Filed under: Black Music Month
The Sugarhill Gang's "Rapper's Delight" was proof that hip-hop could churn out a commercially viable hit. However, not until Run-DMC emerged in the mid-1980s, did hip-hop fulfill its potential of being considered legitimate mainstream music.
From the way they dressed (black leather jackets, Adidas, Lee jeans) to their skeletal, rock-infused beats (listen to "King of Rock' and "Rock Box'), the Queens-based trio (Joseph 'Run' Simmons, Darryl 'DMC' McDaniels, and the late Jason 'Jam Master Jay' Mizell) became the prototype for hip-hop's enduring street aesthetic and in-your-face sonic approach. Before them, rap groups took their cues from disco grooves and flamboyantly costumed R&B and New Wave performers.
But Run-DMC's brash sound and hood-next-door charm marked a sea change in hip-hop. When they teamed with Aerosmith for a remake of the rockers' song "Walk This Way," the partnership represented not only a unique rap-rock hybrid but it signaled hip-hop's potential to reach across cultural and racial divides. Their laundry list of musical firsts is unrivaled in rap. They were the first rappers to have gold, platinum and multiplatinum selling rap albums. Plus, they're the first rap group to win a Grammy, appear on the cover of 'Rolling Stone,' perform on 'Saturday Night Live,' have a video added to MTV and sign an athletic product endorsement deal. And in 2009, they became the second hip-hop group to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
These days, Run is known as ordained minister Rev. Run and has starred in the hugely popular reality show 'Run's House.' DMC has his hands in many projects from being recognized for his work with foster children and appearing in the feature documentary 'The People Speak,' to doing video game voiceover work and working on a new solo album. Jam Master Jay's 2002 murder case is still unsolved.
Influence is felt by ... Public Enemy, The Roots, Nas, 50 Cent