Run-D.M.C.

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Run-D.M.C.
From left to right, Rev Run, Jam-Master Jay and D.M.C.
From left to right, Rev Run, Jam-Master Jay and D.M.C.
Background information
Origin Queens, New York, USA
Years active 1983 – 2002
Label(s) Profile
Associated acts Beastie Boys
LL Cool J
Aerosmith
Slick Rick
Jason Nevins
Kid Rock
Website www.RunDMC.com
Former members
Run
D.M.C.
Jam-Master Jay (deceased)

Run-D.M.C. was a pioneering hip hop group during the 1980s founded by Joseph "[The Reverend] Run" Simmons, Darryl "D.M.C." McDaniels, and Jason "Jam-Master Jay" Mizell. The group had an impact on the development of hip hop through the 1980s and is credited with breaking hip hop into mainstream music.[1][2] In 2004, Rolling Stone ranked them number 48 in their list of the greatest musical artists of all time.[2] They have been nominated for possible 2009 induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame[3]

Contents

[edit] Career

[edit] Early

The three members of Run-D.M.C. grew up in the neighborhood of Hollis in the Queens borough of New York City, USA.[2] After completing high school in 1982, Simmons and McDaniels recruited Mizell to play on the turntables. A year later, they released their first single "Sucker MC's", which was well received, peaking at #15 on the R&B charts.[4] This was followed by other singles such as "Jam Master Jay" and "Hard Times".

[edit] Late 1980s

The group achieved commercial success in 1986 with the album Raising Hell. It boasts four tracks that reached the top five on the Billboard Hot 100, including Run-D.M.C.'s rendition of "Walk This Way" with Aerosmith. The song and accompanying video, which received heavy airplay on MTV, are credited with both resurrecting Aerosmith's career and helping break rap into the mainstream.

The 1988 album Tougher Than Leather lent its name to the band's film that year, which was directed by Rick Rubin and contained special guest performances by the Beastie Boys and Slick Rick. Run-D.M.C.'s executives at Profile Records were unimpressed[citation needed] by the excessive number of times the Def Jam Records logo popped up in the film, which was mostly because of Russell Simmons' involvement with the project.

The group re-invented itself as "gangstas" and released Back from Hell in 1990. The album suffered poor sales.[citation needed] It had two singles, the clean, anti-drug song "Pause", and "The Avenue".

In the music video for the song "King of Rock" there is an extended video of Buddy Holly performing on The Ed Sullivan Show.

[edit] 1990s

The group enjoyed mainstream success again in 1993 with Down With the King, which cracked Billboard magazine's Top 10. Pete Rock and CL Smooth contributed verses on the first single, "Down With the King". The album's second single, "Ooh, Watch'cha Gonna Do?", failed to match its predecessor's chart success. Other guests featured on the album were Mad Lion, Q-Tip and Tom Morello.

In 1998, Jason Nevins remixed "It's Like That" and "It's Tricky". The remix of "It's Like That" hit number 1 in the United Kingdom, Germany, and many other European countries. A video was made for "It's Like That", although no new footage of Run-D.M.C. appeared in the clip.

In 1999, Run-D.M.C. recorded the theme song for WWE wrestling stable D-Generation X entitled "The Kings".

Although Run-D.M.C. enjoyed plenty of commercial success, the effects of this were not solely positive. In Arts and Letters: An A-to-Z Reference of Writers, Musicians, and Artists of the African American Experience, the article on Run-D.M.C. notes that when their second album, King of Rock was released in 1985, there were also a number of violent incidents at rap concerts. While the media lauded Run-D.M.C. for their music, it also began to focus on "rap as a reflection of violence and drug abuse among young black males."[citation needed] Thus, the group felt torn between their mainstream appeal during the time of negativity in other manifestations of rap music.

Run-D.M.C. also made an appearance in a rare version of the music video "Bodyrock" by Moby.

[edit] 2000s–present

In 2000, the group contributed to the album WWF Aggression with their version of the D-Generation X theme song "The Kings".

In 2004, Run-DMC were honored on the first annual VH1 Hip Hop Honors

DMC has recently been featured in the new video game, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith making a cameo in the song "Walk this Way" and "King of Rock".

[edit] Retirement

After group member Jam-Master Jay was shot and killed on October 30, 2002, Run-D.M.C. announced their retirement.[5] Rev Run joined Kid Rock's 2008 "Rock N Roll Revival Tour" performing "It's Like That", "It's Tricky", "You Be Illin'", "Run's House", "Here We Go", "King of Rock" and "Walk This Way" with Kid Rock. Rev. Run can also be seen in the MTV/BET reality series Run's House. McDaniels, meanwhile, frequently contributes to VH1 programs such as the I Love The... series. also making the song "Rock Show" featuring third eye blind singer Stephan Jenkins

[edit] Firsts

Run-D.M.C. is the first rap act to have reached a number of major accomplishments:

Run-D.M.C. was also the only rap act to perform at Live Aid in 1985.

[edit] Discography

[edit] Albums

Album information
Run-D.M.C.
King of Rock
Raising Hell
Tougher Than Leather
Back From Hell
  • Released:October 16, 1990
  • Chart positions: #81 US, #16 Top R&B/ Hip Hop
  • Last RIAA description: Gold
  • Singles: "Pause", "What It's All About", "Faces", "The Ave".
Down With the King
  • Released:May 4, 1993
  • Chart positions: #7 US, #1 Top R&B/ Hip Hop
  • Last RIAA description: Gold
  • Singles: "Down With the King", "Ooh Wathcha Gonna Do ", "Can I Get It, Yo"
Crown Royal
  • Released:April 3, 2001
  • Chart positions: #37 US, #22 Top R&B/ Hip Hop
  • Last RIAA description: None
  • Singles: "Rock Show", "Let's Stay Together (Together Forever)"

[edit] Singles

Year Title U.S. Hot 100 U.S. R&B
1983 "It's Like That" - 1
1984 "30 Days" - 1
"Hard Times" - 1
"Hollis Crew (Krush Groove 2)" - 1
1985 "Can You Rock It Like This" - 1
"Jam-Master Jammin'" - 1
"King of Rock" - 14
"You Talk Too Much" - 1
1986 "My Adidas" 4 1
"Walk This Way" (feat. Aerosmith) 4 8
"You Be Illin'" 3 12
1987 "It's Tricky" 3 2
1988 "I'm Not Going Out Like That" - 40
"Mary, Mary" 75 29
"Run's House" - 10
1989 "Pause" - 51
1990 "What's It All About" - 24
1991 "Faces" - 57
1993 "Down with the King" 21 9
"Ooh, Whatcha Gonna Do" - 78

[edit] Greatest hits albums

[edit] Other singles and compilation albums

[edit] References

  1. ^ (nr.40) The Guardian
  2. ^ a b c The Immortals - The Greatest Artists of All Time: 48) Run-DMC. Rolling Stone. Published Apr 15, 2004.
  3. ^ Run-D.M.C., Metallica nominated for Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Associated Press September 22, 2008
  4. ^ Run-D.M.C.: Biography : Rolling Stone
  5. ^ CNN.com - Surviving Run-DMC members retire group - Nov. 6, 2002

2. Appiah, Kwame Anthony and Gates Jr., Henry Louis. Arts and Letters: An A-to-Z Reference of Writers, Musicians, and Artists of the African American Experience. Running Press: Philadelphia: 2004.

[edit] See also

[edit] External links

v • d • e
Run-D.M.C.
DJ Run · D.M.C. · Jam-Master Jay
Discography
Compilations
Songs
Related articles
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