A selection of interesting facts about hip-hop legends Run-DMC!
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Run-DMC is a legendary hip-hop group formed in 1983. So when hip-hop first became mainstream in the early '80s, Run-DMC was one of the key links leading the charge! Thus, the NYC-based band helped bring rap to the masses, becoming the first hip-hop project to sell platinum and breaking cultural barriers... Here are some facts about hip-hop's hitmakers that few people know....
At first they were unhappy with their name.....
Joseph "Run" Simmons, Darryl "DMC" McDaniels and Jason "Jam Master Jay" Mysell grew up in Hollis, Queens, New York. All three started DJing in the late 70s: Simmons and McDaniels later organised their own project, and eventually invited Mysell to DJ! But before that, the guys recorded their first single for Run's brother, Russell - a pioneering hip-hop promoter and founder of Def Jam Records. Soon after, Russell began promoting his brother's band as Run-DMC. But... the members didn't like the name! McDaniels later recounted:
"We wanted to be 'Dynamic Double', well, or 'Verolomnaya'... But when we heard about Run-DMC, we said, 'We're going to be broke! Holy shit...""
They changed the look of hip-hop!
Early hip-hop groups such as The Sugarhill Gang, Grandmaster Flash and Furious Five tended to dress in glamorous and glitzy outfits, which was the norm for the disco era. Run-DMC took a different approach to their image: from the very beginning they preferred to perform in a more down-to-earth, street style... Kangol hats, Adidas trainers without laces and black leather jackets became Run-DMC's trademark! Soon other rap singers joined them....
They were one of the first to combine rap and rock....
Today's generation of listeners mistakenly believes that rap rock was born in the 90s thanks to Rage Against the Machine and Limp Bizkit. But in fact, the pioneers of this genre were Run-DMC! They incorporated guitar-based rock elements into their music. This is also evident from the title of their second album from 1985: King of Rock... The most striking example is their collaboration with rock monsters Aerosmith: the dynamic track "Walk This Way"!
By the way: it was this collaboration that brought the rock band back to success and popularity!
They originally didn't want to release "Walk This Way" on a single ....
But few people know that Run-DMC didn't want to release "Walk This Way" on a single... Before working together in the studio, Run-DMC were not familiar with Aerosmith's music: they only recorded a joint cover of the old rock hit at the insistence of their producer Rick Rubin... The song was to be included on their third album Raising Hell, and none of them, including Rubin, thought it would be released on a single....
Nevertheless, "Walk This Way" turned out to be a big hit for both groups! What's more: it was one of the first hip-hop songs to reach the top ten in the UK! So, thanks to this collaboration, both groups continued to enjoy huge popularity and sales throughout the 80's...
They were the first hip-hop group to be on the cover of Rolling Stone!
Since its founding in 1967, Rolling Stone magazine has always been considered the gold standard of music journalism. The publication has traditionally favoured rock music, but in December 1986, Run-DMC made history as the first hip-hop group to receive a cover in Rolling Stone! Many other hip-hop artists have since graced the cover of the prestigious magazine, including Eminem, Jay-Z and Kendrick Lamar.
They were the first to enter into a sponsorship agreement with Adidas
In their 1986 song "My Adidas", Run-DMC sing about their favourite trainers, which have long been part of their signature style... It was thanks to this song that the band received sponsorship from the famous sportswear company Adidas!
By the way: it was the first such deal made by a hip-hop artist! Later, many other rappers followed Run-DMC's example....
The band broke up in 2002 after the murder of Jam Master Jay...
Run-DMC struggled to maintain their momentum in the 1990s: the band stayed together until tragedy separated them... DJ Jam Master Jay was shot dead in the autumn of 2002, and soon the remaining members confirmed that this marked the end of their history as a band... The most surprising thing is that no one was ever charged with Jason's murder! At least not until the summer of 2020: after almost 18 years, Ronald "Tinard" Washington and Carl "Lil D" Jordan were charged with this horrible crime...
Joseph "Run" is a priest!
Today, Joseph "Run" Simmons is known as "Reverend Run"... The musician has been a practising priest since 2004: you could say that Simmons has completely abandoned rap music (with the exception of his 2005 solo album Distortion). In 2017, Joseph revealed that he sometimes follows a vegetarian diet, as he was advised by God himself to...
Darryl "DMC" McDaniels has endured struggles with addiction and depression ...
Throughout much of the late 80s and early 90s, Darryl actively developed a passion for alcohol... This affected his performances and relationships with his bandmates. Health problems arose, which in turn led to DMC developing an addiction to prescription-only drugs... Eventually, the rapper found himself on the brink: he became bogged down in severe depression and was inclined to abruptly end it all... Fortunately, McDaniels was able to conquer his demons! In his memoirs, he described in detail all the difficulties he faced... Since then, the musician has devoted a lot of time and energy to charity work.
