Run-dmc

Career start

Three Run-DMC members grew up in Queens, New York's Hollis neighborhood. In 1978, as a teenager, Joseph Simmons was recruited into hip-hop by his older brother, Russell Simmons , who was then the beginning hip-hop promoter. Simmons appeared on stage as a DJ for rapper Curtis Blow , whose manager was Russell. Joseph Simmons, known as “Kurtis Blow's disco son DJ Run” (shortly called “Disco Son Curtis Blow - DJ Run”), soon began performing with Curtis Blow. ^[10] Darryl McDaniels started DJing after buying a set of players, he also had his older brother's mixer. ^[11] Simmons persuaded McDaniels to start rapping, and although McDaniels did not perform in public, he soon began to write poetry and was known as Grandmaster Get High, inspired by the music of Grandmaster Flash, ^[12] and then he took the name "Easy D."

In the late 70s, Simmons and McDaniels began spending time at Hollis's Two-Fifths Park, hoping to rap for local DJs who performed and competed there, and the most popular of those who frequented the park was Jason Meisell then known as "Jazzy Jase". Maysell was a member of the Two-Fifth Down group and was known for his luxurious wardrobe and attitude to bi-fights . In the end, Simmons and McDaniels raped in front of Mysell in the park, and they recruited Mysell as their official DJ. McDaniels came up with a new name for him - Jam Master Jay . ^[13]

Following the success of Russell Simmons as manager of Curtis Blow, he helped his brother, Ran, record his first single, a song called "Street Kid." The song went unnoticed, but despite the failure of the single, Rahn's enthusiasm for hip-hop only grew. Soon, Simmons wanted to record the song again - this time with McDaniels, but Russell refused, citing dislike for Dee's rhyme style. ^[10] After they graduated from high school and went to college in 1982, Simmons and McDaniels finally convinced Russell to let them record as a duet. In December 1982, when Ran studied funeral science at La Guardia Community College, and McDaniels went to St. Johns University for a degree in business management, Ran called his friend and said he was going to go to the studio to record the track. He needed help to complete the verses for the track he was working on under the title “It's Like That” (something like this). When Dee got home to Ran, he added a decisive counterattack to the track, “And that's the way it is” (from the English - “And so it is”). ^[14] They showed poems to Russell, who immediately sent them to the studio in January 1983. ^[15] But even at this stage, his younger brother had to firmly insist that Dee participate in the process. ^[sixteen]

Russell agreed to help them record a new single and sign a contract, but only on the condition that McDaniels changed his stage name to “DMC” and they would name their group “Run-DMC”, ^{[17] a} name that the band members initially hated. The DMC later said: “We wanted to be called Dynamic Two or The Treacherous Two, but when we heard that name, we thought, 'We will fail!”

After signing to Profile Records, Run-DMC released their first single, “It's Like That” / “Sucker MC's,” on March 12, 1983. The single was well received, reaching 15th place on the R&B charts. ^[18] The trio performed a single on the 1983 New York Hot Tracks video show. Their first performance was at the Disco Fever Club in the Bronx in the spring of 1983. ^[19] Encouraged by their success, Run-DMC released their self-titled debut album, Run-DMC , in 1984. Hit singles such as Jam-Master Jay and Hard Times proved the band was bigger than the one-hit band, and the iconic single Rock Box became the ground-breaking merger of raw hip-hop and hard rock, which became the cornerstone of the band's sound and paved the way for the 1990s rap rock movement.

Run-DMC's quick rise to the cutting edge of rap with a new sound and style meant old-school hip-hop artists were becoming obsolete. Along with the musical advancement of rap in a new direction, Run-DMC changed the whole aesthetics of hip-hop music and culture. Old-school rappers such as Afrika Bambaataa and Melle Mel from the group Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five usually dressed in luxurious outfits that were usually attributed to rock and disco groups of that era: tight skin, chest t-shirts, gloves and hats with rhinestones and spikes, leather boots, etc. Run-DMC abandoned the more glam rock styles of the early hip-hop style (which, ironically, was later adopted again by the pop rappers MC Hammer and Vanilla Ice in 1990 ) and included a more "street" sense of style in their outfits, wearing Kangol hats, leather jackets and sneakers Adidas without laces. ^[20] The appearance of the group was greatly influenced by Meisell's own style. When Russell Simmons saw the luxurious but street-style b-fights, he insisted the whole group follow his lead. ^[21] Ran later said:

The next 25 years of hip-hop fashion will determine this look and style of the street.

