the king of rock
It was 1985, just six short years after the incident known as Disco Demolition Night in Chicago, where a frenzied crowd of thousands gathered in Comiskey Park with hatred in their eyes and hearts. The abominable crowd gathered for the sole purpose of sealing the fate of the long-standing disco movement by burning its albums and music cassettes en masse. It was a revolt in the truest sense, unlike any negative showing towards a particular style of music before. This was not a simple slip on the charts; it was an execution.
The disco was dead.
The heavy metal era had truly begun. The Bee Gees, now the former official kings of the airwaves, would no longer be Stayin’ Alive. His bass lines and high-pitched vocal stylings blazed into a fiery Disco Inferno that an overly happy group of long-haired rockers were pouring gasoline on.
It was not Kung Fu Fighting. No. The war between disco and rock that raged from the mid-1970s to the mid-1980s was finally over. Rock prevailed and claimed the throne on top of the mountain, the only challenger to defeat him.
Who else dares to challenge the king?
Jazz? “Please…”
Blues? “Come again?”
Country? “Really?”
How about rap? “Rap? What is rap?”
Rap was still a new and relatively unknown commodity, largely ignored by mainstream audiences, critics, and radio stations. Most of the growing shape of music sales couldn’t even be accurately tracked, as most artists were selling their material out of their car trunks, unable to secure a record deal.
Dealers would stare blankly at the rappers as they listened to the demos. The so-called professionals did not have the vision to see and understand the music that would eventually spark a revolution. Backed into a corner, the only way forward was obvious.
A few brave entrepreneurs started their own rap labels. One was known as Sugarhill Records. It received modest distribution and was the label that released what many have called “The First Real Rap Song”. Rappers Delight by Sugarhill Gang was by far the best received rap single up to that point.
Looking back, some define the moment as the official beginning of rap music, as the classic single received airplay, reached number thirty-eight on the music charts, and was available in many stores.
The Sugarhill Gang was knocking on the door to legitimately break into the music world, but a 20-something rapper known simply as DMC wasn’t content to knock on the door with his knuckles. He had his hand wrapped around the doorknob and was opening it.
There would be no punches for Darryl Mcdaniels who, along with fellow rapper Joseph “Run” Simmons and DJ Jam Master Jay, released the self-titled album Run DMC in the spring of 1984 on Profile Records.
It seemed that no one knew what to do with it. Run DMC was unlike anything or anyone before them. The group of three black men from Hollis Queens defied any and all rankings. They weren’t rockers, although they did have electric guitar on some of their songs. They weren’t disc.
What are they? What style of music is Run DMC?
“They’re rapping.”
“Oh rap. I think I’ve heard of that.”
The trio were slowly gaining viewership, catching up with their catchy mix of back-and-forth rhymes between Run and DMC over Jay’s deft record-scratching and 808 drum machine beats. Throw in some samples and an occasional guitar riff and you had a fresh new sound that was screaming to be heard.
Run DMC would not be denied, nor that historical first release that has sold more than three million units. Things weren’t blowing up yet for Run DMC, but that was only a matter of time.
The door was ajar, but rap music was still a foot inside. Rock music was still looking down the mountain, carefree, rap and laughter. The reigning king did not feel any threat. There could be no challenge to the throne unless someone from the rap world was ready to take a big step forward.
Enter the DMC stage on the left.
Merge:
Slavery may have been abolished in 1862 and there was supposed equality between the races being talked about, but a quick glance at the music charts was all it took to show the glaring divide still present. White artists dominated the airwaves. The number of black rock groups was minimal and the number of them that made the charts was almost non-existent.
Run DMC ultimately changed the face of the music world and helped bridge the racism gap by promoting racial equality, not favoritism in either direction, and becoming celebrities in an era that embraced the exact opposite of what they embodied.
Forget-rock. Forget rap.
Run DMC transcended musical style and classification and in doing so changed the face of the music world at a defining moment when Darryl Mcdaniels mustered enough testicular strength for the entire rap community and performed an act that contained the ramifications of painting a target on his back. He easily risked being a dead man.
It looked like suicide.
During a year when rock music sales to a predominantly Caucasian audience were in the millions, Run DMC released their second album. The title track features a confident DMC throwing out five words, unaccompanied by music, which changed the music scene forever.
The young man who inspired so many to follow him made an undeniably provocative statement when he rapped five simple words acapella into a microphone all those years ago.
In the world of politics and government, it was Martin Luther King with the famous words, “I have a dream.”
The music world has its equivalent and the quote belongs to Darryl Mcdaniels. His five words, as powerful as King’s four, continue to inspire as they reach a whole new audience. No one can forget the first time they heard DMC utter the last words no one expected to hear from the mouth of a black man.
“I am the king of rock!”
Darryl Mcdaniels was a legend.
The statement was so powerful; was used to name the album and was largely responsible for the album’s eventual platinum status.
DMC kept the theme going with his next lyric, “There’s none higher,” in case anyone missed the fact that he was the king of rock and the fiery electric guitar that throbbed throughout the track and the album, which can only be described as an innovative masterpiece, was not enough to persuade them.
Rock music was on the ropes; he needed to make a rope a drug if he wanted to survive. He got his help from a very unlikely source.
Rather than pick a fight, Run DMC continued their fusion of rock and rap by extending the olive branch to a group of disgraced rockers whose best days had been buried in the ’70s. Aerosmith has produced some mediocre records since then and hadn’t had a hit in nearly a decade.
Mcdaniels and his minions joined forces with the struggling rockers and recorded a new classic version of one of Aerosmith’s old hits. Walk This Way was an even bigger seller the second time around and helped catapult Run DMC’s third release, Raising Hell, to multi-platinum international sales.
Run DMC didn’t seem to be battling rock for musical supremacy, but someone was keeping score; it was clear to see who the king really was.
It has been quite a roller coaster for the young people who made Adidas a phenomenon. Since the release of Raising Hell over twenty years ago, the superstars have released four more albums, all of which have achieved platinum status.
Unfortunately, the trio was reduced to two on October 30. 2002 when the legendary Jam Master Jay was called to its creator.
Joseph “Run” Simmons is now known as Reverend Run. The new man on the web, when he’s not filming his hit reality show, he still finds time to rock the mic with his often imitated but never duplicated emcee skills. His solo release, Distortion, served to fill many fans’ desire for a new Run DMC recording.
DMC, years after his St. John’s college days, is ready to match his partner in crime and will even feature the Reverend on some tracks from the King of Rock’s solo debut, Checks, Thugs, & Rock -N -Roll.