Run-DMC

Run-DMC

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Essential Albums

  • Run-D.M.C.
    Run-D.M.C.
    Run-D.M.C.

    Perhaps the most consequential rap album in history, Run-D.M.C.'s 1984 debut drew an Adidas-shaped line in the sand between the old school and the new school, changing everything about the way hip-hop would look, sound and sell. After its release, live disco bands were eschewed for minimalist drum machines and DJ cuts, flashy rock-star costumes were phased out in favour of street wear, and the ten-minute-long block-party rap workouts that had defined hip-hop's formative years were shortened to the breezy length of a pop song. The breakthrough moment came with Run-D.M.C.‘s very first single, "It's Like That", and its flipside, "Sucker M.C.'s (Krush Groove 1)". Producer Larry Smith had cooked up some pummelling, minimalist drum machine beats that veered away from the baroque disco arrangements that had been making money for hip-hop pioneers like Sugar Hill Records and Kurtis Blow. After hearing Smith's harsh tracks, Run-D.M.C. manager Russell Simmons pleaded with the members of the group—which included his little brother, Joseph "Run" Simmons—to add some semblance of melody. But the group shouted down that idea—and shouted on "Sucker M.C.'s", too. The song was sparse, drum-driven and featured some percussive record-scratching—all hallmarks of Run-D.M.C.'s high-energy, highly aggressive style. Run-D.M.C.'s second single, "Hard Times", painted a vivid, socially conscious picture on the A-side, while the B-side cut "Jam-Master Jay" spotlighted the formidable skills of the man who'd introduce the concept of turntable-as-a-band to middle America. But it was the album’s third single, "Rock Box", that gave Run-D.M.C. its first taste of pop success—and become one of the most game-changing singles in rap history. A prescient blending of undiluted hip-hop swagger and hard rock guitar, "Rock Box" would knock out critics and help put rap on MTV, where its video was put in rotation among the Van Halens and ZZ Tops of the world. More importantly, "Rock Box" single-handedly destroyed the gates—whether real or imagined—that existed between rock music and hip-hop. The origins of everyone from the Beastie Boys to Rage Against the Machine to Linkin Park to Lil Uzi Vert can be traced to the song’s 12-second mark—the moment when the wailing guitar of Hollis, Queens' own Eddie Martinez joins the beats of the Oberheim DMX drum machine. Thanks in no small part to “Rock Box”, Run-D.M.C. would become the first rap album to go gold. A year after its release, Run-D.M.C. unleashed one of its most bodacious boasts: "We crash through walls, cut through floors/Bust through ceilings and knock down doors." This album—a landmark release in the history of hip-hop, pop androck—is what they were talking about.

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About Run-DMC

Before hip-hop became a dominant cultural force, Run-DMC were steadily working to unlock its global potential. New York native Joseph "Run" Simmons earned his stripes performing with '70s rap pioneer Kurtis Blow. But when Simmons injured his arm, he lost the gig, leaving him to form a group with his friend Darryl "D.M.C." McDaniels in 1981 and add Jason "Jam Master Jay" Mizell later as the DJ. Managed by Run's brother, Def Jam co-founder Russell Simmons, they landed a deal with Profile Records, where they released three classic albums in as many years: 1984's Run-DMC, 1985's King of Rock and 1986's Raising Hell. Rappers would call themselves rock stars as the culture blossomed over future decades, but Run-DMC lived it. They embraced the attitude of rock n' roll with their muscular personalities, loudly shouted rhymes and electric guitars. Still, they were undeniably hip-hop with their booming drums, lethal turntable scratches, street aesthetic and flashy fashion. Between their spot on the 1984 Fresh Festival lineup—the first major U.S. hip-hop tour—and their album tours featuring acts like LL Cool J and Beastie Boys, Run-DMC were among the first to go on the road and prove that rap was commercially viable. Raising Hell demonstrated the group's cultural peak: "My Adidas" earned them the first non-athlete sneaker endorsement, and the Aerosmith collab "Walk This Way" took their hard-rock mission statement to new heights for a genre-mashing addition to the zeitgeist of the '80s. Run-DMC continued making music through the early '90s but went on hiatus due to personal issues until reuniting for 2001's Crown Royal. The album was a victory lap that enlisted the talents of rap rockers like Limp Bizkit and Everlast and new rap legends like Nas and Method Man—all of whom owed a debt to Run-DMC for their innovation decades earlier. The group called it quits in 2002 when Jam Master Jay was tragically murdered at his Queens studio. But even after their dissolution, acts like Eminem and Rick Ross have given them props on wax, ensuring that their legacy lives on for years after they're gone.

ORIGIN
Queens, NY, United States
FORMED
1982
GENRE
Hip-Hop/Rap

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