|
RUN-DMC
"Two years ago a friend of mine asked me to say some emcee rhymes
So I said this rhyme I'm about to say, the rhyme was def and it went this way:
Took a test to become an emcee, and Orange Krush became amazed at me
So Larry put me inside his Cadillac, the chauffeur drove off and we never came back
Dave cut the record down to the bone, and now they got me rockin on the microphone..."
"You're a five dollar boy and I'm a million dollar man
You're a sucker emcee and you're my fan
You try to bite rhymes, all lines are mine, you're a sucker emcee in a pair of Calvin Kleins
Coming from the wackest part of town, trying to rap but you can't get down
You don't even know your English, your verbs or noun
You're just a sucker emcee, you sad faced clown..."
And with that verse and that 12" single- "It's Like That b/w Sucker M.C.'s"- the era of the old school rapper came to a close.
Of course Run DMC are usually considered old school by today's terms, but in 1983 when that single was released it was as far from the sound of rap at that time. Run DMC had sparse beats and sharp lyrics. They didn't need a band backing them in the studio or on stage. They had the one man band- Jam Master Jay backing them all the way.
In 1978, Kurtis Blow was one of rap's first superstars and he needed a DJ. Russell Simmons was managing Kurtis at the time and he knew his teenage brother, Joseph, would be a perfect fit for the job. "Kurtis Blow's Disco Son- DJ Run" as he was known was born. He got his name because he could cut between two turntables so quickly.
After touring with Kurtis for a while, Run began to make a name for himself as an emcee. He traded rhymes with Kurt and taped his performances. After getting a good night's sleep he would call up his buddy Darryl McDaniels and play the tape.
D was not into the night life like Run. He played a lot of basketball and football growing up. Along with his brother he collected loads of comic books. D liked to draw all the time as well. One day, D heard a tape of Grandmaster Flash and decided he wanted to be like him. He bought 2 turntables, a mixer, and break beat records of the time. D taught Run to spin records and Run told D to start rapping.
D's mom wouldn't let him near any real rap shows, so when Run got some better deejay equipment it was Run's house for next few years. D began calling himself Easy D and busted out crazy rhymes that would never see the light of day- he would never rap in public.
Around 1980, they began going to the parties at Two-Fifth Park in Hollis to hear the deejays do their thing. It was there that they met up with a deejay named Jazzy Jase.
Jason Mizell had developed a reputation in the area. He wore the flyest b-boy clothes and did what he could to stand out. He hung out with the tough crowd, but was smart enough to also be down with the nerds. Everybody liked Jazzy Jase, as he was known.
After getting into some trouble with the law, Jay began to focus on music. He played drums and bass but gave them up for the new instrument of the time- the wheels of steel. Eventually he developed quite a following in the park, including Run and DMC. Emcees would do whatever they could to get up and rap in front of Jazzy Jase.
They struggled with schoolwork as rap began to take over their lives.
Flash ahead now. Run is 17 and has been working with Kurtis Blow and, through Russell, he finally got a chance to record a song. It was called "Street Kid" but the attitude was not right and it went no where. Run was determined to make a song with his main man D. D and Russell didn't see eye to eye. D didn't like Kurtis Blow. But both Kurtis and Russell knew that D knew the music and knew what was going to hit big. Russell didn't like D's rhymes though. He thought they were too hard at the time.
Finally it did come time to record. Run knew what he wanted. Straight b-boy type beats with nothing but a drum track and a scratch. That's what he got. 1983's "It's Like That b/w Sucker MC's" broke every rule in the book and, although it would continue a few more years, put a symbolic end to old school rap.
I could go on with their career, but I suspect you know the rest by heart. They released "RUN DMC" in 1984 (a near perfect hip hop album, by the way) and followed that up with "King of Rock" in 1985. They starred in Krush Groove in 1985. But it was their collaboration with Aerosmith on "Walk This Way" from 1986's "Raising Hell" that made their legacy complete.
They appeared in the documentary film The Show, performing "My Adidas" and "Together Forever."
If you can find a copy of "Tougher Than Leather: The Authorized Biography of RUN DMC" by B. Adler, grab it up quick. It is an excellent book, but I believe it's out of print now.
At the beginning of the 1990's Jam Master Jay set up JMJ Records with Davy DMX. They released a few albums most notably, Smooth Ice and The Afro's. Jay also worked with Onyx.
They recorded several more albums, but none achieved the same success. Regardless, Run DMC will forever be the ones who broke down the doors to main stream popularity of the music.
They continue to tour constantly all over the world so keep an eye for them. You won't forget the experience.
Their label, Profile, is now part of Arista Records and thus much of their material may be difficult to get. I'm sure Arista will be reissuing the old stuff soon. The guys are currently working on a new album that promises to be a return to the style that made them superstars. It will include guest spots from several of today's top stars. The album is set for release in 1999.
