Run-DMC (also formatted Run-D.M.C., RUN DMC, or some combination thereof) was an American hip hop group from Hollis, Queens, New York City, formed in 1983 by Joseph Simmons, Darryl McDaniels, and Jason Mizell.

[6] Run-DMC was the first hip hop act to have their music videos broadcast on MTV, appear on American Bandstand, be on the cover of Rolling Stone,[7] perform at Live Aid, and be nominated for a Grammy Award.

Following Russell's success managing Kurtis Blow, he helped Run record his first single, a song called "Street Kid".

[14] After they graduated from high school and started college in 1982, Simmons and McDaniels finally convinced Russell to let them record as a duo, and they recruited Mizell (who was now known as Jam Master Jay) to be their official DJ.

Run-DMC's swift ascension to the forefront of rap with a new sound and style meant that old-school hip hop artists were becoming outdated.

Run-DMC discarded the more glam aspects of early hip hop fashion (which were later readopted in 1990 by more "pop" rappers like MC Hammer and Vanilla Ice) and incorporated a more "street" sense of style such as Kangol hats, Cazal glasses, leather jackets, and unlaced Adidas shoes.

[17] The film featured a young Blair Underwood as Russell, along with appearances by old-school legend Kurtis Blow, The Fat Boys, teen pop act New Edition, LL Cool J, Prince protegee Sheila E., and hip hop's first successful White rap group, the Beastie Boys, who were signed to Simmons' Def Jam label.

This spurred the lead single "Walk This Way", a collaboration with the group Aerosmith, who years earlier had done their original version of the classic hard rock song on their album Toys in the Attic.

Members of the group Aerosmith (including Steven Tyler and Joe Perry) were called to join Run-DMC in the studio to add their vocals and guitars.

[24] The success of Raising Hell is often credited with kick-starting hip hop's golden age, when rap music's visibility, variety, and commercial viability exploded onto the national stage and became a global phenomenon.

Though Run-DMC's lyrics had been angry, confrontational and aggressive, they typically denounced crime and ignorance, but the media began to blame the group for the incidents.

The album was the worst-reviewed of their career, as the group tried to re-create itself musically with ill-advised forays into new jack swing (a then-popular style of production that sonically merged hip hop and contemporary R&B) and sometimes-preachy lyrical content.

The two singles released, the anti-drug, anti-crime song "Pause" and street narrative "The Ave", had little success, and the group began to look outdated.

Building on the gritty sound of Tougher Than Leather, and adding some subtle religious references, the album featured guest appearances and production by several hip hop notables (including Pete Rock & CL Smooth and Q-Tip of A Tribe Called Quest).

Later that same year, Run became an ordained minister, and in 1995 the iconic group appeared in The Show, a Def Jam-produced documentary that featured several of hip hop's biggest acts discussing the lifestyle and sacrifices of the industry.

While on tour in Europe in 1997, McDaniels' ongoing battle with substance abuse led to a bout of severe depression, which spurred an addiction to prescription drugs.

In the wake of the exploding popularity of rap-rock artists like Korn, Limp Bizkit, and Kid Rock, Simmons wanted to return to the aggressive, hard rock-tinged sound that made the group famous.

[citation needed] Simmons, in defiance, recorded material anyway, inviting several guest stars such as Kid Rock, Jermaine Dupri, Adrian Burley, Tony Fredianelli and Stephan Jenkins of Third Eye Blind, Method Man, and fellow Queens MCs Nas and Prodigy of Mobb Deep to contribute to the project.

Some positive reviews were published: Entertainment Weekly noted that "on this hip hop roast, new schoolers Nas and Fat Joe pay their respects with sparkling grooves...Run's rhymes are still limber.

[citation needed] Even though he had little to do with the album, McDaniels was relishing the stage; he had been suffering from an inoperable vocal disorder that had rendered his once-booming voice a strained mumble.

His family was growing, and he was assisting with his brother Russell's Phat Farm clothing imprint,(cap) making Run-DMC less of a priority.

Jay's vision for social Justice, Arts and Music was promoted by many recording artists, including Snoop Dogg, LL Cool J, Raekwon, Jim Jones, M.O.P., Papoose, Everlast, DJ Muggs, Kid Capri, De La Soul, Mobb Deep, EPMD, Dead Prez, Biz Markie and Marley Marl.

The film was rumored to depict the life and story of the group beginning from their inception in Hollis, Queens, and leading up to the 2002 murder of Jam Master Jay.

Their sound is directly responsible for intentionally transforming rap music from dance-and club-oriented funk grooves like "Rapper's Delight" and "The Breaks" to an aggressive, less-danceable approach.

As such, Run-DMC is considered the originators of the style, and hardcore hip hop would dominate the next two decades of rap music, from the bombastic, noisy sound of Public Enemy and stripped minimalism of Boogie Down Productions to the thump of early Wu-Tang Clan and Nas.

Onstage, old school rappers had previously performed in flashy attire and colorful costumes, typically had a live band and, in the case of acts like Whodini, had background dancers.

The group shunned both the over-the-top wardrobe of previous rap stars like the Furious Five and Afrika Bambaataa, and the silk-shirted, jheri curled, ladies' man look of rappers like Kurtis Blow and Spoonie Gee.

Followers of their style included LL Cool J and the Beastie Boys; seemingly overnight, rappers were wearing jeans and sneakers instead of rhinestones and leather outfits.

From Adidas tracksuits and rope chains to baggy jeans and Timberland footwear, hip hop's look remained married to the styles of the street.

that introduced hats, gold chains, and untied sneakers to youth culture's most stubborn demographic group: young white male suburban rock fans.