell refused, citing a dislike for D's rhyming style. After they graduated from high school and started college in 1982, Simmons and McDaniels finally convinced Russell to let them record as a duo, and they recruited Mizell (who was now known as Jam Master Jay) to be their official DJ. The following year, in 1983, Russell agreed to help them record a new single and land a record deal, but only after he changed McDaniels' stage name to his favourite car company, Delorean Motor Company 'DMC', and marketed the group as "Run-D.M.C.", a name that the group hated at first. DMC said later, "We wanted to be the Dynamic Two, the Treacherous Two — when we heard ''that'' shit we was like, 'We're gonna be ruined!' "

The group's name used Joseph Simmons's DJ name, DJ Run. It was combined with several letters from Darryl McDaniel's name. (DMC can also stand for "Devastating Mic Controller.")

After signing with Profile Records, Run-DMC released their debut single " It's Like That/Sucker MCs", in late-1983. The single was well received, peaking at #15 on the R&B charts. The trio performed the single on the New York Hot Tracks video show in 1983. Emboldened by their success, Run-DMC released their eponymous debut album '' Run-D.M.C.'' in 1984. Hit singles such as "Jam-Master Jay" and "Hard Times" proved that the group were more than a one-hit wonder, and the landmark single "Rock Box" was a groundbreaking fusion of raw hip hop and hard rock that would become a cornerstone of the group's sound and paved the way for the rap rock subgenre movement of the 1990s.

Run-DMC's swift ascension to the forefront of rap with a new sound and style meant that old-school hip hop artists were becoming outdated. Along with pushing rap into a new direction musically, Run-DMC changed the entire aesthetic of hip hop music and culture. Old school rappers like Afrika Bambaataa and Melle Mel of Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five tended to dress in the flashy attire that was commonly attributed to glam rock and disco acts of the era: tight leather, chest-baring shirts, gloves and hats with rhinestones and spikes, leather boots, etc. Run-DMC discarded the more glam aspects of early hip hop fashion (which were later readopted in 1990 by more "pop" rappers like MC Hammer and Vanilla Ice) and incorporated a more "street" sense of style such as Kangol hats, Cazal glasses, leather jackets, and unlaced Adidas shoes. The group's look had been heavily influenced by Mizell's own personal style. When Russell Simmons saw Jay's flashy, yet street b-boy style; he insisted the entire group follow suit. Run said later:

That embrace of the look and style of the street would define the next 25 years of hip hop fashion.

''King of Rock'', ''Raising Hell'' and mainstream success

After the success of their first album, Run-DMC looked to branch out on their follow-up. The release of ''King of Rock'' in 1985 saw the group furthering their rap rock fusion on songs like "Can You Rock It Like This" and the title track; while "Roots, Rap, Reggae" was one of the first rap/dancehall hybrids. The music video for the single "Rock Box" was the first ever hip hop music video to be broadcast on MTV and received heavy rotation from the channel. The song was the group's most popular hit at that point and the album was certified platinum. Run-DMC performed at the legendary Live Aid benefit shortly after ''Rock Box'' was released.

In late-1985, Run-DMC were featured in the hip hop film ''Krush Groove'', a fictionalized retelling of Russell Simmons' rise as a hip hop entrepreneur and his struggles to get his own label, Def Jam Recordings, off the ground. The film featured a young Blair Underwood as Russell, along with appearances by old-school legend Kurtis Blow, The Fat Boys, teen pop act New Edition, LL Cool J, Prince protegee Sheila E., and hip hop's first successful White rap group, the Beastie Boys, who were signed to Simmons' Def Jam label. The film was a hit in cinemas and was further proof of hip hop's continued mainstream visibility.

Returning to the studio in 1986, the group teamed with producer Rick Rubin for their third album. Rubin had just produced LL Cool J's debut album ''Radio''. They later released their third album, titled '' Raising Hell'', which became the group's most successful album and one of the best-selling rap albums of all-time. The album was certified double-platinum and peaked at number three on the charts.

