Run DMC
What can you say? Eminem, Limp Bizkit - it was all done by Run DMC first!!! They were the first rap act to break into the mainstream, appeal to a white audience and bring together rap and rock music into one of the greatest singles of all time "Walk This Way". Its been over 20 years now and these guys are still as relevent as they were back in the day. We caught up with DMC and Jam Master Jay at the Nokia Totally Board event in Manchester to take it from the old skool up to the present day.
Q: Its been over 20 years. So many bands or acts just
fall into a trap of repeating themselves. Do you with each new album try
to take it as a fresh new start?
DMC: For Run DMC its just a continuation. One
of our greatest achievements we think is...we were the first to go gold,
first to go platinum, first on MTV - all these achievements in hip-hop...but
we think the greatest achievement is longevity.
Q: You must try and keep it fresh though?
DMC: We just always focus on wherever we are in
life. It ain't about competing with ourselves. Were just like "Oh, its
time to make a record". I think thats one of the reason we were able to
maintain such longevity. We do about 200 shows a year and thats alway helped
us out because we get to see a lot and experience a lot. We'll come to
the UK and see the energy and love they're giving us and we'll be like
"We have to make a record for these people".
Q: The "Crown Royale" album was the first album where
there wasn't a cohesive ideology in the group. Would you agree?
DMC: What they wanted to do was have all the new
people on there. All the people that said "I'm here cos' of Run DMC" and
to put them on the album. The next album is just gonna be us - us getting
back to the roots.
Pic: Yours truly with DMC and Jam Master Jay
Q: Its a big event when a rap act comes over to the
UK. Are crowds different in each territory?
DMC: Everybody's different but here in Europe
they're really excited. In America is kind of like "You're suppossed to
be the best...now prove it". We just like to do hip-hop the way it was
before people started making records. You know Jam Master Jay DJ's live,
me & Run on the microphone - we don't really have no gimics, we don't
really have no costumes...its just raw hip-hop!!!!
Q: You were in the innovators of rap-rock crossover.
What do you think of the whole rap-rock crossover in the year 2001 - your
Limp Bizkits and the like?
DMC: There's a lot people out there and everybody
is unique, everybody is innovative and everybody is really different. At
one time you had the West Coast and the East Coast - nowadays its everyewhere!!!
You've got hip-hop groups in Japan. Hip-hop in UK. Hip-hop in France.
Everybody is acting like this whole rap-rock things is
really new. We did "Walk This Way" and if you look what Public Enemy used
to it was always there but I think what Limp Bizkit did was make it bigger.
Q: When hip-hop first came out people were saying its
not real music. Nowadays its the biggest selling genre in the states.
DMC: As long as there is music there will be rap.
Rapper can rap over any type of music - they can rap over rock & roll,
R&B, anything!!!
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