Number 520 - Run DMC

Number 520

Run DMC

"Walk this way"

(1986)

.

.

Genre:Rap/Rock

art by Enigmagic

Before i talk about one of the Earths *Genre revolutionary changing songs* by Run DMC, there is a Network neutrality question i pose to the people.

How is it that Google & particularly YouTube are screening countries allowing only certain viewing of its video's? For example i went to view a music video and when i clicked to view, YouTube displayed a message that my country was not permitted to watch it! Wtf huh?

Here's me, who uses Google and its products for mostly everything, whether it be blog spot or its YouTube videos, Google Analytics etc for this site. So i ask, is this not a form of net neutrality? Is this why Youtube created Youtube New Zealand or YouTube UK, YouTube Canada etc? Sure Americans might say to me, tough shit, you are not American, its not our problem. But what will happen if the reverse happens to them and their government/Google blocks videos that they deem should be hidden from the US citizens? Just imagine that. If anyone can shed some light, please do, otherwise i have a bad feeling about this. (Shhhh, or this site just might go missing)

This stereo is not stolen!

More than any other hip-hop group, Run-D.M.C. are responsible for the sound and style of the music. As the first hardcore rap outfit, the trio set the sound and style for the next decade of rap. With their spare beats and excursions into heavy metal samples, the trio were tougher and more menacing than their predecessors Grandmaster Flash and Whodini. In the process, they opened the door for both the politicized rap of Public Enemy and Boogie Down Productions, as well as the hedonistic gangsta fantasies of N.W.A. At the same time, Run-D.M.C. helped move rap from a singles-oriented genre to an album-oriented one -- they were the first hip-hop artist to construct full-fledged albums, not just collections with two singles and a bunch of filler. By the end of the '80s, Run-D.M.C. had been overtaken by the groups they had spawned, but they continued to perform to a dedicated following well into the '90s.

peek @ ma sneak's

All three members of Run-D.M.C. were natives of the middle-class New York borough Hollis, Queens. Run (born Joseph Simmons, November 14, 1964) was the brother of Russell Simmons, who formed the hip-hop management company Rush Productions in the early '80s; by the mid-'80s, Russell had formed the pioneering record label Def Jam with Rick Rubin. Russell encouraged his brother Joey and his friend Darryl McDaniels (born May 31, 1964) to form a rap duo. The pair of friends did just that, adopting the names Run and D.M.C., respectively. After they graduated from high school in 1982, the pair enlisted their friend Jason Mizell (born January 21, 1965) to scratch turntables; Mizell adopted the stage name Jam Master Jay.

wanna go?

In 1983, Run-D.M.C. released their first single, "It's Like That"/"Sucker M.C.'s," on Profile Records. The single sounded like no other rap at the time -- it was spare, blunt, and skillful, with hard beats and powerful, literate, daring vocals, where Run and D.M.C.'s vocals overlapped, as they finished each other's lines. It was the first "new school" hip-hop recording. "It's Like That" became a Top 20 R&B hit, as did the group's second single, "Hard Times"/"Jam Master Jay." Two other hit R&B singles followed in early 1984 -- "Rock Box" and "30 Days" -- before the group's eponymous debut appeared. By the time of their second album, 1985's King of Rock, Run-D.M.C. had become the most popular and influential rappers in America, already spawning a number of imitators. As the King of Rock title suggests, the group were breaking down the barriers between rock & roll and rap, rapping over heavy metal records and thick, dense drum loops. Besides releasing the King of Rock album and scoring the R&B hits "King of Rock," "You Talk Too Much," and "Can You Rock It Like This" in 1985, the group also appeared in the rap movie Krush Groove, which also featured Kurtis Blow, the Beastie Boys, and the Fat Boys.

Say What?

Run-D.M.C.'s fusion of rock and rap broke into the mainstream with their third album, 1986's Raising Hell. The album was preceded by the Top Ten R&B single "My Adidas," which set the stage for the group's biggest hit single, a cover of Aerosmith's "Walk This Way." Recorded with Aerosmith's Steven Tyler and Joe Perry, "Walk This Way" was the first hip-hop record to appeal to both rockers and rappers, as evidenced by its peak position of number four on the pop charts. In the wake of the success of "Walk This Way," Raising Hell became the first rap album to reach number one on the R&B charts, to chart in the pop Top Ten, and to go platinum, and Run-D.M.C. were the first rap act to received airplay on MTV -- they were the first rappers to cross over into the pop mainstream. Raising Hell also spawned the hit singles "You Be Illin'" and "It's Tricky."