They are featured in ads for The Gap and D.O.C. Eyecare.
They are working with Will "Fresh Prince" Smith's production company to shoot a film based on their lives.
Their latest effort titled Crown Royal was finally released in April of 2001 where it entered the BillBoard chart at #37.
Simple idea: If you love hip hop music, you've gotta love Run DMC.
It's like that, and that's the way it is.
Grandmaster Flash and The Furious Five
Like his predecessor Kool Herc, this influential DJ was of Jamaican descent. Flash learned the basic art of cutting between records from Herc in the mid-70's.
Along with Afrika Bambaataa, Flash was an early competitor of Herc. Flash recalls Herc embarrassing him because he didn't have the system (nor did anyone else at the time) that could compete with Herc's. He decided to make up for what he was missing in volume with flawless technique.
Not only could Flash cut from one record to the next without missing a beat, he added in a new element. He would take phrases and sections of different records and play them over other records. He installed a device that would allow him, through the use of headphones, to hear what was going on on each record. Herc didn't use this technique until much later.
He began to develop a following from house parties and block parties. People would come to hear and see Flash and his partner "Mean Gene" Livingston. Gene's brother, a 13 year old named Theodore, practiced with Flash and is often credited as the inventor of "scratching." Obviously this technique was mimicked by every DJ and became standard practice.
By 1978, Flash had surpassed Herc in popularity, but there was a decided shift in the realm of hip hop. While still important, deejays began to take second place to MC's.
Flash rapped and made the shout outs on his own at first, but he knew if he wanted to remain innovative and retain his flawless turntable technique he needed some help.
He worked for a short time in 1978-79 with Kurtis Blow before recruiting a few of his friends Keith (Cowboy) Wiggins, and two brothers, Melvin (Melle Mel) and the older sibling, Nathaniel (Kidd Creole) Glover. They soon began writing their own rhymes and calling themselves The Three MC's. Over time they added in Guy (Rahiem) Williams and Eddie (Mr. Ness/Scorpio) Morris and became the legendary group Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five.
They went on to battle the likes of The Treacherous Three and, ironically, Grand Wizard Theodore (Livingston) and The Fantastic Five.
The group recorded the single, "We Rap More Mellow" on Brass Records under the name, The Younger Generation. They also released a along with a live version of "Flash To The Beat" on Bozo Meko Records under the name Flash and The Five.
They went on to record for Enjoy! Records before moving over to the land of Sugar Hill Records.
Flash is also credited with using the electronic beat box. He would put it between his turntables and use it to play the beat in between records.
Flash briefly appears in the hip hop film Wild Style cutting records in his kitchen.
In 1981, Flash released what is considered the most influential display of cutting and scratching ever recorded- "The Adventures of Grandmaster Flash on the Wheels of Steel." On it he uses sections of "Rapture", "Good Times," "Another One Bites the Dust," and sections from some of their previous work. This was the first time that people heard a song of nothing but a record on a record.
But, without question, the most influential song ever recorded by this group was released in June of 1982, only one week after The Sugar Hill Gang had released "The Lover in You" a much more typical Sugar Hill record. "The Lover in You" peaked out at #55 on the charts.
"The Message" peaked at #4.
"The Message" changed the playing field for what a rap record could do. It showed that you could make things other than party songs and still sell records. It featured Melle Mel and Duke Bootee (a Sugarhill session musician named Ed Fletcher). It is known that Melle Mel is angry about how everyone else shared credit for the song. Duke Bootee wasn't even credited on the song at all. Critics raved about the song, despite rumors that many members of the group didn't want to record it in the first place. Nevertheless it paved the way for such acts as Public Enemy and Boogie Down Productions who would also go on to infuse much of their music with political and social commentaries.
Also along the same lines as "The Message" was the anti drug song "White Lines (Don't Do It)" which was supposedly a tribute to cocaine before the "don't do it" was added in later.
By 1983, Run DMC was emerging and Flash and the Five began their fall from the spotlight. Flash sued Sugar Hill Records for $5 million in royalties. The suit split the group in half. Melle Mel leading one side (which included a performance in the film Beat Street) and Flash on the other. Although they did reunite in 1987 to record a new album, it was not well received and the group disbanded permanently.
In 1989, Cowboy died after spending nearly two years strung out on crack. He was twenty eight years old.
Production duties for Flash away from the Furious Five and his own material was Donald D's "Don's Groove" in 1983 Just Ice's 1990 album "Masterpiece" was solely produced by him.
Group members appeared in the documentary film The Show.
Melle Mel and Scorpio released an album in entitled "Right Now" 1997. Grandmaster Flash can currently be seen as the musical director of HBO's The Chris Rock Show. There is also a movie on his life in the works.
Melle Mel also lent his vocal talents to the Sugarhill Gang for their album "Jump on It."
