Oral History Interview with D.M.C. [i.e., Darryl McDaniels], New York, NY, November 5, 1998

Run-DMC, also spelled Run-D.M.C., is a Rap group that brought Hip-Hop into the musical and cultural mainstream, introducing what became known as “New-School” Rap. The members were Run (Joseph Simmons, b. 1964), DMC (Darryl McDaniels, b. 1964), and Jam Master Jay (Jason Mizell, 1965- 2002). Run-DMC was managed by Russell Simmons, who was the brother of group member Run and the cofounder of Def Jam, one of the most successful Black-owned record companies. Run, whose nickname came from his quick turntable manipulation, began his musical career as a deejay for old-school rapper Kurtis Blow. They were the first rappers to have a gold album—Run-D.M.C. (1984)—and the first Rap act to appear on MTV, becoming popular with the cable channel’s largely white audience via their fusion of hardcore Hip-Hop and screaming guitar solos on hits such as “Rock Box” (1984) and a 1986 remake of Aerosmith’s “Walk This Way” (featuring the song’s hard-rocking originators). Other hits by Run-DMC included “King of Rock” (1985), “My Adidas” (1986), which led to the first endorsement deal between Hip-Hop artists and a major corporation. In 2004, Rolling Stone ranked Run-DMC at number 48 in its list of the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time. In 2007, they were named The Greatest Hip-Hop Group of All Time by MTV and Greatest Hip-Hop Artist of All Time by VH1. In 2009, Run-DMC became the second HipHop group to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. And in 2016, the group received the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. 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.