King of Rock, Raising Hell, and Recognized Success

Following the success of their first album, the band Run-DMC sought to develop on their next album. The release of King of Rock in 1985 led the group to continue merging their rap rock on songs such as “Can You Rock It Like This” and “King of Rock”; while the song “Roots, Rap, Reggae” was one of the first rap and dancehall hybrids. The music video for the single “Rock Box” was the first ever rap video to be broadcast on MTV and received widespread rotation on the channel. The song was the band's most popular hit at the time, and the album was certified platinum . Run-DMC was the only rap group to perform at the Live Aid charity concert in Philadelphia on July 13, 1985.

At the end of 1985, the group was featured in the hip-hop film Crash Grove , a fictional retelling of Russell Simmons' ascension as a hip-hop entrepreneur and his struggle to open his own Def Jam Recordings label . The film starred the young Blair Underwood in the role of Russell, along with performances by old school legends Curtis Blow , The Fat Boys, New Edition , LL Cool J , protege of Prince Sheila E. and the first successful hip-hop white rap group Beastie Boys , which was signed to Def Jam. The film was a hit and another proof of the continued prominence of hip hop in the mainstream.

Returning to the studio in 1986, the band teamed up with producer Rick Rubin for their third album. Rubin has just released his debut album LL Cool J Radio . They later released their third album, Raising Hell , which became the band's most successful album and one of the best-selling rap albums of all time. The album was certified as triple platinum and reached 3rd place on the charts.

They were almost done with the album, but Rubin thought he needed an element that rock fans would also like. This prompted the creation of the main single, “ Walk This Way, ” a cover of Aerosmith 's classic hard rock song. The original goal was to just read the rap on top of the song’s sample, but Rubin and Jay insisted on making a full cover version . Steven Tyler and Joe Perry from Aerosmith were invited to join Run-DMC in the studio to add vocals and guitar, respectively. The song and video became one of the biggest hits of the 1980s, reaching 4th place on the Hot 100 chart, and securing the Run-DMC crossover status. The song also revived Aerosmith's career. ^[23] The single “My Adidas” led the group to sign an $ 1.6 million advertising contract with the Adidas sportswear brand. Adidas has established a long-term partnership with Run-DMC and hip-hop. ^[24]

The success of Raising Hell is often credited with launching the golden era of hip hop , when the visibility of rap music, its diversity and commercial viability exploded on the national stage and became a global phenomenon. Their success paved the way for artists such as LL Cool J and Beastie Boys. The band toured after the album’s success, but the Raising Hell Tour was marred by violence, especially fights between rival street gangs in places like Los Angeles. Although Run-DMC lyrics were vicious, confrontational, and aggressive, they generally condemned crime and ignorance, but the media began to accuse the group of incidents. As a result of this outbreak of violence, Run-DMC announced a gang day in Los Angeles.

In 1987, after the Raising Hell Tour, Run-DMC went on a Together Forever Tour with Beastie Boys.

Tougher Than Leather, Time for Change

After spending 1987 on a tour in support of Raising Hell , Run-DMC released their new album, Tougher Than Leather , in 1988. On the album, the band abandoned most of their rap-rock inclinations for a rougher, more saturated sample sound. Although the album did not sell as well as its predecessor, it had several strong singles, including Run's House, Beats to the Rhyme, and Mary Mary. Although at that time the album was considered a disappointing continuation of the blockbuster Raising Hell , he strengthened his authority. In a reissue of the 2000 album, Chuck D. from Public Enemy called the album "... a vibrant performance against all forecasts and expectations." ^[25]

Later, in 1988, the group starred in the second film Tougher Than Leather , a potential crime scam directed by Rick Rubin , and featuring special guest performances by Beastie Boys and Slick Rick. The film failed at the box office, but strengthened the indirect relationship between Run-DMC and Def Jam. Although the group itself was never signed to the label, Russell Simmons was their manager, and Rick Rubin was their producer (who co-owned Def Jam with Simmons), and he was often on tour with bands on the label.

Amid changing times and declining sales, Run-DMC released Back from Hell in 1990. The album received the worst review in the band’s career, as the group tried to recreate itself musically with ill-conceived raids in New Jack Swing (the then popular production style that merged hip-hop and modern rhythm and blues in sound) and sometimes preached lyrical content The two singles released, the anti-drug, anti-crime song “Pause” and the street narration of “The Ave,” were a little successful, and the band began to look outdated. Trying to recover from their first taste of defeat, personal problems began to emerge for the trio. McDaniels, who has been drinking a lot in recent years, has lost control of alcoholism. Jay had a life-threatening car accident and suffered two gunshot wounds after an incident in 1990. In 1991, Joseph Simmons was charged with raping a college student in Ohio, although charges were subsequently dropped. ^[26]

