Run DMC Kangol Hat

Whereas earlier rap stars fashioned their looks after the spangled superhero costumes of 1970s Funk acts like Parliament-Funkadelic and Rick James, Run-DMC appeared in their signature fedora and Kangol hats, black leather jackets, unlaced Adidas athletic shoes, and black denim pants, establishing the more casual look of hip urban youth as de rigueur stage wear for rappers. In the early 1980s Run-D.M.C. burst onto the scene and revolutionised the way we all view fashion, wearing thick gold chains, Adidas tracksuits, and unlaced Superstars with the tongue popping out. 

Kangol was established in England in 1938. The word Kangol was formulated by borrowing the “ang” from angora, the “ol” from wool, and adding a “K” to create a name with a more appealing sound. Before becoming fashionable among Hip-Hop aficionados, the hats had been more typically worn by workers, golfers and members of the British armed forces. The company made hats for British soldiers in World War II and perfected its iconic design back in the ’50s. The company soon focused on the US marketing in the early 1980s. Americans began asking for the “Kangaroo” hats, and the company responded by creating a kangaroo logo for its hats. Rapper LL Cool J has been known for popularizing Kangol hats that many Hip-Hop artists would wear in the 1980s. The hats became so popular that Mellow S, a member of the Rap group UTFO, adopted the Kangol name after fans and friends called him “the Kangol Kid.”

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), D.M.C. (Darryl McDaniels, b. 1964), and Jam Master Jay (Jason Mizell,  1965- 2002). Run-D.M.C. 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-D.M.C. 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-D.M.C. 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 Hip-Hop 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.