Twenty-four years after they trashed a fictitious Rock Hall of Fame in the video for their 1985 classic “King of Rock,” the Kings from Queens are to be inducted into the real one. The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame announced its 2009 inductees, and the list includes hip hop icons Run-D.M.C., along with soul legend Bobby Womack, heavy metal gods Metallica, doo-wop star Little Anthony, and innovative guitarist Jeff Beck.
Run-D.M.C. is only the second rap act to be inducted-after Grandmaster Flash & the Furious Five. The groundbreaking trio is one of the most celebrated artists in hip hop history, having been named Greatest Rap Group of all time by MTV.com in 2004, Greatest Hip Hop Artist of All Time by VH1 in 2003, and listed among the greatest musical artists of all time by Rolling Stone magazine.
More than any other artist in the genre’s history, they have influenced the style and sound of the music and culture. With their debut in 1984, Run, DMC and the late Jam-Master Jay brought hip hop out of the funk and disco-oriented sound of its beginnings and into a more aggressive, hard-hitting style. They also changed the way that rappers presented themselves. They didn’t dress in the glammed-up rhinestone boots and chains that old school rappers were known for-they wore sneakers, rope chains and their trademark black Fedoras. And unlike their predecessors, they didn’t utilize dancers and backup bands-they performed in what is now considered the ‘classic’ hip hop stage setup-two turntables and microphones.
They moved hip hop away from being a singles-oriented genre by crafting some of rap’s first classic albums; and were the group most responsible for breaking hip hop into mainstream music. They also had a tremendous impact on rock music-as evidenced by rap rock artists like Rage Against the Machine, KoRn and Kid Rock.
Run DMC is but one of a diverse range of legendary artists inducted this year. Metallica is one of the biggest heavy metal bands of all-time and of all of their 80s thrash-metal contemporaries-they are the only ones still recording and touring at a high level. Womack, one of soul music’s most underrated singer/songwriters, began his career as a backup singer for Sam Cooke before becoming a star on his own with classics like “Across 110th Street” and “If You Think You’re Lonely Now.”
Jeff Beck is one of the most respected (and underrated) guitarists of his generation; beginning his career with the legendary British blues-rock band the Yardbirds before teaming with Rod Stewart and Ron Wood in the Jeff Beck Group. As a solo artist, he blended rock, jazz, and funk into his own unique style and often collaborated with Stevie Wonder. – dusty culpepper