They were almost done with the album, but Rubin thought that it needed an element that would appeal to rock fans as well. This spurred the lead single "Walk This Way", a collaboration with the group Aerosmith, who years earlier had done their original version of the classic hard rock song on their album '' Toys in the Attic''. The original intention was to just rap over a sample of the song, but Rubin and Jay insisted on doing a complete cover version. Members of the group Aerosmith (including Steven Tyler and Joe Perry) were called to join Run-DMC in the studio to add their vocals and guitars. The song and video became one of the biggest hits of the 1980s, reaching #4 on the Hot 100, and cemented Run-DMC's crossover status. It also resurrected Aerosmith's career. The single " My Adidas" led to the group signing a $1,600,000 endorsement deal with athletic apparel brand Adidas. Adidas formed a long-term relationship with Run-DMC and hip hop. This has been described as the "beginning of what we have come to know as hip hop fashion".

The success of ''Raising Hell'' is often credited with kick-starting hip hop's golden age, when rap music's visibility, variety, and commercial viability exploded onto the national stage and became a global phenomenon. Their success paved the way for acts like LL Cool J and the Beastie Boys. The group toured in the wake of the album's success, but the Raising Hell Tour was marred by violence, particularly fights between rival street gangs in places like Los Angeles. Though Run-DMC's lyrics had been angry, confrontational and aggressive, they typically denounced crime and ignorance, but the media began to blame the group for the incidents. In the wake of the violence, Run-DMC would call for a day of peace between the gangs in Los Angeles.

In 1987, following on from the Raising Hell Tour, Run-D.M.C embarked on the Together Forever Tour with the Beastie Boys.

''Tougher Than Leather'', changing times

After spending 1987 on tour supporting ''Raising Hell'', Run-DMC released ''Tougher Than Leather'' in 1988. The album saw the group discarding much of their rap rock leanings for a grittier, more sample-heavy sound. Despite not selling as well as its predecessor, the album boasted several strong singles, including: " Run's House", "Beats to the Rhyme", and "Mary Mary." Though at the time considered a disappointing follow-up to the blockbuster ''Raising Hell'', the album has grown in stature. In the 2000 liner notes for the album's re-release, Chuck D. of Public Enemy would call the album "...a spectacular performance against all odds and expectations."

Later in 1988, the group made their second film appearance in ''Tougher Than Leather'', a would-be crime caper that was directed by Rick Rubin and featured special guest performances by the Beastie Boys and Slick Rick. The film bombed at the box office, but strengthened the indirect relationship between Run-DMC and the Def Jam label which led to the common misconception that the group was signed to the label. They ''were'', however, ''managed'' by Russell Simmons, produced by Rick Rubin (who was a co-founder of Def Jam, along with Simmons), and often shared concert tour spotlight with acts on the label's roster.

Amidst the changing times and sliding sales, Run-DMC released ''Back from Hell'' in 1990. The album was the worst-reviewed of their career, as the group tried to re-create itself musically with ill-advised forays into new jack swing (a then-popular style of production that sonically merged hip hop and contemporary R&B) and sometimes-preachy lyrical content. The two singles released, the anti-drug, anti-crime song " Pause" and street narrative "The Ave", had little success, and the group began to look outdated. Reeling from their first taste of failure, personal problems began to surface for the trio. McDaniels, who had been a heavy drinker in recent years, was losing control to alcoholism. Jay was involved in a life-threatening car accident and survived two gunshot wounds after an incident in 1990. In 1991, Simmons was charged with raping a college student in Ohio, though the charges were later dropped.

With so much personal chaos and professional uncertainty, the members turned to faith to try to steady their lives. Both Simmons and McDaniels joined the church, with Run becoming especially devoted following his legal troubles and the toll it took on his finances.

After a three-year hiatus that seemingly saw rap music move on without them, the rejuvenated Run-DMC returned in 1993 with ''Down with the King''. Building on the gritty sound of ''Tougher Than Leather'', and adding some subtle religious references, the album featured guest appearances and production by several hip hop notables (including Pete Rock & CL Smooth and Q-Tip of A Tribe Called Quest

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