Joey was the “Run” in Run-D.M.C., which was exploding off the streets with a hardcore style of rapping that interwove sardonic humor and biting social commentary. The group’s first single, “It’s Like That,” was released in 1983 and set the tone for the rest of the decade. Simmons helped make his brother’s group immensely successful, especially after he teamed with a white college student from Long Island, Rick Rubin , to launch Def Jam Records in 1985. With their first office located in Rubin’s dormitory room at New York University, they emerged as the first big players on the rap music scene. The label’s first single was from LL Cool J, “I Need A Beat,” and helped bring Simmons and Rubin a distribution deal with CBS Records.