With so much personal chaos and professional uncertainty, the band members turned to faith to try to stabilize their lives. Both Simmons and McDaniels joined the church, and Ran became especially faithful after his legal problems and their consequences, which affected his finances. ^[27]

After a three-year hiatus, when rap music seemed to be moving without them, the updated Run-DMC returned in 1993 with the album Down with the King . Based on the harsh sound of the Tougher Than Leather album and adding some subtle religious references, the album featured guest engagement and production from several well-known hip-hop stars (including Pete Rock & CL Smooth and Q-Tip from A Tribe Called Quest ). Reinforced by the title track and first single, the album entered the charts at number 1 and number 7 on pop charts. ^[23]

Although the album went gold, the song turned out to be their last hit. Jem Master Jay also succeeded on his own; he founded his own label JMJ Records , and also discovered and produced the band Onyx , which was a huge success in 1993 after the release of their hit single " Slam ". Later that year, Ran became an ordained priest, and in 1995 a cult band appeared on The Show , a documentary produced by Def Jam. It featured several of the largest hip-hop artists discussing the lifestyle and victims of the industry.

Subsequent years, the murder of Mysell and the collapse

Over the next few years, the group made very few records. Maysell produced and trained budding artists, including Onyx and 50 Cent , which he eventually signed to JMJ. Simmons divorced, married again, and began to focus on his spiritual and charitable endeavors, becoming the reverend. He also wrote a book with his brother Russell. ^[20] McDaniels, also married, appeared on the 1997 double album The Notorious BIG Life After Death and focused on his family.

Although the band continued to tour around the world, over 10 years of rap superstar life began to affect McDaniels. He was starting to get tired of Run-DMC, and he had a disagreement between him and Simmons, who was eager to get back to recording. (Simmons, at the time, took on his new nickname “Rev Run” in light of his religious conversion.) During a tour in Europe in 1997, McDaniels' ongoing struggle with alcohol abuse led him to a difficult clinical depression that caused addiction to prescription drugs . McDaniels' depression continued for years, so much that he even thought about suicide. ^[28]

In 1997, producer and remixer Jason Nevins remixed the songs “It's Tricky” and “It's like That”. Jason Nevins remix “It's like That” became the number 1 hit in the UK, Germany and many other European countries. A video was made for this remix, but there was not a single frame with the group. In 1999, Run-DMC recorded a song for WWE wrestling group D-Generation X called The Kings, which appeared on WWF Aggression . They also appeared in a rare version of the Moby video for the song “Bodyrock”.

Soon after, the group finally returned to the studio, but in an increasingly tense atmosphere, differences began to appear between Simmons and McDaniels. Following the growing popularity of rap artists such as Korn , Limp Bizkit and Kid Rock , Simmons wanted to return to the aggressive, hard rock sound that made the band famous. McDaniels - who has become a fan of thoughtful performing artists such as John Lennon , Harry Chapin and Sarah MacLachlan - wanted to go in a more introspective direction. Appearing at the beginning of 2000 in the documentary series Behind the Music on VH1 , McDaniels confirmed that he was creatively disappointed and highlighted some of the songs that he recorded on his own. Continuing friction led McDaniels to miss most of the band's sessions in protest.

Simmons, in spite of everything, recorded the material anyway, inviting several invited stars, such as Kid Rock, Jermain Dupree, Adrian Burley, Tony Fredianelli and Stefan Jenkins from the group Third Eye Blind , Method Man , and colleagues from Queens Nas and Prodigy from Mobb Deep to contribute to the project. The final album, Crown Royal , was postponed due to personal problems, and when it was finally released in 2001, there were only three DMC appearances. Despite the lack of major singles, the album originally sold well. However, many critics expressed their dissatisfaction with the lack of DMC involvement. Some positive reviews were posted: Entertainment Weekly noted that “on this hip-hop, hot new high school students Nas and Fat Joe pay their respects with sparkling grooves ... Rana's rhymes are still flexible.” ^[29]

After the Crown Royal album, the band embarked on a Walk This Way world tour with Aerosmith and Kid Rock. The tour was an overwhelming success, noting the collaboration between the two groups and gaining recognition from countless rap and rock bands influenced by their original hit 15 years ago. ^[30] Despite a small involvement on the album, McDaniels relished the scene; he suffered from an inoperable voice disorder, which made his once-echoing voice a tense murmur. The performances allowed McDaniels to get out of the depression, and he looked busy on the tour. There was even talk that Run-DMC would finally sign a contract with Def Jam, which by that time no longer belonged to its original founders. However, Simmons was becoming more and more tired of hip-hop. His family was growing, and he helped out with his brother Russell's Phat Farm clothing brand advertising, making Run-DMC less a priority. Despite the success of the tour, and the discussion of adding additional dates for concerts, Simmons suddenly announced that he was leaving. ^[31]