Both Flash and Melle Mel released new CD's in the beginning of 2002. Melle Mel with his new group Die Hard and Flash on his own entitled "The Official Adventures of Grandmaster Flash."
Kurtis Blow
The year was 1976. A young man named Curtis Walker (born August 9, 1959) hooked up with a group of party promoters who called themselves The Force. Among that group was a rather aggressive and bold member named Russell Simmons. The group sponsored parties in Harlem until 1977 when Russell, or Rush as he came to be known, moved the group to Queens.
Kool DJ Kurt as he was known at the time was renamed to Kurtis Blow and, along with Rush's promotion, began selling himself as "the #1 rapper in Queens." At a time when rap was still being discovered by many new listeners, Kurtis carried a lot of influence over the youth at the time. Russell's 14 year old brother Joseph was no exception. He joined Kurtis as his deejay calling himself "DJ Run, the Son of Kurtis Blow." Wonder whatever happened to that kid?
In 1978-79 he worked the Disco Fever with none other than Grandmaster Flash.
Later on he utilized the deejay and production skills of Davy DMX.
A Billboard reporter named Robert Ford made contact with the duo giving them press in the magazine. And although Ford had hoped to eventually make a record with one of the other groups around at the time, Rush convinced him that the young stylish Kurtis Blow was ready to hit the studio. Another man named J.B. Moore (who is characterized in a different light in the film Krush Groove) put up the cash for the recording.
While the group was in the studio recording what would be the first single, "Christmas Rappin" or "Rappin Blow" as it is sometimes called, another single swept the country- "Rapper's Delight."
Despite the success of the single, no major label wanted anything to do with "Christmas Rappin'" assuming rap was a one hit wonder. Finally, an A&R man from Mercury heard the song and signed Kurtis Blow, who became the first rapper ever signed to a major label.
The next song recorded was "The Breaks" which is still recognizable to many today.
He went on to record one of the first political raps "Hard Times" which would later be covered by RUN DMC on their first album.
Around this time he befriended a group called The Disco Three and helped them secure a deal of their own. They went on to record as The Fat Boys.
He also went on to star in Krush Groove including a memorable live concert scene where he performed "If I Ruled the World." He indeed looked like the King of Rap in that performance.
He appeared in the documentary film The Show.
Kurtis Blow appears on a cd by LEN called "You Can't Stop the Bum Rush in 1999 on a track called "Cold Chillin'".
Though no longer recording new material Kurtis still tours the world and has become a highly influential behind the scenes player in the world of Hip Hop. Most recently he assembled a three disc collection called "Kurtis Blow Presents The History of Rap." Not only is it a great collection, but Kurt's liner notes are the shining star of the project.
Sugarhill Gang
The story of the Sugarhill Gang is perhaps one of the most controversial among old school hip hop and hip hop on a whole for that matter.
A woman named Sylvia Robinson, who herself was involved in the music industry, heard this new underground sound called rap and felt that there was market there for the taking. She began to put together a group to record a rap record.
At the same time, Henry Jackson was a bouncer in club and also a part time hip hop manager. Henry used to listen to mix tapes of various crews of the time and rap along with the lyrics. One night Sylvia overheard Henry repeating some rhymes of Grandmaster Caz of the Cold Crush Brothers. She asked Henry if he was interested in joining a group.
Here's where the controversy begins.
Instead of revealing the true author of the rhymes, Henry agreed. He later went to visit Caz who agreed to let Henry use his rhymes. Caz figured if Henry got hooked up, he was later help Caz and Cold Crush do the same. Obviously, he never did.
Henry Jackson, now renamed Big Bank Hank, joined Wonder Mike, and Master Gee and formed the Sugarhill Gang. They went on to record "Rapper's Delight." The song eventually went on to sell over 2 million copies, hit #4 on the R&B chart, and became the highest selling 12 inch single ever.
When the true hip hop crews heard the song on the radio they were stunned. Grandmaster Flash recalls thinking, "Sugarhill who?" No one knew who this group was, but nevertheless, they broke the sound from the underground and blew it up worldwide.
In an ironic tint to the whole story, check out one of Hank's rhymes:
"But whatever you do, in your lifetime/
You never let an MC steal your rhymes"
And how about this one:
"I'm the C-A-S-A-N-O-V-A...." Hank was spelling Caz's named before he shortened it to just Caz.
The group did record several other singles, none of which approached the success of the original, however, some were successful. "8th Wonder" reached #15 on the R&B chart. "Apache" peaked at #13.
Kory O eventually replaced Master Gee.
They released a new album in 1999 entitled "Jump On It." But instead of breaking down musical doors, they are doing this one for the children. The tracks will be aimed at the youth listeners and will include a new version of "Rapper's Delight" called "It's Like a Dream Sometimes. |