Tubby Love

Two years after Tougher Than Leather, Run-D.M.C. returned with Back From Hell, which became their first album not to go platinum. Following its release, both Run and D.M.C. suffered personal problems as McDaniels suffered a bout of alcoholism and Simmons was accused of rape. After McDaniels sobered up and the charges against Simmons were dismissed, both of the rappers became born-again Christians, touting their religious conversion on the 1993 album Down With the King. Featuring guest appearances and production assistance from artists as diverse as Public Enemy, EPMD, Naughty by Nature, A Tribe Called Quest, Neneh Cherry, Pete Rock, and KRS-One, Down With the King became the comeback Run-D.M.C. needed. The title track became a Top Ten R&B hit and the album went gold, peaking at number 21. Although they were no longer hip-hop innovators, the success of Down With the King proved that Run-D.M.C. were still respected pioneers.

dayum dolly

After a long studio hiatus, the trio returned in early 2000 with Crown Royal. The album did little to add to their ailing record sales, but the following promotional efforts saw them join Aerosmith and Kid Rock for a blockbuster performance on MTV. By 2002, the release of two greatest-hits albums prompted a tour with Aerosmith that saw them travel the U.S., always performing "Walk This Way" to transition between their sets. Sadly, only weeks after the end of the tour, Jam Master Jay was senselessly murdered in a studio session in Queens. Only 37 years old, the news of his passing spread quick and hip-hop luminaries like Big Daddy Kane and Funkmaster Flex took the time to pay tribute to him on New York radio stations. Possibly the most visible DJ in the history of hip-hop, his death was truly the end of an era and unfortunately perpetuated the cycle of violence that has haunted the genre since the late '80s. ~ [Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide]

For Neneh Cherry visit MM Vol 1 #081

What does Rolling Stone think of Run DMC?

The guys in run-D.M.C. are so full of themselves, they'd be completely obnoxious if they weren't right. Kings of Rock? Run and D.M.C. don't just rap rings around each other on their third LP; they grab Aerosmith's "Walk This Way" and drag guest stars Steven Tyler and Joe Perry into the Eighties, kicking and screaming. For every outrageous boast and randy pun, these MCs have an angry insight and a wicked rhyme, while DJ Jam Master Jay works the turntables like a brain surgeon turned mad scientist. This is one rap group that defiantly "don't need no band." Run-D.M.C. sustains a mighty ruckus while covering a lot of ground; this may be the first truly consistent rap album. Listening to "Peter Piper," the opening cut, is like climbing on an uptown A train. Jay lays down a classic hip-hop mix of beats, bells, scratches, squeals and static while the MCs apply their twisted tongues to Mother Goose.

This warped wordplay is not as casual as it sounds, as the guys themselves are quick to point out. "It's Tricky" is a singsong send up of Toni Basil's "Mickey," seasoned by a fat guitar hook that echoes "My Sharona." D.C.'s go-go beat is appropriated on "Is It Live," adding a festive note to the ego celebration. Run and D.M.C. simultaneously brag and bitch about their fame and fortune: a mere brand name becomes elevated because it's "on my feet" ("My Adidas"), while wearing glasses is just another manifestation of their quest for "Perfection." It's when Run and D.M.C. focus those perfected eyes on the world around them that they transcend the limitations of their genre. Over a saucy sax-and-piano riff reminiscent of the Coasters, the hilarious "You Be Illin' " follows an out-of-it "home boy" on his appointed rounds (botching his lines to a "fly girl" and devouring a can of dog food). "Dumb Girl" puts down a female peer for succumbing to the quick pleasures of drugs and promiscuity ("du-du-dumb-du-dumb girl") -- not quite the expected sexist "dis" (-missal).

Though they've been more specifically political in the past, here Run and D.M.C. close with a pounding slogan. "Proud to Be Black" captures their declamatory rhythm at its fiercest. "Like Martin Luther King, I will do my thing/I'll say it in a rap 'cause i do not sing!" Raising Hell, hell, yeah. ~ [RS:Mark Coleman 1986]

For Toni Basil see Number 674

For the Coasters see Number 630

Artist Fact File

Name:Run DMC......................Related to³:Aerosmith

Yrs Active:1983 to 2002...........Site:www.rundmcmusic.com

Best Song¹:Its Like That..........#1fan:www.rundmc.de

Best Album²:Raising Hell..........Grammy Awards:0

Albums Sold:25 Million +..........Next best thing:Public Enemy

¹Number of downloads WINMX ²Artistdirect choice ³Associated acts or collaborations

Rolling Stone Top 500 Songs ranked this song at Number 287 and the Album ranked at Number 120

This song has a crowbarred rating of 74.6 out of 108 pts

Aerosmith & Run DMC - Walk this Way
Uploaded by krematoria

Lyrics to the song

Previous Song 519 ..... Next Song 521

Click play to hear the rest of the album

Tags:Run DMC, 1986, Rap Rock, Areosmith, Public Enemy, Net Neutrality, Google, Beastie Boys,YouTube, Music Video, Rolling Stone Magazine, Crowbarred, New Zealand, Crowbarred Unleashed, The Definitive 1000 Songs Of All Time, Mellow Mix Volume 1, Mellow Mix Volume 2, Mellow Mix Volume 3, Mellow Mix Volume 4, Mellow Mix Volume 5, Mellow Mix Volume 6, Mellow Mix Volume 7, Mellow Mix Volume 9, Mellow Mix Volume 10, Mellow Mix Volume 11, Mellow Mix Volume 12

Search Artist here:1-2-3-A-B-C-D-E-F-G-H-I-J-K-L-M-N-O-P-Q-R-S-T-U-V-W-X-Y-Z

By The Year 1955 to 2005:

1955, 1956, 1957, 1958, 1959, 1960, 1961, 1962, 1963, 1964, 1965, 1966, 1967, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005

underlay