On October 30, 2002, 37-year-old Jason Meisell was shot dead in his own 24/7 Studios recording studio, located on the second floor of an office building at 90-10 Merrick Boulevard in Jameika ( Queens , NY ). ^{[32] [33]} The murder of Meisell is still unsolved. Fans and friends erected a memorial near the studio with Adidas sneakers, albums and flowers. On November 6, 2002, Simmons and McDaniels announced the official dissolution of the group at a press conference on the formation of a coalition of music industry musicians and a fund dedicated to financial assistance to the Maisell family. ^[34]

After the collapse

In 2004, Run-DMC was one of the first bands to be revered at VH1 's first annual Hip Hop Honors ceremony, along with legends like 2Pac and The Sugarhill Gang . Beastie Boys paid tribute. Simmons did not attend the show; he recorded his first solo album Distortion . McDaniels also released Checks Thugs and Rock n Roll solo album. He recently discovered that he was adopted, leading him to My Adoption Journey , a documentary project on VH1 about his reunion with his biological family. McDaniels was also featured in a 2008 video game, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith , appearing in the songs Walk this Way and King of Rock. He often participated in VH1 programs, such as I Love The ... , and released the song "Rock Show" with singer Stefan Jenkins. Joseph Simmons also turned to television, starring in the lead role in Run's House reality show , which shows his life as a father and husband.

In June 2007, McDaniels performed with Aerosmith, performing the song “Walk This Way” for their encore at the Hard Rock Calling Festival in London. Simmons joined the Kid Rock Rock N Roll Revival Tour in 2008 with songs such as “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. They also performed a cover version of For What It's Worth at the end of the show. In 2007, Mysell's wife, Terry, Simmons and McDaniels, also launched the JAM Awards in memory of Jay. In October 2008, the once protégé of Meisell, 50 Cent , announced plans to produce a documentary about his deceased mentor. ^[35] In 2008, Run-DMC was nominated for entry into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2009.

On April 3, 2009, Run-DMC was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame . Thus, the group became the second rap group included in the Hall of Fame after the group Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five, included in 2007. ^[36] The band reunited at the Jay-Z's Made In America Festival in September 2012. Simmons and McDaniels then reunited for the Fun Fun Fun Fest in Austin, Texas in November 2012, and again in June 2013 and August 2014 for summer concerts in Atlanta , Georgia . ^[37]

Following the success of the Notorious biopic in 2009, it was announced that a biopic of the Run-DMC group with a script from the screenwriter of the Notorious movie, Cheo Hodari Coker, was in the works. According to rumors, the film tells about the life and history of the group, starting with its founding in Hollis and ending with the murder of Jam Master Jay in 2002. ^[38] However, the project has not yet been put into production.

On August 30, 2009, the New York City street corner was renamed in memory of Jam Master Jay and the Run-DMC. New York City Council approved the new name “RUN DMC JMJ WAY” for the corner of 205th Street and Hollis Avenue (205th Street and Hollis Avenue). And next to it is a graffiti wall that shows Jam Master Jay and the inscription “The Best DJ in the US Of A”. ^[39]

In 2016, Run-DMC won the Grammy Award for Lifetime Achievement . Rolling Stone Magazine marked this event with the release of an article and a special video listing all the group's accomplishments. ^[40]

• 1984: The first rap group whose video, “Rock Box,” was shown on MTV . ^{[41] [42]}
• 1984: The first rap group whose debut album, Run-DMC , became " gold " in US sales. ^{[43] [44] [45]}
• 1985: The first rap group to release the album, King Of Rock , on CD. ^[46]
• 1986: The first rap group whose third album, Raising Hell , became platinum in US sales. ^{[47] [48] [49]}
• 1986: The first rap group whose single, “Walk This Way,” hit the Billboard Top 10 Of The Billboard Hot 100 on September 6, 1986. ^[50]
• 1986: The first rappers to enter into a multi-million dollar deal with Adidas in 1986. ^[51]
• 1986: The first rap group to hit the cover of Rolling Stone Magazine on December 4, 1986. ^[52]
• 1987: First rap group nominated for a Grammy Award nomination for “Best R&B Vocal Performance by a Duo or Group for the Album” Raising Hell . ^[53]
• 1987: First rap group nominated for the American Music Awards (in 5 categories). ^[54]
• 1988: Run-DMC members hosted the very first episode of Yo! MTV Raps, released August 6, 1988. ^[55]
• 2016: First rap group to receive a Grammy Award for Lifetime Achievement . ^[56]